photo by sdominick via iStock
When you’re a beginner photographer, it can be really tempting to be so worried about common photography mistakes that you aren’t actually worried about getting the right shot.
I know that I was fixated on different photography mistakes to avoid when I was first getting started and I also know that this ended up hurting me in the long run.
So, instead of being worried about avoiding all of the most common photography mistakes, instead focus on just a few that you feel like you can actually control.
This video by Parker Walbeck features 10 of the most common photography mistakes. But, in order to not overwhelm you, I’ve chosen three that I think are the most important for you to work on.
Worrying About Your Gear Too Much
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One of the most common photography mistakes, one that a lot of beginners make, is worrying about their gear too much.
When I first got started with photography, I was shooting on a camera that was far too old. I couldn’t afford anything else. It sucked. I wanted to be creating the types of photos that I saw other people making and just assumed I could never do it because of the age of my gear.
But, working with an older camera forced me to learn all of the photography basics that I might have skipped over if I had a fancy camera to do all of the groundwork for me.
photo by sumnersgraphicsinc via iStock
Worrying about your gear too much is one of the worst common photography mistakes you can make because you can become discouraged and stop shooting altogether. I’ve seen it happen to plenty of photographers before. But, regardless of the type of gear you have, you can create wonderful shots.
This is especially important to remember in 2021, since every camera that’s come out in the last 2 decades is far better than anything ever created before. I even just wrote a review about the Nikon D200, which came out in 2005, because I think it’s still a good camera for beginners.
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Using the Wrong Camera Settings
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Out of all of the common photography mistakes I see beginners making, this one is probably the most painful.
A lot of beginner photographers assume that they can shoot in automatic mode. Obviously, professional photographers all understand how to shoot in manual for a reason. Sometimes you’ll need it.
When you only shoot in automatic because you don’t know how shutter speed, ISO, and aperture work, you’re basically shooting yourself in the foot. You have to learn these camera basics eventually and putting off the day you do really only means that you’re waiting to get really good at your hobby.
photo by ArisSu via iStock
When you do start shooting in manual mode, you may make more common photography mistakes, like under or over exposing your shots. Keep in mind that it is always better to underexpose a shot because you can fix that problem in editing, but you can’t fix a drastically overexposed shot.
Finally, you’ll also want to shoot all of your images in RAW, instead of in JPEG. One of the more common beginner photography mistakes is shooting in JPEG because most cameras have the settings automatically set this way. But, JPEGs compress your shots, which means that you’ll be losing valuable data if you capture images in JPEG format.
Forgetting About Composition
photo by Pyrosky via iStock
A lot of common photography mistakes have to do with the way that you’re worrying about or using your gear. This isn’t one of those simple photography mistakes, but it is just as important.
While you’re trying to figure out how your gear works, you are simultaneously trying to figure out how your own photographic eye works. Composition is a huge part of that.
A lot of beginner photographers either are not worrying about their composition enough, or they are just making common photography mistakes surrounding their composition. For instance, a lot of beginners will try to capture too much of a scene, which means the subject might get lost in the composition.
photo by Hydromet via iStock
Another mistake is when photographers try to include too many subjects in an image. You need one primary subject and if you include too many objects or people in an image, it tends to drown out your primary subject.
Another thing you may come across while you’re learning about composition is the rule of thirds. Instead of always centering your subject, you want to follow the rule of thirds to offset the subject so that your image is more visually appealing.
Finally, make sure that you’re thinking about your foreground and background while you’re composing a shot. Doing so gives depth to the image and makes it more visually appealing with layers of interest to grab the viewer’s attention.
Use these simple tips to help you improve the quality of your images, and before long you’ll find that your mistakes are minimized and your successes are maximized!
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