Rule number one:
Love what you do, and do what you love.

Rule number two:
Never forget rule number one.

Rule number three:
Do not allow allows other's fears to become yours.

Rule number four:
The price of your passion is the forfieture of everything else
that is considered a luxury.
(you may have to get a part-time job to support your craft.)

Rule number five:
Always maintain your integrity and ethics.

Rule number six:
Do not mix your personal needs with your artistic desires.

Rule number seven:
When money is involved, it's a business so keep it legal and ethical.

Rule number eight:
Art and business are compatible.

Rule number nine:
Get the best tools needed to do the job efficiently.
(If you are saying I cannot afford it-- see rule number four.)

Rule number ten:
Master the tools (ie: hardware) to get the job done.

Rule number eleven:
Taking your craft to the next level always involves
additional people, treat them well and they will treat you well.
Get rid of the ones who don't. And stay away from poison people.
Always cast your talent.

Rule number twelve:
Learn from those who have blazed the trail before you.

Rule number thirteen:
Being the best, successful, competent, popular or highest paid
are not always mutually inclusive.

Rule number fourteen:
Once the medium has been mastered, it's all about aesthetics.

Rule number fifteen:
Ego; it's good to have, but use it as a tool to display confidence.
Excessive ego will always bring you down a notch.
Arrogance will eventually destroy you.

Rule number sixteen:
If you value your work, your work will be valued.
(Every wondered why you are treated worse when you are
literally giving away your services? Big problem in photography).

Rule number seventeen:
Never justify your price.

Rule number eighteen:
This should be rule number five: When starting out, only keep
company with supportive people. 90% fail on peer pressure alone.

Rule number nineteen:
If you are married, and cannot discuss your passion with your
spouse w/o he or she getting upset, then you are almost doomed
to fail. This goes to rule number 18 and rule number 4.

Rule number twenty:
Have fun and don't take yourself seriously. It all ends eventually.

Rule number twenty-one:
When a model or client comes in with a sample of someone elses
work and they are looking to work with you, never bad mouth the
other photographer, just show your work and let them compare.
Superior talent always sells itself.

Rule number twenty-two:
Only amatuers explain the process to clients.

Rule number twenty-three:
Never resist change. Know when to jump on board.

Rule number twenty-four:
Just because you are great at what you do, doesn't necessarily
mean you are worthy of the job. Or even deserve the job.

Rule number twenty-five:
The bigger the budget, the more efficient you must run your
operation. The inverse square rule also works for budgeting
your photoshoots.

Rule number twenty-six:
Stay organized at all times.

Rule number twenty -seven:
If you are willing to pay for the latest equipment and software,
then you should budget appropriateley for the talent.

Rule number twenty-eight:
Once you've developed the minds eye, let technology do the work.
Don't do the reverse. It always looks cheap.

Rule number twenty-nine:
If this is a hobby, treat it as a hobby.
If this is a business or profession, treat it as such.

Rule number thirty:
What ever your ultimate goals are. Stay on target, stay focused,
and don't get distracted. You may have to leave others behind
in order to move forward,,, don't worry, the new people will
greet you when you have "arrived" and the ones left behind
will always say "I knew him/her when..."

Sounds like my rules for LIFE in general.

Wise words indeed! Thanks for this though provoking post

Rules to live by!

those rules are now copied .. printed and pasted up on my wall.. # 11 is so true.. thanks !

Well quoted Eric! much more appropriate than "It used to be a good hotel which signifies nothing, I USED to be a good boy" - Mark Twain

It was a stretch, but I just had to work that quote into some post!

And the 30 rules...AWESOME! Copied and soon to be printed here as well.

Awesome post.  An inspiration to us all.  Let me second the declaration that I printed it out and now have it posted on the wall.  Thanks.

i love it!
nice post ^_^

Seeking permission to forward a terrific post to a professional photographers newsletter.

Could you keep it down to 10?  I mean, there are 10 commandments.  I could just imagine having 30 of them.

Methinks I should steal this.

This is from the Tony Robbins tape series that a family friend gave to me when I was in High School.

The three basic life paths are those of.
1 The "dabbler"
2 The "stresser"
3 The master

Remember these key ideas:

1  Decide what you really want
2  Develop a plan-find someone to model
3  Take action immediately
4  Be flexible

Keep a journal-if you life is worth living,  it's worth recording

Challenges
1 Master your mental and emotional states
2  Develop compelling reasons to continue to manage your life
3  Anticipate the challenges of life and use role models to help you determine how you will deal with them.
4  Re-evaluate your life on a regular basis
5 Become a "team player" -this is the greatest joy1
    a Surround yourself with a team of people you deeply car for,  to whom you're inspired to contribute more and more,  which causes you to demand more from yourself--this is true wealth.

    b Commit your life to something bigger than yourself

I will try to post from another source in the future.

Good thread!

Who is the original author?  Isn't this like posting a photo without a photo credit? 

Maybe it's here somewhere and I missed it.

Everyone loses their way sometimes. For those occasions, I am contemplating printing out your post for the "hard times".