You must be open to what otherwise may seem to be a detriment to your 'plans'.

Remember that most people (those who are not photographers) don't even see the things that you missed. Many don't even look. Ergo, you are way ahead of the game.

The more light you have in an image, the less drama you get. The details start taking over; the mystery is all gone.

If you want to make more interesting pictures, become a more interesting person.

All these factors are only valuable if you're curious. But in any case, the more knowledge you have, the more things are open and available to you.

Always carry a camera, it's tough to shoot a picture without one.

Had I not been told to look, I would have quite, ignorant of what was really there, because I had 'made plans' and was wearing visual and emotional blinders that limited my perceptions and my vision.