"The Value of Experience" - Yes, it is important to gain and use the experience of actually DOING something

The ability to capture the innate beauty of a significant piece of architecture over just a few days, and then return with exceptional results, comes from the experience gained over a period of many years. It also requires the knowledge of light, lighting, and architecture. In his book, The Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell referred to this as the 10,000 Hours Rule. This is why most of our great architectural photographers — Peter Aaron, Nick Merrick, Tim Hursley, and others — are in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

via blog.feinknopf.com