# Share 3x your own advice to yourself!



## Marsu42 (Nov 26, 2014)

Here's good ol' Marsu's latest scheme to help each other out by sharing some knowledge 

*If you could time-travel 3 short pieces of advice back to yourself when you started of with photography, what would it be?*

I'll go ahead!
[list type=decimal]
[*]shoot loose
[*]calibrate your monitor
[*]tell a story
[/list]

Now, don't be shy! What did you miss back then you've learned by now?


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## distant.star (Nov 27, 2014)

.
I now rarely make the dreadful errors you see in this picture I took 54 years ago...






If it's helpful at all, here are my three primary rules:

1. SEE the image.

2. Get the image into the box.

3. Get the image out of the box.

Never quite as easy as it sounds.


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## risc32 (Nov 27, 2014)

i like that photo.


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## slclick (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Keep shooting film/developing your own film (It's amazing how it contributes towards better digital b & w) 
2. Be patient, great light for one image is better than 100 mediocre shots
3. Buy the good stuff the first time, endless so so purchases which end up as countless upgrades waste your time AND money.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 27, 2014)

My first serious 35mm film camera was a Argus C3 back in the 1960's. I was a college student, and it was the best I could afford. I also had a conventional flash and a light meter. I mostly shot Kodachrome II.

I bought a Canon FT QL when I graduated and could afford it. I built a darkroom in my garage (I had done printing in High School). That meant I was using Ektachrome, which I did not like, My slides had a greenish tint. Besides B&W, I even did a few color prints, which was far to difficult. I was working 60 hour weeks, and had little spare time to spend hours and hours in my darkroom.

Later, I bought a Polaroid as a 2nd camera. It was easy to use, and we have many albums documenting our kids as they grew up. The only issue is that they are faded badly, and many can't even be recognizable. I need to find time to scan what's left.


If I could do it again.

1. No Polaroid The prints are faded, and for all practical purposes gone.

2. No polaroid - see above

3. Never use color print film, those Kodachrome II slides are still pristine, while my color negatives are not. Some of my B&W negatives almost 80 years old are perfect.

I love digital. Each copy is a original. I've scanned hundreds of old slides, prints, and negatives and sent out dozens of DVD's to cousins, siblings, and children. That means that there will likely be someone who cares enough to keep copying them to new media long after I'm gone.


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## Codzilla (Nov 27, 2014)

I'm still on the steep part of the learning curve. I've been "taking pictures" forever but only got interested in improving my photography skills (and gear) in the last couple of years. 

So here it is, hobbyist advice to a newbie hobbyist:

1. Shoot RAW, or at least RAW and JPEG. Archive the RAW files in case you ever "evolve" and want to go back and adjust those old photos. I've got hundreds of shots that could be way better but those priceless bits are now lost forever. 
2. Invest in one (and then probably two!) L-series, or equivalent, lenses. The jump in IQ will put some real fire in your photo-belly. Lenses have longevity, if you're looking for another reason to justify the expense. 
3. Don't tell your wife how much your hobby really costs.


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## Sabaki (Nov 27, 2014)

1. View the scene as a photographer and not an observer

2. Where is your natural light coming from or falling on?

3. Calm all the way down and don't let excitement or adrenalin affect your judgement


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## westr70 (Nov 27, 2014)

1. see what is in the background
2. buy the best glass the first time
3. when you "zoom" with your feet watch where you are going.


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## Skulker (Nov 27, 2014)

1) simplify the image. Crop out with composition anything that doesn't add to the image.
2) shoot raw. Keep your options open.
3) develop your own style. Shoot the images you want to shoot.


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## sanj (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Check ISO, F stop and shutter before clicking. I shoot AV mode and have repeatedly clicked (mostly in the past) without checking the shutter speed resulting in shaken photos.
2. Realize that the most expensive gear is not necessary for the best photos.
3. Stay calm.


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## Maximilian (Nov 27, 2014)

1. sometimes you have to close your eyes to see properly
2. check equipment and settings before you start
3. always bloody RAW


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## Maximilian (Nov 27, 2014)

distant.star said:


> If it's helpful at all, here are my three primary rules:
> 
> 1. SEE the image.
> 
> ...


