To me, there are a lot of different ways a photo could be beautiful. It all depends on ones idea of beauty and what they are attracted to. A beautiful photo could be anything that changes your perception of something, something that makes you feel an emotion, something that leaves you speechless, or maybe just catches & keeps your attention.
What are the characteristics of photographic beauty?
It depends on the quality of the photo, the photoshop effects the photographer chooses to use, the angle, and the subject being photographed but not always necessarily.
Can something "ugly" be photographed and still be considered beautiful?
Yes. For example, bugs are really creepy looking if you just look at them with the naked eye, but if you really took the time to get up close and creatively photograph them, you could get a really great photo.
A photo I think is beautiful:
