How to Shoot Like a Professional Photographer

I'm a self-taught photographer and I learned tough lessons along the way as I started my business. When I first started, I wish someone told me what to avoid when taking photos. The following list is simple, but it would've saved me months of time and forced me to think critically about what–and how–to shoot.

How to Shoot Like a Professional Photographer
1. Check aperture, shutter speed, and white balance regularly.
2. Watch for trees growing out of heads.
3. If the background is unappealing, move the subjects…or you move for a different angle.
4. Don't shoot up at a bride (who likes to look bigger on their wedding day?!).
5. Don't shoot the same thing more than a few times (or else you'll spend so much time culling repetitive images).
6. When possible, shoot the same photo horizontally and vertically.
7. Make sure the horizon is straight.
8. Crop in-camera.
9. Avoid shooting things that aren't worth shooting…be strategic in your approach.
10. Shoot smarter, not more…hone your skills at anticipating special moments and resist the temptation to shoot in continuous mode

Hope you have a beautiful weekend and spend a portion of it photographing something that inspires you. If you have additional tips, feel free to drop a line in the comment box!
Shoot and Shine,
j*