Getting your first pro-intended camera can be a life changing moment, but it doesn’t mean the wide angle or fisheye lens will miraculously create interest in that row of trees in your backyard. Building a photo portfolio is a first-rate idea, but slow down for a minute and lay off the caffeine. These things take time. Before you start clicking away your shutter and spewing your images over the Internet, make sure there’s actually a point to what you’re doing other than simple documentation. Ask yourself: What do you want to be recognized for? What subject is your true long-term passion? What reactions do you truly expect/hope for?

A snapshot is an image taken quickly, of the moment, and with lack of thought to technical aspects and quality, unlike the time invested in an art or stock photo. It is possible to get a great image from this process, but it relates itself more to coincidence than skill. The snapshot’s quality is often compromised by lack of purpose or subject.