I’ve had a fun five years with my camera in hand.

This life behind the lens has given me some incredible opportunities that I would not have had other wise.

Just like nearly every other profession, to succeed in the field of photojournalism you must try to learn something every day.

Whether I’m learning the intricacies of a new piece of camera equipment or doing research ahead of an upcoming story, there are several things you must do to stay a while in this business.

In case there are any aspiring photojournalists out there, allow me to share some lessons I’ve learned over the years:

1. Remember to bring a battery and memory card to an assignment. I have yet to make this fatal mistake, but I witnessed numerous other photographers look into their camera bags, gasp and let loose a string of curse words toward the heavens. It is never pretty, my friends.

2. Don’t stand in the path of the president to get a good photo. I learned this valuable lesson from two Secret Service agents just four days before the general election of 2012. They were less excited about my creative angle than I was, it turns out. All was going according to my plan, until two agents urged me to back up a few steps, or be escorted to the door.

3. Bad weather affects photographers, too. A lifelong lover of all things weather related, I have been know to jump in my car and chase a nearby storm. I have gotten lucky thus far, and made a few good photos when the weather got bad. But, I’ve also had my car shaken like a soda can, lifted on to two wheels and pelted with roofing shingles by said weather. Be safe out there.

4. Never leave an assignment early to beat the traffic. Mar. 31, 2011 was one of the worst days of my professional career. I was covering another Cincinnati Reds Opening Day game and the home team was getting trounced. With temperatures in the 40s, and a three-hour drive ahead of me, I decided to pack up my things in the eighth inning. It was on the elevator ride to the press box that I heard the radio call of Ramon Hernandez’s walk-off grand slam that won the game for the Reds. Needless to say, he is not my favorite player and that was not my finest moment.

5. Never park your car on a sand dune down by Fort Morgan. Yes, I have done this.

6. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to look like a fool to get the photo. I’ve had to get over my own fear of revealing my true foolish nature to the world, but once I did, my photos improved. Whatever it takes to get an interesting angle — crawling through rose bushes, kneeling in a puddle or standing in front of a television camera — you’ll be happy you did when the photo has been made.

Jay Sowers is photo editor of Gulf Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at jsowers@gulfcoastnewspapers.com.