When starting anything new, it’s almost inevitable that you’re going to make some mistakes. It very rare you find yourself doing something and get it completely right on the first try. In photography, as a beginner, you can expect to make a lot of mistakes that even some professionals still do some time. I can say I’m guilty of not being perfect. Some of the mistakes listed in the article I have personally done myself and if I’m being honest I probably still do them from time to time but promise you won’t judge me. This article should serve to help beginners avoid making these mistakes frequently and also to remind professionals like me that we aren’t always the sharpest behind the camera.
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This mistake is probably one of the top things on my list that I still end up doing from time to time even now. Missing your focal point can be one of the single most annoying things to happen especially when you have one chance at getting that perfect shot you need. I’m sure a lot of professional photographers can confess that this has happened to them a couple of times during their professional career as well as when they were beginners. This mistake often happens when you leave your camera the option to focus on just about it sees fit to focus on. The camera can’t always get it right so it will more than likely miss the intended mark.
To prevent this mistake from happening more than once I encourage photographers to choose the center focal point and compose their shots around that point for great accuracy and the best sharpness you could hope for. If you’re shooting portraits or doing a portrait session, I would then recommend using the eyes as the focal point. However, for your general day to day shooting, you will find composing your shots around the center focus point is very helpful.
Remember you promised not to judge me but this is also a mistake I am guilty of but it very rare that it happens. Not all of us have the most steady hands and as a result, when shooting at slower than average shutter speed you may experience some camera shake. Camera shake is pretty much any movement that occurred between the closing of the shutter and its reopening. This often results in blurry photos or some of your images just come out a complete mess and nothing like you expected.
To prevent this from happening I recommend a simple solution in your camera holding technique. Which every hand you shoot with, you should tuck that elbow into your side for stability and for added support you should use the opposite hand to hold the bottom of the camera. This technique has never failed me yet when on shoots without a tripod or anything to hold my camera steady.
Sometime as new photographers, you might end up getting excited or overwhelmed about your first shoot and find yourself forgetting some key things. One of these key things that I eventually learned over time was important is directing your model. You will find yourself on different occasions photographing subjects that are not exactly as experienced as you’d love them to be, but they make a great subject. In an instant, like this, it is important that you know how to direct your model to get the shot you are looking for. Failure to be prepared for this can result in unappealing shots, cliche shots or leave your model or subject uncomfortable.
To prevent this, I would recommend putting Pinterest to good use and searching for unique posses used by other models and see if they match what you’re going for in your session. It’s always better to be prepared than sorry.
The composition is very important when it comes to photography and can essentially dictate if your photo is good or not. Most beginner photographers tend to not make composition a priority in their day to day shooting. They often just want to get that cool shot of their subject but don’t pay much attention to the things within the frame and the role they play in making that image special.
Before you go ahead an press that shutter button, pay close attention as to what it is in your frame and what it is you need and don’t need to be in it. Take the time out to compose your shots well and enjoy the rewards once you’ve successfully done so. You will see the importance of this in topics such as lifestyle photography or real estate photography.
This is probably the last the mistake I was guilty off when I was a beginner. I understand how exciting it can get to see all your photo editing options and all the things you can now do. However, there is always a point when enough is enough you should dial it down. Overediting can easily ruin a perfectly great image. As a photographer, you can often tell when you’re over editing or doing too much and at that point, the ball is then in your court to stop or fix what you have done. Take your time to find your editing style and then gage your edits around that style you’ve established.
I hope this article has helped to prevent you from making any of the following mistakes listed. Until next time, thank you for stopping by!
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