How to Succeed in Photography


Be well-read. Be curious about everything. Look at art constantly. Figure out who you are. Never advise others about success in photography. Whenever you encounter a rule, break it just to see what happens. Don’t be a jerk. Pick subjects you are obsessed with. Chase them endlessly. Do what you say you'll do. Surprise yourself at least once a day. Keep secrets. Confuse art with life. Work ceaselessly. Be aware that work does not happen through inspiration, work happens through work. Memorize the words of artist Chuck Close: “I always say that inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.”—Quoteman