My top advice would be (and I've only been shooting for one year so take it for what it's worth).


- Shoot everyday. Keep at least one image a day on your computer. I started a blog to help myself stay honest shooting everyday.


- Get tough skin. Throw your stuff out online for people to critique. People here are always happy to provide [constructive] feedback/tips. Other people will hate on you. Haters gonna hate, nothing you can do about them. My blog also helped me accomplish this. (And I picked up a hater along the way!)


- Dont worry about your gear quality. Get the best images you can with what you have. If you're restrained by what you have, upgrade.


- Don't try to learn every aspect at once. Take your time and experiment with only one variable. When I started one year ago, I was way overwhelmed with ISO, aperture, shutter speed, stops of light, etc. After shooting [almost] everyday for a year, it (mostly) makes sense haha Learn every aspect of your camera, lens, computer, editing software (if you get something like Photoshop CS4, don't bother learning every nook and cranny of it. You won't use everything in that program).


Wishing you the best in your photography pursuits!


If you need anything, we're here at the forum and always willing to help! (I owe a great deal of my knowledge to people on this site!)


-Rodger