Infinite imagination

remember to take the lens cap off...

learn "the rules" so you can know which ones you want to break listen to advice but make your own decisions

hold your breath before taking a picture, (yes i know someone else said this) take the lense cap off, and don't do anything... stupid.

don't stop at the F-stop

Interesting scenes,good lighting,clarity of focus,or special effects.

patience

Good photography is a multitude of quality shots, quality meaning...Good light, appropriate focal depth, and interest of photo or subject. What makes a good photograph all of the above condensed in to one photo, where you have a photo of great interest, captured in a thought provoking way. That should immediately, create emotions in you, you should feel something as soon as you look at it. Here is a website that I really like, the images are amazing, it could give you some idea. timeberly.com

Good technical skills are important to making a good photograph, for sure. That is essential. However, using ones imagination to select your subjects combined with luck in catching scenes that are both candid and unusual is even more important. An example of this was shown to me many years ago by a freind who was very adept at photography because besides the technical skills required he also saw the world differently than most. One of the most striking photographs of his that I saw was made by using a 1000 mm lens with a tripler and a doubler to take a picture of the building he was in off of the reflection from a shiny chrome hubcap on a car parked in the street below. It was very cool.

Find something that inspires you and it will inspire others and if not it will always inspire you. It should be a hobby for your enjoyment and it should not matter to you what others think.

no trembling. when i took this shot ,i didn't know if i was coming or going.this was almost 100 yards away.i was so drunk that i fell asleep shortly thereafter.

Be graceful and have your imagination ready.

A good photographer.

knowing how your camera works and having the eye for detail.

Reciprocated nudity.

first- a good photographer second- a good camera third- good paper to print it on forth- .................

put batteries in the camera

1. Look your subject in the eye 2. Use a plain background 3. Use flash outdoors 4. Move in close 5. Move it from the middle 6. Lock the focus 7. Know your flash's range 8. Watch the light 9. Take some vertical pictures 10. Be a picture director

I learned over many years that the top secret to good photography is to work hard for every shot. Be prepared, know your equipment (which is extreme important). From this point it is difficult to give a general answer - depending on what photography you do. For travel photography you need to do a good part on research before going out to shot. For wildlife you have to learn about the animals first to understand what they do. Be patient! Here are some samples of my Animals Pictures: http://www.hickerphoto.com/animal-pictures-cat.htm one of the best selections of wildlife photography from several photographers is here: http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/wildlife-photos-cat.htm

A picture should tell a story... Your photo should convey to the viewer, what you were trying to say. But the very first rule of photography is "Be there!" After all, you can't capture the moment if you don't turn up at the right place at the right time...:) There are numerous resources that give you the basics of photography, but I believe the primary thing to focus on is "Composition"... Ronnie ---

Location, location, location.

Pay attention to the lighting. Lighting, obviously, makes your subject visible. But, it also defines your subject, by the angles of shadows and areas where there is no shadow, a three dimensional object is represented on a two dimensional plane. Good lighting makes things look good - interesting shadows, or nice sunlight for good rich colors, or gloomy skies before a thunderstorm, candle light....light has a quality - sharp, murky, fuzzy; light has a color - warm, blue-ish, white; light has quantity - bright, dim; light has direction - left, right, above, below, interesting angles.... pay attention to the lighting and your pictures will be very much improved. here's a few photos to show you what I mean - in the first one, the kids are defined by the light behind them - the bright outline of their bodies separate them from the carpet and couch behind them instead of lighting them in the same exact way (like a flash or frontal lighting) so that they appear three dimensional. the next one is sunlight on sand and the shadows of the little hills created by the wind. The alternating shadows and light provide interest. the stairs are a variety of shadows and shapes and angles. the last one is a pair of white pillars in a sunset - and you can see the light is very fuzzy and warm colored, and again, the shape of the pillar is defined by the contrast of light and shadows.

use natural lighting as much as possible

Taking the camera away from me and letting someone else do it. I am one of those people that chops off the tops of heads in pictures all the time.

Shoot a LOT. Better to waste some film than end up with nothing. Never use your flash unless you have absolutely no other choice. Be so familiar with your camera that it's like an extension of your own body/eyes. Just LOOK at what you're shooting, especially with an SLR. Look at the framing, the light, the details. If your camera has an aperture preview feature, use it often to get a good sense of the depth of field and contrast.

A good photograph!

Composition, Lighting, and Practice, Practice, Practice! ;-)

If I answered, it would not be a secret anymore! I will leave it to my son in my will. http://fineartamerica.com/customshop/curtis-neeley.html

I recommend looking at a lot of published photo-book e.g. by Annie Leibovitz, Henri Cartier Bresson, ... and take at least one photo a day. Michal ( http://mprofilephoto.blogspot.com )