If you're around the photography industry for any length of time, you start to develop a sense of the necessary, the desirable and the outright horrible. This is the code we came up with in no particular order. Add your own below.

Photo by Annie Spratt

Always carry a camera It ain’t the camera, it’s the 12 inches behind it (Ansel Adams was right) Glass before bodies Learning before gear Nikon, Canon, Leica, Sony – Nobody who matters cares Don’t shoot for free Unless it’s your grandmother – jeesh, don’t be so cheap Don’t touch the model (seriously, don’t be that guy) Sleep in? Lol Shooting sunsets is a cliche If you don’t like sunset photos, you’re probably already dead Nobody cares that you only shoot prime Buying gear won’t make you a better photographer Except for an 85mm f1.4 – that is a sweet sweet lens On a full frame, 20mm for landscapes, 35mm for street, 85mm for portrait, >120 for action. Tips like that are a guideline, not a rule, so don’t lose your bananas about it Photography competition judges are rarely your potential clients Clients have very different tastes to photo competition judges Clients have very different tastes to professional photographers Get it right in camera Nobody gets it right in camera for everything When somebody tells you they always get it right in camera, look at their portfolio to see examples of photos that need post-production work Post-production is part of the photographic process – you either leave it to factory settings on your camera, or you control it yourself Go easy on Photoshop Competition? Photojournalist? Don’t remove objects from your photos Smoothing skin and making people skinny in Photoshop is a horrible reflection on society Literally, no client will ever complain if you skillfully smooth their skin or make them skinnier Converging verticals is a photography sin Converging verticals look cool as hell Regularly help other people learn Getting angry at cheaper/free photographers is a waste of time Figure out how to charge more, not less Regular event photographers need to be fit – you should be too When somebody asks for the unedited photos, the answer is no If they insist, and you really cannot get out of it, then the price is 10x University can teach you how to be an excellent photographer, but there are other ways too University probably won’t teach you how to be a good business person The second shooter gets paid regardless of whether you do When somebody invites you to an event, then casually mentions that you should bring your camera, tell them you are busy that night Learn how to shoot in manual Know that many pros shoot in aperture priority If you post it online, it WILL get stolen Photo thieves were probably never going to be a paying client anyway – but chase the ones who might have been It’s ok that your camera gear costs more than your car Some photographers are all about the technical, some are all about the artistic. There is room for everyone Every. Great. Photographer. In. History. Did. Post. Production. Look after your camera, but just remember, it’s a tool, not a priceless ancient artefact – it’s gonna get wear and tear Nobody knows where lens cloths disappear – carry lots Try film photography – you will probably love it Stop telling people you only shoot film – nobody cares If you ever find yourself using the phrase “real photographers” then give yourself an uppercut Everybody struggles to find their own style – it’s part of the journey Find your own style Own a Russian film camera once – you will love it If spending $500 upsets you, don’t enter a camera store If spending $5000 upsets you, consider moving to where there is no camera store Learn to take criticism gracefully Give criticism only when it’s asked for 2 Minute noodles can be skillfully prepared when you need to save for the holy trinity of lenses Read more Practice even more People don’t care why you couldn’t get the shot – they simply move on Want to shoot a photo you saw? Add your own twist – copying is boring Get closer Get closer Get closer If you know who made those previous three rules, you’re probably not a beginner anymore You will be somewhat unhappy with your shots from 3 years ago Photographing models to meet women is kind of creepy – again, don’t be that guy If you are standing on public property, you are almost certainly allowed to photograph anything you like – people, buildings, whatever Don’t be a douchebag about that Ask before photographing kids Preferably ask before photographing adults Smile Use your feet to zoom in There are no rules for photography, but there are laws for physics The only person who has to be satisfied with your photography is ultimately you

Got any more rules we should have covered? Add your own in the comments!