Most Common Mistakes Photographers Make

Whether you take pictures for fun or to earn a living, you need to be well prepared to capture the fleeting moments or breathtaking nature surrounding you. Having a digital camera is not enough and not doing the right things may leave you with ordinary images rather than the masterpieces they should have been.

Most common mistakes photographers make.

1. Including too much in photos

One of the common mistakes most photographers make is adding compositional elements to their original creative vision. They end up including other subjects like the trees tops, the roads or that barn, but this is a really bad choice to make as a photographer. A strong photo is the one that can be clearly described by a simple phrase; this is usually simple and obvious composition. A weak photo, on the other hand, may take up to a paragraph to describe as there is so much in the composition.

2. Not shooting at their eye level

The most, beautiful, compelling pictures are those which a photographer enters into the subject’s world. This will involve photographing at your subject’s eye level and is especially important for children, pets and other animals. Try to bend your knees; they will bend. If you’re unable to get the eye level low, shoot your subject at some distance away. This way the angle will look more like an eye-level perspective.

3. Thinking all subjects are same

Not all subjects are created equal. Some are marred, some are faded, some are discolored, some soiled, some are not yet ready, some have cuts on them, some have pretty bad backgrounds, and some are simply plain ugly. On the other hand, some are stunning, amazing, breathtaking and so on .When picking a subject to photograph, be sure to choose wisely!

4. Ignoring the quality of the light

In photography, light is a very important aspect. Dull light, for instance, means dull photo irrespective of the subject, your photography skills or even your camera .With great light, even dull subjects can look great. Simply be patient until there’s good light before pushing your shutter. 

If you’re probably thinking you can create good light with your computer, the answer is no. Only the nature does light.

5. Photographing people in direct light

Unless you don’t mind pictures of people with small, squinty eyes or wrinkled-up faces, never take photographs in direct sunlight. Look for some open shade so that your subjects appear human. But a hat will not work; it will simply throw a very dark shadow across their face. 

6. Paying attention to wrong parts of the composition

When taking pictures , you should focus on the sharpest parts of the photos .If you make something else other than your main subject the point of interest , the viewer’s eyes will likely rest in the unintended place. Virtually all SLRs come with a focus-lock facility which is activated by pressing the shutter release button while halfway. 

This feature allows you to take more creative and better pictures by automatically locking the focus on your subject and then recomposing. Try to take advantage of this feature to produce great photos.

James Lauria is an avid photographer and blogger. He likes to share tips on how to improve your photography skills.