That's a great summary!


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## Sabaki (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Does my camera have sufficient DR?

2. Curse the gods because I shoot with a lowly Canon

3. Refuse to take the shot with my Canon


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## serendipidy (Nov 27, 2014)

1) Keep learning as much as you can from various sources about photography and equipment.

2) Buy the best gear you can afford to match your needs; it's cheap for a reason and often costs you more in the long run.

3) Have fun and enjoy making nice photos or why bother?

Cheers


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## keithcooper (Nov 27, 2014)

Offered to myself when deciding to become a working photographer (~2003 and getting my first DSLR - a 1Ds)


1) Take more photos ... Really... there will be very few times you ever say "I took too many"

2) Buy that shift lens when you are first offered it

3) You are right - photography 'qualifications' are of no use whatsoever in running a business...


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## AlanF (Nov 27, 2014)

distant.star said:


> .
> I now rarely make the dreadful errors you see in this picture I took 54 years ago...
> 
> 
> ...



It's a really great photo that tells a story of its period. The gross American car just peeking through on the left, the single-storey house behind a metal fence with a bored canine looking sideways, and the very clever touch of showing the photographer in a military helmet via the shadow. That was 1960 - a real classic of which you should be proud.

ps, the composition is great - the massive, triangular shadow leading in to the scene, culminating in the helmeted head about 1/3rd up and 1/3rd in, then moving centre to the dog and swinging into the tailfins of the car about 1/3rd down.


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## RLPhoto (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Learn how to light.
2. Hey, you should learn lighting.
3. Have you learned how to light yet?


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## Coldhands (Nov 27, 2014)

I've still got a ways to go in my development as a photographer, but my advice to anyone just starting out would be:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Don't fixate on the gear. Nothing limits you like believing your tools are insufficient for the task. (I was guilty of this :-[)
[*]Get the awkward HDR phase out of the way early. 
[*]Don't spend more time reading about photography than actually doing it. Early on, I dedicated days to reading every photography resource I could find and spent endless hours watching didactic videos. I strongly doubt this improved my work anywhere near as much as if I had actually spent the time practising. 
[/list]


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## sanj (Nov 27, 2014)

AlanF said:


> distant.star said:
> 
> 
> > .
> ...


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## AcutancePhotography (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Think about the shot
2. Slow down my technique
3. Don't read Canon Rumors


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## Harv (Nov 27, 2014)

f/8

Be there.

Remember to press the shutter button.


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## beforeEos Camaras (Nov 27, 2014)

1: be true to my self

2:take critique on my work

3:a camera is just the tool for creativity 

I hope that sums it all. I find as I get older the more these 3 things come to mind


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## Busted Knuckles (Nov 27, 2014)

Having worked in a high end camera store in the late 70's and then returned to the hobby 6 years ago, I had some fun with this idea.

1 Shoot more and more often. 
2 Look twice, shoot once (close your eyes and visualize - I liked the earlier post on this)
3 Gear is a tool set, the hammer still drives the nail you bought it for. Make art with your tools.

I love art, I love to make art, if I had any sense of eye/hand coordination I would be painter/sculptor/potter. For crying out loud my checks bounce my signature changes so much, it is a wonder I can feed myself. This is why I went into photo 1/125 or a tripod and poof image (as the tools allow) captured.

Other tips might be,
Everything doesn't have to be in the center of the frame. The story is often the travel within the image (I like the post about tell a story too).

Errors are more instructive than success, be pleased with both.

Professional Photography is a tough business, I can take can bury the love of art. I love art, I don't love business.


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## surapon (Nov 27, 2014)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> My first serious 35mm film camera was a Argus C3 back in the 1960's. I was a college student, and it was the best I could afford. I also had a conventional flash and a light meter. I mostly shot Kodachrome II.
> 
> I bought a Canon FT QL when I graduated and could afford it. I built a darkroom in my garage (I had done printing in High School). That meant I was using Ektachrome, which I did not like, My slides had a greenish tint. Besides B&W, I even did a few color prints, which was far to difficult. I was working 60 hour weeks, and had little spare time to spend hours and hours in my darkroom.
> 
> ...



