Want to make great photographs? Here are some top tips for success.
So this is what to consider:
1. Light - above all it is about light - good light is essential to a top shot - think about it hard and use it well - if the light isn't right then don't bother.
2. Composition - pay attention to the the details, to the elements that make up your photograph and to the relationships between them - watch and wait for them to
come together in the decisive moment.
3. Take less - fewer better pictures - less mediocre ones - be ruthless in not taking anything that just doesn't look right.
4. Follow your own destiny - have your own vision and your own style - avoid me too copying of what everyone else is doing.
5. Be prepared but flexible - do your subject research - plan your photo shoots - be ready - but be prepared for the plan to go wrong (it usually does) and be ready
to improvise.
6. Know your equipment thoroughly - thus the simpler it is and the less there is of it the better - it needs to be intuitive for you to use and it must get out of the way of your making photographs.
7. Keep on learning - no matter how experienced you are there is always something to learn in the broad and deep church that is photography - keep your mind open and receptive to new ideas and lessons learned.
8. Get it right first time in camera - you can't post process it right. Your post processing should be absolutely minimal.
9. Use the best lenses you can afford - photography is about lenses, not cameras - using a cheap, low quality lens on a very expensive camera is dumb.
10. Be there in the moment - being where you need to be, when you need to be - with the right, minimum quantity of gear - properly prepared - in the right light - in the right frame of mind - with the right subject - with your vision switched firmly on. Remember the old adage from Arthur Fellig aka WeeGee the famed photojournalist of the 1930's and 40's, it's all about "f8 and being there".