Photography is full of rules. Rules about composition, exposure, sharpness, lenses, and technique. And while those things can be useful, they’re often given far more importance than they deserve.
There’s really only one rule that matters.
Make photographs that mean something to you.
When an image is connected to an experience, a challenge, a feeling, or a moment you cared about, it automatically becomes more fulfilling. The photograph becomes intentional, artful and whilst the viewer might not know why it works, they sense the image is stronger.
This is why simply heading out the door with your camera in hand can be so powerful. Exploring a place for the first time, appreciating the journey, slowing down and observing the world around us. Using photography as a reason to be present and making a meaningful experience.
The technical side doesn’t disappear, but it becomes secondary. Instead of asking “Is this correct?”, you start asking “Does this say something?” And that shift alone can instantly improve your work.
Not every photograph needs to be a banger. And they won’t be, but the meaning you attach to an image often becomes the thing that gives it depth, even if nobody else knows the story behind it.
So if you want to improve your photography today, don’t buy anything. Go somewhere, do something and make pictures of things you love.
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