How to Avoid these 5 Common Photography Mistakes
Posted: Tuesday, June 08, 2010
by Autumn Lockwood
YourPictureFrames.com
Photography is a wonderful hobby or career that is accessible to almost anyone who is interested. The great thing about photography is that anyone can pick up a camera and start taking pictures, but if you choose to learn more advanced methods there can be a steep learning curve. However, there are a few common pitfalls that you may want to avoid so here is a list of the five most common mistakes.
With all of the photo equipment available, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all of the possibilities. Tripods, extra lenses, filters, darkroom gear, timers, lights, reflectors - the list is endless. However, without a solid foundation and a clear understanding of what your camera is capable of on its own, you'll never be able to show true mastery of all of those accessories. It's best to start off small with a basic digital SLR (or 35 mm film camera if you prefer) if you're serious about learning photography. Once you've gotten comfortable with using your equipment and have goten some great shots, it's time to start looking at some new accessories.
One Missed Shot
In the beginning, it's common to miss a lot of great shots. There will always be those times when you miss a great photo opportunity or a good picture turns out bad. Just in case, it's always a good idea to take every picture twice. This will help teach you about the subtleties of your camera's inner workings, as well as provide a bit of safety in knowing you won't miss the important things. In this day of digital photography, there is little additional cost in shooting hundreds of images compared to only shooting ten.
Don't Use Your Flash
The flash really isn't your friend. An automatic flash can prevent you from properly learning how to handle complex lighting situations and sometimes even ruin your images. Turn your flash off and force yourself to adapt to environmental light using only your wits and your camera's settings - you'll be better for it in the long run. Cameras are quite versatile and can shoot in almost any environment, so try to be creative about how you use the light you're provided, even when it doesn't seem like enough.
Fix Your Framing
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to put your subjects in the exact center of the frame. This can cause wasted space in your photos, or tone down how interesting they are. Picture the frame or viewfinder of your camera as a cropping tool so you'll always compose exactly what you want in your picture. Framing your image properly in the viewfinder doesn't take long to learn but will make a lasting difference in the quality of your photographs.
Point and Shoot
Simple digital cameras with giant LCD screens on the back are certainly tempting, but if you're hoping to learn about the art of photography and challenge yourself to improve, you're probably not going to get anything out of one. If you're only intending to use your camera for non-professional work, then many of these affordable cameras will work just fine. If you want to take great pictures and expand your knowledge of photography, you will need to have the right photo tools for the job.
Overall, these five mistakes are easy to avoid and won't cause you much harm if you happen to stumble into one now and again. The main things that are important is that you create good photography habits when you shoot and that you never stop challenging yourself to do better - the rest will come over time. If you just keeping taking pictures every day, before you know it, you'll be shooting photos that you'll be proud to display.
--------
Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of gold leaf picture frames in a wide variety of styles, shapes and colors. Visit our website and see our antique gold leaf picture frames or call 800-780-0699.
This Article has been viewed 116 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)This was interesting, and informative for someone interested in taking up photography professionally- I would have liked a little more information about how to make good everyday pictures with a regular digital camera- Thanks - Ella
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.