What's the most valuable thing you've learned about photography?

[stsinner]

Learning to see has got to be at the top of the list for me. I had a P&S for a number of years, and unfortunately for me these were the years that I was traveling quite often to beautiful places. I always looked for "post card" shots, and thus got the occasional "nice shot" feedback from others. However, most of those "nice shots" were quite on accident. I have just recently been going through my archives, and though my technical skill has obviously advanced since then (a 35mm SLR & 2 DSLRs later...so I would hope so); my one progression that stands out is how I see the environment around me. Previously, if it wasn't pretty and colorful, I would have kept on walking. Now, I'm looking up, down, left, right, and I find myself walking backwards down park trails just to see if I missed something going forward. I see a world I never would have a few years ago, and this has expanded my photographic world as well. I have learned to see the beauty within the "normal" realm and translate that to an image.

That is, to me, my greatest accomplishment as yet.

That's a great contribution.. Photography, and, in particular, critical thinking photography does have a way of making you see the world in a whole new light. You just have to get that damned light to your sensor correctly....

 

[Josh66]

I don't know... I guess for me the most important lesson is that the meter is not always right.

Know what the camera wants to do, know what you want to do, and know how to make those two things the same.

 

[sabbath999]

If you want to take pictures don't forget your camera at home.

 

[linpelk]

I used my 30D for about a year and a half before someone explained that little meter you see in the viewfinder. I CAN'T believe I went so long turning dials randomly when there was this handy little helper right in front of my eyes. I know it's not exact, but at least I'm in the ballpark (I guess I should have read my manual right??).