If you could give one sentence of advice to photographers, what would it be?

 

 

Currently on Reddit, there's a fantastic thread titled "What's your go-to, number one, single sentence tip for yourself and other photographers?" And it got us thinking, what's the one piece of single sentence advice we'd offer other photographers? And even more interestingly, what's yours?

The thread itself is interesting because there's seemingly a divide between two camps of people—those who say "get out and shoot more", and those who say "slow down and shoot less." While those pieces of advice may seem at odds, they're actually not, and are rather two different parts of the photography process. Yes, you need to get out of the house with your gear more often, and take more photos. But that doesn't mean that every time you pull out a camera, you have to take hundreds of images. Instead, make each shot count as much as possible. Think about it critically. Consider the light, the framing, and the composition. Make each photograph matter.

Some other gems from the thread?

Get the horizon straight. Shoot the light. "There are no rules for good photographs, there are just good photographs." For portrait photographers: Work on your charisma and communication skills. Get closer.

My advice? Know your gear. Know how to make it do what you want it to, know how changing the settings will alter the image, and now where it struggles.

Now it's your turn, readers. What's a one sentence piece of advice that you tell yourself? Or that you'd like to tell everyone else? Let us know through the comments, Facebook, and Twitter!

Image: Photographer by Liz West, used under a Creative Commons license.