This is the first in a mini-series of lessons from my photographic life.

Mostly, these are habits that I'm working to improve on, or correct. Some of them are habits I've seen in others.

If you've got any suggestions, please drop me a line.

Never take photos except when you feel 'inspired'.

Someone one asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule, or only when struck by inspiration. "I write only when inspiration strikes," he replied. "Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp."

(from The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield)

This is one of my lessons. I generally get out and get shooting when I have a particular reason to do so - I'm on holiday, I'm going somewhere special, someone asks me to take some photos. I very rarely just get out and shoot for the sake of it. In part, this is a hassle factor - I don't carry the D70 with me everywhere. There's also a bit of a subconscious hangover from film days - photography used to be fiscally expensive, now it takes nothning but time and effort.

My qualities as a photographer will only really start to increase if I dedicate some decent amount of time and effort to improving them. Edison said it about invention, but it applies equally well to anything - 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration. Now that the incremental cost of taking another photo is pretty damned close to zero, why not take another couple of hundred a week? As long as I'm actively working to learn something from what I'm doing, it's all beneficial, and if I'm working at it intelligently, each photo is another tiny step towards being a great photographer. That's the theory, at least.

So, on my task list (for after I've finished tonight's weblogging) is: 'schedule regular photographic sessions'. I'll start with 2 lunchtimes a week (while I'm at my day job), with post-processing that evening.