photo by globalmoments via iStock
If you’ve ever sat down with a whole bunch of shots from a shoot you did that day and, frankly, couldn’t help but wonder why your photos suck, then this article is for you.
Mango Street, which is definitely one of my most visited YouTube pages, created a whole video about why your photos suck so that, hopefully, you can learn how to take better photos. You can check it out below:
Of course, if you aren’t wondering why your photos suck, but you are still wondering how to take your photos to the next level, then these photography 101 tips will still apply to you.
You Don’t Plan Out Your Photoshoots
photo by Mark Dymchenko via iStock
One major reason why your photos suck is that you aren’t planning out your photoshoots. I’ve noticed that landscape photographers and event photographers are basically the only type of photographers who meticulously plan out their photoshoots, and mostly because they absolutely have to.
But, even if you aren’t fighting with the weather to complete your photoshoot, you should still plan it out. You need to understand what type of mood you are aiming for with each photoshoot and you need to plan how you are going to achieve it.
This becomes especially important if you’re shooting with other people, like models or marketing executives. If you don’t plan out your shoot and all the pictures you take are awful, you aren’t the only one that is being affected.
You Care Too Much About Trends
photo by chee gin tan via iStock
Another reason why your photos suck is that you care too much about photography trends. Photography trends definitely happen for a reason. That reason is that a photographer used their full creativity in order to put their own spin on their photos. Then, a ton of people saw what they’ve done and wanted to copy it.
This isn’t an inherently bad thing because caring about trends is the best way to learn how to be a good photographer in the first place. But, if you’ve been in the photography industry for a couple of years, then it is definitely time for you to break out of the Instagram rut and find influences outside of the photography industry for your own photos.
The folks at Mango Street said that they recently did a Wes Anderson-type shoot and recommended that you try to find inspiration in film for your photoshoots as well. It’s an easy transition and it’s a great way to make your photos look really unique.
Your White Balance Is Wrong
photo by pixdeluxe via iStock
Your photos could suck if your white balance is wrong, especially if you’re shooting JPEG images instead of RAW images.
Shooting in RAW is critical because RAW files retain all the information from your camera’s sensor. This, in turn, means it’s easier to fix your white balance via editing than if you take JPEGs.
So, put your camera in RAW mode, fire away, and you’ll have a MUCH easier time changing the white balance (and making other edits) in post-processing.
Learn More:
You Aren’t Focusing on Lighting
photo by kali9 via iStock
Another reason why your photos suck is that you aren’t as focused on lighting as you should be. While all of the rest of your specs are important, you can’t learn how to take good pictures without learning how to work with different lighting circumstances.
For instance, you never want to mix different lights with different color temperatures unless you are doing so very deliberately. So, if you’re shooting with your windows open in your home, then strictly shoot with that lighting. Don’t feel the need to add artificial lights on top of it because it will throw the color in your photos way off.
Another way that you need to start focusing on your lighting is by planning for it. Sometimes you won’t have the best lighting because of cloud coverage in your area. If this is the case, either wait for the sun to come back out or postpone your shoot.
One major pro tip is to always bring a reflector with you. This allows you to amplify the natural light on days that are overcast but it also allows you to create less harsh light.
Of course, if you can wait for golden hour, you can take advantage of the best natural light of the day!.
Your Photos Aren’t Saying Much
photo by LumiNola via iStock
Think about the last photo that you saw that literally took your breath away. Chances are, the photographer behind that photo knew exactly what they wanted to convey in taking it.
While I personally believe this is so much easier with photojournalism, you can implement these tactics into all of your photos. By shooting as many photography niches as you can, you will slowly learn what types of photos you love to take and what you want those photos to say.
Your Compositions Suck
photo by Sarah Ewalt Photography via iStock
I was given some really good advice as a younger photographer that Mango Street echoes here. If you look at a photo and your eyes aren’t immediately drawn to one specific portion of the image, then your composition likely needs work.
You can create a better composition by changing your angle, by including different textures or lighting, and by following some basic photography rules like the rule of thirds.
Your Subject Isn’t Prominent
photo by Hydromet via iStock
This tip and the tip before it go hand in hand. If your composition sucks, then your subject probably isn’t standing out, and if your subject isn’t standing out, then your composition probably sucks.
You need to be thinking about your focal length while shooting so you can make sure your subject is prominent enough in your photo. You also need to be thinking about any distracting elements in the background or foreground of your shot that could take away from the subject.
If you’re having issues with something that is distracting in your shot, simply move your subject away from the distracting element. This type of separation fixes 9 out of 10 photos where your subject isn’t prominent enough.
I know how frustrating it can be when your photos just aren’t coming out correctly no matter how hard you try, and so do the Mango Street photographers.
Hopefully, if you try changing some of these small aspects of your photos, you can start to really create something that is all your own.
If you do end up using some of these techniques, we want to hear about it. Let us know which ones worked for you, which ones didn’t and how you tweaked them.
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