Most used clichés.

For me, photography is, above all, a space. A space where I try to build on my feelings, my thoughts or my ideas, using light as the main material, a space where I try to transform the bits of reality I see everyday into other structures, or just add to the ones already there. (1)

For others, photography is just a way of relaxing and remembering places they’ve been to, things they saw, but trying to improve their skill. (2)

And some try to improve and reach new levels. They try to discover photography along with themselves. (3)

There is also a vast majority for which photography is just a tool used to keep simple snapshots and memories. They never strive to improve and there is nothing wrong with it. (4)

As a photographer who gives some advice to beginners, considering my small experience I can publish the following list of dos/dons. All of the bellow are from my point of view (1) to people in categories (2) or (3) (I'm also in 3).

· A cat/dog is just a cat/ dog and no matter how much you like it, your photo will resemble millions other. A photo with a cat/dog doesn’t express “animal love” or “sadness” or “fluffy-puffy-world” no matter how much you believe this. Wake up and use your imagination, or go fishing. If you insist adding one more banality to this world, keep it on your hard drive and don't talk about photography. Maybe later.

· Don’t just snapshot a flower, there are millions. Put that flower in a context. Wait for an exceptional light, try an unusual angle, use something around you; give your picture some action. When I say “action” I’m not talking about a bee, as there are millions of bees eating flowers around the internet. Make your picture say “wow” not just “another flower”. Imagination, again, or fishing.

· Do not just photograph a sunset or sunrise. Use the same rules as above, give something special to it. You have great light, don’t waste it with just a simple 1/3 horizon line.

· Do not use HDR excessively. HDR shouldn’t be noticeable, as that tends to be kitsch. HDR should be use like sharpness from my point of view, if you really want to do it. If you want dynamic range, go film.

· Avoid easy subjects. Don’t photograph a church and name your picture “faith”. Same with pigeons.

· Avoid easy motifs. Don’t say you shoot macro because you want to show the world the wonderful tiny little world living in the grass. I’ve heard that a million times, is like everybody tries to find the holly grail of grass-hoppers. If you start with that idea, you’ll photograph any bug and end in banalities too.

· I like nature too. I like dogs, flowers and bugs. But I love photography.

· Don’t get too excited when taking a photo. You’ll miss.

· Do not photograph flags, statues or other people drawings without using an imagistic context for them.

· Don’t shoot landscapes from the car or at 12'oclock, unless you know what you're doing. That is lack of respect for the ones who wake up at 4 in the morning for a landscape and you won’t probably get nothing good.

· Do not say Photoshop is bad or be proud you never touch your photographs after the shutter clicks. You might be considered an idiot.

· Compose. If it worked so many years, it will work now too. When you will grow up, you’ll learn how and when to break it, but first learn it and make it be part of you. Composition gives equilibrium and most of it is based on human physiology or nature order. You're not smarter than them.

· Search Magnum and count how many cat and flowers pictures are there. Search on 1x.com and see why the pictures with cats/flowers/dogs posted there are way better than yours. If that doesn’t work, go fishing or keep your pictures on your hard-drive.

Basic tips (google if you don't know what they are):

- idea and message; innovation;
- compositional equilibrium; balance; harmony;
- compositional rules (that will become guidelines)
- chromatic equilibrium;
- tension;
- perspective;
- simplicity;
- negative space;
- light;

Please, do not s...t on photography.