Dear Teacher , Mr. Mt Spokane .
Yes, Yes, Yes, My first own Canon Camera was Canon FT-QL with 50 mm FL. lens ( Plus FD. lenses Later date) too, in 1967, After Canon co. Introduce this FT-QL in March 1966. Yes, Sir, After that = Canon T50( 1989), T70( 1984), T90( 1987) and the last film camera = Canon A2E ( or they call EOS 5) in 1992.
Yes, Sir, I still use that beautiful Babies in every months to make sure that all the shutter system still working.
Have a great Thanksgiving day, Sir.
Surapon


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## gregorywood (Nov 27, 2014)

Check the ISO and WB settings EVERY TIME you pick up the camera.
Be mindful of the background, ALWAYS.
Be critical of photos when paring a large shoot to a manageable size.

There are way more than 3, but those are the first that come to mind.


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## surapon (Nov 27, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> Here's good ol' Marsu's latest scheme to help each other out by sharing some knowledge
> 
> *If you could time-travel 3 short pieces of advice back to yourself when you started of with photography, what would it be?*
> 
> ...



Yes, Sir, Dear Friend Mr. Marsu42.
I agree with you 200% :
Shoot Lose, Calibrate your Monitor and Tell a story, Yes, Sir
Plus , Just in my Ideas :
1) In every views that I see( take a shot) from the front, I must look back at my back side and my Left and right sides too, because I might miss some great thing.
2) Go and Walk on Difference Paths, Not the same paths that Million Photographers walk on.
3) Lie down on your tommy and shoot up, You will get the masterpiece of photos-----Ha, Ha, Ha, Sorry, Sir--That my "PRO " teacher teach me, BUT, I never do it, because I will make a mess of my good dress, and my wife will get mad in that night----Ha, Ha, Ha. I would rather to be alive in next morning.
Have a great Thanksgiving day, nSir.
Surapon


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## DominoDude (Nov 27, 2014)

0.5 Don't believe that *AI Focus AF* is a workable mode!

[list type=decimal]
Take care of your negatives / *Shoot RAW!* Have plenty of backups.
Get good enough gear, and *do not wait* for perfect gear.
Don't be afraid to ignore/bend and *go against all rules* except #1
(4) For gods sake: Shoot! If you never pull the trigger, no one will know if you're good or have something to tell.

Edit: Had to edit in that notion about AI Focus AF - I can't believe how stupid I was to use that for so long and get so much crap out of it as a result. Do NOT use it![/list]


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## The Bad Duck (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Use the [email protected] tripod! Yes it takes time but the shot gets better!
2. Don't fokus+recompose!
3. Give loads of energy to your model!

Frist rule is mostly for landscapes oviously. Second and third for model shoots.

Of honorable mention 
4. Tag the shots in post!


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## pierlux (Nov 27, 2014)

Great thread!

1. '60, '70, never enough money to buy film: shoot instead of always asking myself whether the subject was worth the shot.

2. '80, '90: buy film and shoot instead of buying into photo books and magazines.

3. 2000 - today: shoot instead of idling in front of a browser's window.

I know, I know, I'm still on Canon Rumors... well, you know, there's a proverb, not famous but very true, which states: "the roads towards hell are paved with good intentions".


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## PhotoCat (Nov 27, 2014)

AlanF said:


> distant.star said:
> 
> 
> > .
> ...



Agreed 100%. At the same time it was showing the good relationship between the dog and his owner. Without the shadow, the pic would have been very dry.


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## Marsu42 (Nov 27, 2014)

Codzilla said:


> So here it is, hobbyist advice to a newbie hobbyist:



Intersting to see what people find is important - 3 years back I'd also have mentioned raw and the like, but now I find the picture content much more important, no matter what. You can probably pixel-peep only for so long before giving up 



westr70 said:


> see what is in the background



Or learn to use the content-aware healing brush  ... often cannot be helped with wildlife as you cannot 
direct the animals around to stand in front of the most favorable background.



