What was the one photography tip you learned after which you no longer felt like a beginner?

[Derrel]

I know that every photographer's journey is different, but I'm looking for "eureka" moments, tips/tricks that were eye-openers

Here's what I have so far:
A Photographer Journey From Beginner to Pro. Rules and Tips From Pros

Shooting 35mm rangefinder camera photos without the lens cap on was a biggie for me...just sayin...

Eric Clapton Forgets To Take The Lens Cap Off His Leica

 

[Gary A.]

That was a well written article. It left me wanting to read more and with greater depth. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Derrel]

That was a well written article. It left me wanting to read more and with greater depth. Thank you for sharing.

Yes, not a lot of "depth" to the article, yet for many people, there are gems in its words. I thought this excerpted bit was solid advice for beginners who want to improve:


"It’s very important to know which shots to take and which shots not to take.

This sounds funny, but with this in mind you will give more thought and attention to each shot you take.

At the end of a long day of shooting you will thank yourself if you don’t have to browse through thousands of photos.

Most of the shots you will have to throw out. The photos you choose will reflect how good a photographer you are. So, the less photo you throw out, the better photographer you have become.

Post processing is another important aspect of pro photographers life.

My advice:

Take a look at Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop and learn at least the basics of post processing if you are serious about becoming a pro photographer."

 

[Vtec44]

Storytelling and tell it beautifully in just 1 frame. The technical knowledge I've learned in photography is there to help me to be more proficient at storytelling. That moment when I focused on the "story" everything else simply became tools that I use to tell the story.

 

[snowbear]

Editing, meaning use the trash can.


Sent from my iPhone using ThePhotoForum.com mobile app

 

[ceemac]

The big thing for me was not seeing dollar signs every time I clicked the shutter. Now I take lots of pictures and sometimes get a good one.

 

[Cortian]

...
If, for example, you have a shot with a big rock in the foreground that's being used as an anchor point cutting off the bottom of the rock makes the shot look careless, just giving it a little room and showing the bottom of it gives the entire image a more considered look.
...

I guess I've always thought of that as giving the subject or anchor a bit of "breathing room"

 

[stk]

A kids nose cleans up way nicer in real life compared to in Photoshop.

 

[chuasam]

I learned to light a scene instead of depending on natural/ambient light.