THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Photography is like poetry. It isn't for everybody.
2. Your camera doesn't have to be an expensive one. A good photographer can produce excellent images with any camera.. 
3. There is no comparison between digital and film. Both are good and both have their own advantages.
4. There is no comparison between black & white and colored either. People just happen to like b/w images because they feel like film in the old days. 
5. Always shoot in "Manual" mode.. Try out all the metering modes and white balances.
6. A neck-strap is nothing but trouble. If you use it you'll end up shooting less photographs.
7. Noise is a beast.. grain is a beauty
8. Noise is better than blur - (Don't lower your ISO just for the sake of it)
9. The more equipment you have the less you shoot
10. Buy at least one prime lens. A 50mm f1.8 for instance.. Prime lenses will help you be a better photographer
11. Fill the frame as much as possible
12. Know the basic rules of composition.. they work almost 99% of the time. 
13. Think before you shoot. (e.g. you are planning to go to a nearby garden for a shoot. Don't just shoot everything, flowers, benches, birds, people etc. Know your subject first - Focus on one thing at a time. Take different photographs with different angles and settings.. That will help you be a better photographer)
14. Buy UV filters
15. Take your camera everywhere you go
16. Share your photographs - Let the world see them.
17. Don't share everything.. Share only the best of your work
18. Post process your photographs. It's a  must. People will discredit your photographs if they know that they are "Photoshopped". Photo editing (in Photoshop or Aperture) is required for digital images. It's just like processing films in a dark room. The advantages are its WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) and you can 'undo' (Ctrl + z). Each and every photographer from Rankin to Atul Kasbekar edits his photographs.
19. Accept criticism but don't ask for improvement to everyone that comes across your photo.. Identify a few knowledgeable people. They will help you in a better way.
20. If you spend many hours on checking and replying people's comments on your images, do yourself a favor, get the hell out and start shooting..