My husband sent me a list a few weeks ago titled, “100 Tips from a Professional” by Eric Kim, a street photographer. This list made me think. And I kept pulling up the email from my husband to read through the list again and again because I kept thinking about one and wanted to fist-punch the air and say, “Amen!” I decided to pull out some my favorites, which happened to be 40 out of the 100. (I’m not very good at narrowing things down; and I’m okay with that.) They’re so good that I want to put exclamation points at the end of every single line!!! <–like so.

1. Just because someone has an expensive camera doesn’t mean that they’re a good photographer.
2. Always shoot in raw. Always.
3. Photo editing is an art in itself.
4. The rule of thirds works 99% of the time. 
5. Go outside & shoot photos rather than spending hours a day on photography forums.
6. Film isn’t better than digital.
7. Digital isn’t better than film.
8. Spend less time looking at other people’s work and more time shooting your own.
9. Have at least 2 backups of all your images. Like they say in war, two is one, one is none.
10. Ditch the neck strap and get a handstrap.
11. The more photos you take, the better you get.
12. Draw inspiration from other photographers but never worship them.
13. Grain is beautiful. 
14. Simplicity is key.
15. The definition of photography is: “painting with light.” Use light in your favor.
16. Find your style of photography and stick with it.
17. Carry your camera with you everywhere. Everywhere.
18. Never let photography get in the way of enjoying life.
19. Don’t pamper your camera. Use and abuse it.
20. Take straight photos.
21. Shoot with confidence.
22. Print out your photos big. They will make you happy.
23. Candid>Posed.
24. Don’t be afraid to bump up your ISO when necessary.
25. You can’t “photoshop” bad images into good ones.
26. People with DSLRS who shoot portraits with their grip pointed downwards look like morons.
27. In terms of composition, photography and painting aren’t much different.
28. Be original in your photography. Don’t try to copy the style of others.
29. The best photographs tell stories that begs the viewer for more.
30. Natural light is the best light. 
31. Travel and photography are the perfect pair.
32. Learn how to read a histogram.
33. A noisy photo is better than a blurry one.
34. Don’t be afraid to take photos in the rain.
35. Learn how to enjoy the moment, rather than relentlessly trying to capture the perfect picture of it.
36. Never take photos on an empty stomach.
37. You will discover a lot about yourself through your photography.
38. Never hoard your photographic insight- share it with the world.
39. Never stop taking photos.
40. Photography is more than simply taking photos, it is a philosophy of life.

You can read Eric’s full list of 100 over here.