Some tips and words of wisdom.

First of some disclaimers:
    ·         I’m not a professional.
    ·         I’m crap at writing tutorials and stuff like that.
    ·         Scratch that. I’m crap at writing.
    ·         This post may contain large amounts of sarcasm.
    ·         It might also contain some strong language and/or harsh wording.
    ·         I ate your cookie. I’m sorry. I really am. But I was hungry and it was right there.

     

 

Okay, now let’s get to it!

I've been doing photography for more or less 17 years(yes I started young, and I sucked at first), as an amateur hobbyist photographer that is, but I do know a thing or two. While some of this may only apply to photographers, there are some things that everyone could stand to take to heart as well.
First of all it’s important to never shy away from learning new things or brushing up on things you think you already know. And that is why I spend countless hours reading books, blogs, and tutorials about photography and post processing.
At some point in the coming days I’m going to add a couple of links at the bottom that I think you should check out.

You may have heard about the 10,000 hour rule. Yes? No? 

Well either way I’m going to launch into a brief explanation of what it is, and hopefully you’ll learn something new.
See? Isn’t learning fun!

The 10,000 hour rule basically states that it takes ten thousand hours of practicing something to become an expert in it.
I’m not sure if that’s true or not, to me it seems like a rather random number. But I do know this much, practice makes perfect. So shoot, go home and look through your pictures, think about what you could have done differently to improve upon the picture, ask friends or people on here what they think, then go back out there and repeat from the start only this time keeping in mind what you learnt from your previous shoot.

Be open to criticism, be willing to improve. I’m not saying take every negative word people say to you to heart, but always listen. Don't get upset just because people don't like your work. You can't please everyone. And there's always going to be people who say what they think without regards for your feelings. It sucks, but that's the way of the world.
Analyze what was said. If they offer suggestions as to how to improve upon your piece, then consider what they said carefully. 
If not, just ignore them.

Know your equipment. Fondle it. Love it.

-But Robert I don’t care about any of that technical stuff, I just want to take great pictures and I hate reading.

Well then don’t. These are tips, not rules or orders. But I recommend getting the knowledge into your mind somehow. Telepathy, audiobooks, classes, workshops, whathaveyou.

It’s not the size of the lens, it’s how you wield it.

It’s kind of funny, and it shows that it’s not all about the camera. That’s not to say you shouldn't ever buy a better camera, just to point out that you shouldn't focus too much on it.

Go boldly into the light

So most people seem to have an unnatural fear of flash photography. Don’t. It’s harmless, it’s not that hard. And it’s quite fun.
I’m not saying you should light everything with strobes or flash units, but don’t be afraid to experiment with it.
Start by visiting Lightning 101 over at Strobist.blogspot.com. And then go from there. Honestly it’s not that bad, and it can help you loads.

Know your aspect ratios and how to compose your picture for them

There’s plenty of guides, books, and tutorials that explain composition. Rule of thirds, golden triangles, monkey on a unicycle etc.
So check them out. And while you’re on it, do a little search for aspect ratios and read up on it.

Have fun

But most important of all is this: Love what you do. Have fun doing it. And don’t be afraid to ask for help or tips. Most people are more than happy to help out, and if they’re not. Come to me, send me a note or comment on my page.
If I can’t help you, I’ll either help you find someone who can. Or more likely I’ll read guides on how to do it and then explain it to you, or just link them to you.

That is all for now. I’ll update this post whenever I can think of something else to add.