This post was adapted from a story I read by Stephen King. It was intended for writers but I changed it up to make it work for photographers. There are plenty of similarities and in fact, I often teach that becoming a better writer will make you a better photographer. You may not agree with all of it but use what you can._

1. First shoot for yourself, and then worry about the audience. “When you tell a story with your camera, you’re telling yourself that story first. When you look at through and edit your images, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.”

2. Don’t be timid. Timid is safe. Take chances. Be bold. Go for it.

3. Writers are often tempted to use adverbs. The adverb is a word that is intended to modify a verb. Just tell the story with your camera from the purest point of view. Don’t modify it. Keep it simple.

4. See number three and find even more ways to be direct. Simplify your images by zeroing in on EXACTLY what you want the viewer to see and nothing more.

5. When we’re telling stories with our camera, the objective is to welcome the viewer into the photograph. The emotional, connection is far more important than a technically perfect photo. Great photographs can exist without perfection but not without emotion and truth….

Source: 20 Lessons For Photographers From Stephen King