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Rink of Fire by C.P. Storm

You may not think that NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky has much to say about digital photography, but you’d be surprised. The best player to ever hit the ice has plenty of photography tips and inspiration for us budding photographers.

Today I’ve got a collection of inspirational Gretzky quotes and the photography tips he shares for you to peruse. Wayne may not have known that he was talking about photography at the time. He may have been under the impressions that he was talking about something called ‘hockey‘. But what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him; Onwards!

“You always miss 100% of the shots you never take.“

Come on, you knew it was coming. Yes, it’s one of the cheesiest and most overused inspirational quotes in existence, but that doesn’t invalidate the lesson Gretzky is trying to impart here. Take your digital camera everywhere and don’t be afraid to take the shot when an unexpected opportunity pops up. The first rule of candid photography; take the photo. You never know when you’re going to get that million-dollar photograph.

“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

This one’s most relevant to photojournalists and wedding photographers. Don’t always be where the action is now. Things can move fast. Get ready to be where the action is going to be. The temptation to just line up with the other photogs can be powerful when shooting action photography. Think about where the best shots are going to be, and get there first. Just remember to grab a few ’safe’ frames as well; it never hurts to have something to fall back on.

“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it. “

There is always something to be said about the virtue of hard work. With enough effort and determination, you can move mountains. Wayne is talking about the importance of hard work and focusing every day to make yourself a successful photographer.

I’m not sure what the deal is with ‘never dog it’ as an expression. Maybe he was trying to be ‘hip’ with his ‘close friends or fellow gang members’.

“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. “

Truer words were never spoken. I know that procrastinating will stress me out, cost me time, and waste money. I still put things off every day. People are naturally lazy and I’m worse than most.

Wayne’s photography advice here is simple; get off your butt and take some photos.

And on that note, off I go to take some photos!

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(Thanks to BrainyQuote for the quotes)