1. "You don’t take a photograph, you make it." : Full awareness of what makes a good photo is essential in taking great photographs. Why would anyone be interested in this photo and what elements can be included or excluded to make it truly great?
2. "Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop":Even one of the masters in photography, Ansel Adams, didn’t expect to get more than 12 great photographs each year.How can anyone expect more? Take a look at your last year in photos – do you really see 12 photos that stand out from the rest?
HENRI CARTIER BRESSON:
1. "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst": Do you know how many photos you have taken up until now? You will have to take thousands of pictures to reach a point where you can begin to evaluate them objectively. Looking upon your photos as if you were looking at them through someone else’s eyes is a good way to give yourself constructive criticism. Comparing your first photos with your most recent, do you see improvement? Do you remember how you loved some of your first photos – do you still love them or are they now not so good anymore?
1. "If I saw something in my viewfinder that looked familiar to me, I would do something to shake it up": How often have you seen a photo that is missing something? “This is a good photo but I’d make it different somehow.”? Sometimes small things make a big difference. Don’t be afraid to shake things up.