Mt Spokane Photography said:


> No Polaroid The prints are faded, and for all practical purposes gone.



The venyl record crowd would that as an advantage - you can only evaluate something if you cannot use it indefinitely and/or the time is limited. You probably remember those polaroids from decades ago better than you'll remember your current digital data heap in the future 



AlanF said:


> It's a really great photo that tells a story of its period. The gross American car just peeking through on the left



My thought exactly! The car being cut off, the composition makes it all the more interesting. There's certainly something to be learned here!


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## dgatwood (Nov 27, 2014)

1. I know flash cards are expensive. Shoot RAW anyway.
2. That microdrive will randomly take way too long to record a photo, and your camera will hit its 30 second activity timeout. Don't buy it.
3. Skip the Rebel, and go full-frame from day one. You'll thank me later.
4. If you ignore #3, do not, under any circumstances, buy it with the original 18–55 kit lens. It suuuuuuucks.

I did video for years before I started doing much with still photography. As a result, I can't remember a time when my photography wasn't severely limited by my gear—pretty much from day one, and certainly by the end of week one. However, even though I knew it wasn't doing as well as I wanted it to do, I assumed that digital cameras just weren't good enough yet, and that the problems were inherent, rather than being the result of specific gear choices.


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## tayassu (Nov 27, 2014)

Nice idea! 

1. Shoot RAW!
2. Do not put everything in the middle of the frame!
3. Look out for a nice background, the foreground isn't everything!


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## PhotoCat (Nov 27, 2014)

1) Join a photo club.
2) Learn composition as well as the technique.
3) Beware of the lighting every time u shoot.


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## Stu_bert (Nov 27, 2014)

Great idea

[list type=decimal]
[*]Research your location before, long before you get there
[*]Don't take the first shot you see, stop, look, listen, think about your location, then compose, shoot & review, repeat[*]don't use f/22 or greater - they were wrong!
[/list]


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## 20Dave (Nov 27, 2014)

The earliest piece of advice that I received from my father doesn't really apply to my current camera but could apply to mirrorless and some other cameras. 

He went to Super Bowl V (back in 1970, I believe) and brought his Minolta camera. As he was walking along, he spotted Muhammad Ali walking towards him. He asked if he could take his picture, to which Ali happily obliged. When he later showed the slides to our family, he said that he would never make the mistake that he made on that photo again - from now on, he would make sure that the the lens cap was off the lens before taking photos :'(. He always left that lovely pitch-black slide in the carousel, just to remember the moment.


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## DominoDude (Nov 27, 2014)

20Dave said:


> The earliest piece of advice that I received from my father doesn't really apply to my current camera but could apply to mirrorless and some other cameras.
> 
> He went to Super Bowl V (back in 1970, I believe) and brought his Minolta camera. As he was walking along, he spotted Muhammad Ali walking towards him. He asked if he could take his picture, to which Ali happily obliged. When he later showed the slides to our family, he said that he would never make the mistake that he made on that photo again - from now on, he would make sure that the the lens cap was off the lens before taking photos :'(. He always left that lovely pitch-black slide in the carousel, just to remember the moment.



Somewhere in a box I have a photo of Muhammad Ali that I took in the late 70's. Very Instamatic-y, but he made sure I got the best possible shot I could get, by shoving the photojournalists aside. That man had some serious reach when he stretched out his arms to the sides.


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## Maximilian (Nov 27, 2014)

dgatwood said:


> 3. Skip the Rebel, and go full-frame from day one. You'll thank me later.
> 4. If you ignore #3, do not, under any circumstances, buy it with the original 18–55 kit lens. It suuuuuuucks.


Hi dgatwood!

Funny to read that, because...

