I really would want to go out and shoot to my heart's content but I really don't have the time to do this so what I do is to read as much as I can on anything about photography.
Now, I read somewhere that for us to really understand photography, we have to understand it's language. The best way that I can illustrate this is a sign in a foreign language which is well composed and well illustrated. For the uninitiated, what one will appreciate is the presentation of the foreign text, but for those who understand what it means, it transcends the physical presentation and gets the message across.
Now, how will this apply to us newbies? We usually appreciate photos for their initial impact. However, if we look closely, and we dissect the photo based on what we know about composition, meaning of lines, perspective, etc etc, we realize that it falls short of what a good photo should really be. They always say that rules were meant to be broken, but we can't deny it that most of the time, following the rules really matter.
So, what really matters? Is it the story that we can make up in our minds once we see the picture, like what we see in most documentary photos by photo journalist, or is it just the feeling that we get when we see photos of Ansel Adams for example which most of the time is an application of most of the rules that we encounter without any story behind it whatsoever?
Oh well, I think I just have to go out and shoot and stop all of these.

... "What is essential is invisible to the eye... Capture what your heart sees.":)

This is my favorite quotation about photography:
See the light. Capture the light. Bend the light. Be the light.

Photography's language and currency is light.

In it's purest form, I think photography is about capturing light in a particular moment in time and in a specific place. Sure, your subject and how you portray that subject is important. But, without light, you might as well just write.

But, without light, you might as well just write.

Oooops, tinamaan ako. :D

... "What is essential is invisible to the eye... Capture what your heart sees.":)

Little prince? :Grin:

I say shoot what you want and if you love it then great! Because that's what matters most anyways :)

... "What is essential is invisible to the eye... Capture what your heart sees.":)

agree with you. :)

Know your camera by heart that wil start your taking good pictures. You can reead and learn everything about composition, lighting, posing, etc. and put that into practice but if you don't know your camera/lens' capabilities and limitations good images still can't be attained. Also, one need to learn to see photographically, evrerytime I read magazines like Nat'l. Geographic, Vogue, GQ, etc. I always focus my atention on their composition and a lot of them actually break the rules but IMO before you break the rules learn the rules first then you can experiment. I even look at billboards and everything that has images..........