[wclark5179]

When you are talking, do you have to think about the words you use, from the standpoint of pronouncing them, formulating the words & sentences, getting your point across? Get the picture? I believe you'll find most of us speak, especially in our native language, without thinking about it. Words can flow out of the mouth because we know the underlying way to pronounce them as well as the meaning, getting our point across. Most of us pay attention to other things, like gestures, when talking.

Same for photography. If I can get the basics down with people photography, so well it's a part of me like speaking and I see it just like we annunciate our words, then I can focus on other things, which to me, are more important. It takes a lot of work to get to that point. Are you up for it? It's not easy.

People feel they don't need to learn the basics anymore. I hear them say, "I can do my own thing, I will get the moment and record it!" Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Fix it in PS or the darkroom! Maybe luck will get you a photograph every once in while. I've found the old adage to be true, "the harder I work the luckier I get!" I'm always sharpening, honing my basics and technical skills but I don't do it with a client. Perhaps that's a little kernal of wisdom to take in as to why I'm still very busy.

At any rate, the basics are important, very important. How are you going to break the rules if someone doesn't know them in the first place?