What is the best advice (photography wise) you have ever received

[mortalitas]

Good afternoon all,

The title pretty much covers it.

I think the best advice I have been given was when viewing a picture that you like, don't just enjoy it, figure out why you like it, that way, when looking for your own photo spots, you can apply what you have seen previously.

what is some of the best advice that you have been given?

[I @ M]

Has to be " get off the 'net and go and take photos " and adding my own bit, "forget the sharpness, concentrate on composition, colour and contrast, then print it"

[ricktas]

Don't try and learn everything at once. Learn one thing at a time, and just work at improving little by little. From my grandfather in the 1970's and still very relevant today.

[Kym]

Andrew is spot on.
The first element of the NTP Learning plan is to put the camera in auto and work on taking photos, with emphasis on composition.

[Darey]

Determine what is driving you to take an image and then shoot to best convey to your audience what that driving force was.

(ie:- was it colour, texture, movement or a feeling etc.)

My own thoughts on image taking.

[Cattleprod]

Always have your camera with you....

[Cocoajam]

Don't shoot a photo for anyone else, shoot it for you number 1, that way it will reflect you, your style, and the balance is usually there. Shoot it for someone else and you get too hung up on the 'hows' and 'whys'......

[rookie]

always carry a spare battery

[JM Tran]

Create. Dont just capture.

[ameerat42]

Give up while you're still behind.

[AdamR]

Mine is similar to Darey. If something makes you wanna take a photo, think about what that something is and try capture it, forget the distractions around it. I also think that shooting what you want, not others is sound advice.

[arthurking83]

No specific advice to me that I can remember(having the attention span of a dead ant!) .. but the best advice given regularly here(that I've noticed, as I don't frequent all that many photophorums):

post an image for CC, don't take it to heart or get hung up if the CC isn't as you'd like it to be(ie. all praise), and learn from the experience to do better next time.

[andrewvid]

My most helpful was probably "get off your fat lazy a*s and go take photos somewhere!"

I still yet to put that advice into action..

[extraball]

when someone bumped the UV filter thread

[AVALANCHE]

Think before you shoot.

and

treat your dslr like a film camera, and each shot is worth $2 to process. Is what you are about to shoot worth that?

[stevo01]

Lots of good advice being thrown around here, I especially like Rick's "don't try to learn everything at once, do it little by little".

A piece of advice that I have heard a few times is along the lines of "Slow down, be present, and think about what you're shooting and what you are trying to convey".

[ricktas]

I would like to add one more

"You will not be a professional photographer quickly. It takes years to gain the knowledge and skills to be able to produce professional quality photographic results. Just learn, enjoy taking photos and have fun. Being a Pro is not just owning expensive camera gear".

[old dog]

Rick just said it.....enjoy yourself.

[fotog]

Advice to myself...Don 't just look, you must see.

And, if you forget the memory card one more time...

[extraball]

And, if you forget the memory card one more time...

done that twice allready, I now transfer the pics via a usb cable. The SD card stays in!