Common mistakes to Avoid as a Beginner Photographer

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Photography is definitely not the hardest thing you are going to do. However, no one said it was going to be easy either. There are plenty of mistakes to be made. Some of the reasons behind these mistakes are too much confidence in the Auto mode or simply a lack of education.

Speaking of education, everything you need know about photography, from its history to all the technical information you can dream of, is just a simple click away.

But reading all that will not keep you from making any mistakes. I've put together a list with some of the most common. I remember making a lot of them and now, many years later, I can appreciate how helpful something like this could have been.

Forgetting to adjust exposure

When you're following a subject from one point to another, it's very easy to forget about vital settings like exposure. Let's say you're photographing somebody indoors and the person decides to go outside. This is a very common situation in event photography. As soon as you step outside the lighting conditions are obviously different and the settings must match those conditions. Rookies often forget to adjust exposure and usually end up with overexposed images that may or may not be saved in post processing.

Chimping

Chimping is one of the favorite activities of the beginner photographer. In fact, you will spot the beginner easily because he checks his camera's LCD screen after every single shot. Don't do that unless you want to miss essential moments.

(Success Tip #1:The easiest way to learn photography when you have little time to spare )

Still shooting in JPG

The only excuse you have for shooting JPG in 2014 is if you're using your phone to take pictures. Otherwise, forget about it and use RAW.

Constantly being in  a hurry

I still can't figure out why so many beginners do everything in a hurry. It's either because they want to look like pros or it's a strategy to cover their insecurities. Whatever the case, it's wrong. Slow down, frame right and interact with your subject. It's better to take five good shots slowly than a hundred bad ones  in a few minutes.

Relying on software

How many times have you heard someone near you  saying "I'll just correct that in Photoshop" ? No! It's wrong! If you want to be a good photographer, get it right from the camera and make the final adjustments in Photoshop. Don't expect it turn garbage into gold.

(Success Tip #2:How even the hobbyist photographer can make money with their photography )

Using black and white

This doesn't sound like a mistake and it isn't if you use black and white, sepia or other effects correctly. Yet so many photographers believe that removing color will add value to their images. Black and white photography seems simple but it's not.

These are some of the most common mistakes. Obviously there are many more and you can check some of them out in this video made by  Photographer Overnight.

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