I followed your rule #3 because of a really good advice of a really good friend. And I thanked him a lot for that 
AND i broke your #4 when buying a 100D/SL1 with kit lens as a light weight vacation camera.
And I must say, the new 18-55 STM is quite okay and a decent lens, but - as many zooms - always a compromise. 
A compromise I was willing to take.


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## ERHP (Nov 27, 2014)

Some awesome advice and stories so far, some of which I've experienced myself.

1. Already said but f/8 and be there. Spent too much of my life in front of a screen(TV/Monitor). 
2. Practice practice practice. Seagulls are rarely my subject but they do make excellent targets of opportunity for BIF practice.
3. Don't be afraid to try new things. Experiment with settings, lighting and find out what works for your style.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, those of you that celebrate. I'm finally about to get on the road and hopefully do some of all of the above.


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## ChristopherMarkPerez (Nov 27, 2014)

1. The paths Saint Ansel and Edward Weston took will NOT be your path. Their path has already been walked and is inaccessible.

2. Cameras and lenses are only tools. Don't get wrapped up in what they can or can't do. The image is the ONLY thing.

3. Study art and art history. Do this very carefully. Study composition in art. Study the use of light in art. Learn how photography changed the course of "classic" art forever. Apply what you've learned.


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## distant.star (Nov 27, 2014)

ChristopherMarkPerez said:


> 3. Study art and art history. Do this very carefully. Study composition in art. Study the use of light in art. Learn how photography changed the course of "classic" art forever. Apply what you've learned.



I heartily second this notion. Adam Marelli is one of the best educators I know in this regard. I've learned a lot from him...

http://www.adammarelliphoto.com/


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## dak723 (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Don't get all caught up in technology. The first Canon DSLRs - including the original rebel were already excellent. All improvements since then have been negligible unless you shoot in extreme conditions. Don't waste your time updating every couple years on "improvements" you won't' even notice on your computer screen or on your prints. 

2. Full frame is overrated unless you need to print larger than 20" or so. 

3. Concentrate on composition, subject matter, contrast and color - not on pixel peeping and DR tests.


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## danski0224 (Nov 27, 2014)

Pay attention to the background.

Always shoot in RAW and the largest file size, storage is cheap.

Enjoy those slightly overcast days with diffuse light 

Sometimes, sharpness is overrated


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## slclick (Nov 27, 2014)

These are all great posts however the Full Frame printing large analogy is flawed. Where do I begin?


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## StudentOfLight (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Practice makes improvement.
2. Assess your work both immediately after a shoot and a couple of months later when you're not so emotionally invested.
3. Be humble and accept constructive criticism.


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## rfdesigner (Nov 27, 2014)

For me the primary photography has been astrophotography.

1. Save the cash.. save a lot more.. save even more again. Then buy the best mount you can get (currently saving for a Mesu-mount which is the sort of thing I should have started with)
2. Great software is worth buying, if you spend £4k on the imager, don't baulk at a few hunded for some decent software.
3. 1 hour of imaging time isn't enough, 10 hours is getting there, 100 hours is about right.


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## davidcl0nel (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Be prepared for the stuff u want. And no, don't carry _all_ your things around, less is more - maybe you miss one shot.... on travel you can use the internet (Google Streetview is very very helpful) to get information, what you need for a particular shot.  And then you only need a camera and one lense. 

2. Don't buy cheap. There are some things, which are cheap, but helps a lot or is very good - i mean really low quality stuff as <50 bucks tripods... 

3. Learn from others - go around with one with similar interest. A helping hand is always good, to remember each other on minor things at the photo time (i.e. crap in background, you only have to move one step), but are horrible to fix in post production. Or for night photography a _solid_ tripod, mirror lockup and manual focus with live view - gives better results than focus lottery with AF...


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## Sella174 (Nov 27, 2014)

Apart from the excellent advice already mentioned and not to repeat anything, these are lower on my list:

- Develop a distinctive style of photography;
- Camera gear isn't an investment; and
- Zoom lenses generally suck / primes are the best lenses.


