Common mistakes photographers make…

Common mistakes photographers make

Common mistakes photographers make…

Lighthearted look at some of the more common mistakes made by photographers that I’ve observed over the years. Enjoy 🙂

PS — I’d love to know if you agree or disagree. Let’s get the discussion going.

Taking too many frames — big mistake: you don’t need 100 images of that same flower|insect|view|etc. Learn to know when you’re done and move on.

Not processing images — this could just be a sub-edit to select your best work or a full blown retouch depending on your style. My thoughts are: if you’re not rushing home to work on your images, you’re shooting the wrong stuff.

Spending too much time playing with equipment — a camera isn’t ‘Lego for grownups’. Choose what you’re going to use and use it. If you don’t know how, make some time to learn.

Carrying far too much kit — this mistake can damage your health! Every time you go out you don’t need to take everything. Plan ahead and take what you need (See What’s in the bag? Packing for a shoot is more than gear in a bag). Your back will thank me for it.

Buying too much kit — don’t buy it because you saw it in a magazine and thought ‘it might be useful one day’. If you don’t have a need to use it today, you don’t need to buy it. Simple.

Buying a really expensive camera and using a crap lens — this isn’t really a mistake, it’s just ignorance. Far too many people focus on getting the latest “must-have” full frame pro-body without any regard to the lens they fit on the front. Waste of money imvho. Always invest in the lens, not the body. The lens is the bit you want to keep, the body is consumable. Going for the best quality lens you can afford and a reasonable body will give you far, far better images than a pro-body with a crap lens. Might as well just use a jam jar with a sweet wrapper as a filter.

Take every frame at eye level — Pssst… the human body bends in the middle! And at the knees too! Well, for most people at least. There’s absolutely no excuse for only taking every single image standing fully upright. Change the camera height. Try shooting from your subject’s perspective — it makes for a much Much MUCH more interesting image.

Shooting everything horizontally — for goodness sake, add some variety to your images. Mix it up a bit. Dare to be different and shoot vertical once in a while. Or, if you want to really step out of your comfort zone, shoot at an angle. There’s nothing in the rules that says everything must always line up with a horizontal or vertical. Sometimes it doesn’t work but at least you’ve tried.

Learn from your mistakes — bad frames aren’t bad frames, they’re learning opportunities. Look at them. Compare them to frames that worked. Find and understand the differences in subject, framing, composition, camera settings, lighting. Use them to build on your successes, refine your technique and knowledge.

“If I buy a better camera I’ll be able to make better pictures” — one of the most expensive mistakes you’ll make! You are still you. You’ll still use the camera in exactly the same way so you’ll make exactly the same images. To make better pictures you need to be a better photographer, not have a better camera.

To make better images you need to be a better photographer, not have a better camera -- #quote #photography Click To Tweet

Using a tripod with the rigidity of wet string — don’t cut corners with your tripod. A cheap tripod is the most expensive mistake you’ll ever make. Why? Because when that shiny new full frame dslr and 400mm lens come crashing to the ground in the first breath of wind you’ll learn your lesson.

A cheap tripod is the most expensive piece of kit you can buy -- #quote #photography Click To Tweet
Hope you like them. Some are a bit cruel and cynical but there is an underlying moral behind each and every one.

 

ACTION — If you smiled at least once when you read this list, please share on your favourite social media network

This list is by no means definitive. If you’d like to add something or disagree with anything I’ve written, do leave a comment and let me know.

Haste luego,
Gavin

BTW the to see the original version of this post, see my answer on Quora, here.

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