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## anthonyd (Nov 27, 2014)

ChristopherMarkPerez said:


> 1. The paths Saint Ansel and Edward Weston took will NOT be your path. Their path has already been walked and is inaccessible.
> 
> 2. Cameras and lenses are only tools. Don't get wrapped up in what they can or can't do. The image is the ONLY thing.
> 
> 3. Study art and art history. Do this very carefully. Study composition in art. Study the use of light in art. Learn how photography changed the course of "classic" art forever. Apply what you've learned.



+1


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## Besisika (Nov 27, 2014)

1 - don't fall in love too much in shallow depth of field - discover all
2 - Learn to use all focal lengths from 10mm to 600mm
3 - Master flash photography from day 1.


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## Eldar (Nov 27, 2014)

Difficult to limit this to just three, but here goes ...

1: Learn and master your gear
2: Learn and understand composition
3: Understand and use light

... and have fun while you´re at it


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## Hannes (Nov 27, 2014)

1. Buy a flash and get it off the camera
2. Buy used gear at good prices and sell it on when you want to upgrade, preferably with a profit
3. Don't be afraid to crop


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## dgatwood (Nov 27, 2014)

Maximilian said:


> dgatwood said:
> 
> 
> > 3. Skip the Rebel, and go full-frame from day one. You'll thank me later.
> ...



Yeah, the 18–55 STM isn't bad. The original 18–55, by contrast, makes the 75–300 III look sharp by comparison. 

No, seriously. It really is that bad. My 6.3 megapixel 300D massively out-resolved the lens at every focal length....


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## meywd (Nov 28, 2014)

Really great points from everyone, thanks all.

I am still at the start of my journey but i am really suffering from these:

1. Take more shots.
2. after #1 refocus and take more shots.
3. review the shots from #2 and take more shots.


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## rfdesigner (Nov 28, 2014)

PropeNonComposMentis said:


> rfdesigner said:
> 
> 
> > For me the primary photography has been astrophotography.
> ...



When I say Mesu.. I mean the Mesu 200.

http://www.modernastronomy.com/mounts.htm#mesu

So ugly it's beautiful if you know what I mean.


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## Maximilian (Nov 30, 2014)

PropeNonComposMentis said:


> (R.I.P. Rosetta.)


AFAIK the "Rosetta" space probe is still alive, working properly and sending a lot of data from "Chury".
And this shall continue for about several months up to maybe 2 years.
And even the "Philae" lander hasn't died yet. 
It's more or less in a winter sleep or hibernation mode and can possibly wake up again, if the solar collectors gather enough energy. But that might not happen. But I still hope for it to wake up again.


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## dswtan (Dec 6, 2014)

+1 great thread, thanks everyone too. The only new one I can add (3 times!) is something that *distant.star's* 54-yr old photo highlights immediately from the subsequent posts -- like them, I see great merit in the shot too. 

The same thing happens in pretty much all my shots -- what others see, and like (or dislike), is seldom what I as the photographer sees. From judging and reviewing photos in various contexts over the years, I have learned this is common.

Maybe the best photographers are different, and either innately or come to learn how others will perceive their shots, and tune their efforts accordingly. For me, I shoot for myself, and it's potluck what others take from it. Such is the indulgence of the amateur, and why I would never make it for a millisecond as a pro. (Respect to all that do!)

I'm reminded of a quote my Scottish mother used to like: 
_"O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us, To see oursels as ithers see us!"
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_a_Louse

The photographer's version, and my contribution here, would be:
*And would some Power the small gift give us, To see our shots as others see them!*

3x


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## fragilesi (Dec 8, 2014)

1. Relax and enjoy taking pictures, don't get stressed about it.
2. See 1.
3. See 2.


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## tron (Dec 8, 2014)

1. Do not misplace negatives (I still miss a 4 or 5 36-b/w negative sheets...  )
2. Do not leave gear unattented even for a few seconds (and lose your 40D with lenses in the process...  )
3. AFMA (unless Lytro technology is implemented by Canon    )


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## Tinky (Dec 11, 2014)

Arrive early.

With only the gear you need. More is lost through indecision than wrong decision.

Having told somebody where you are going and when you should be back.


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