Do You Make These 5 Embarrassing Photography Mistakes?

By Light Stalking on 3 Nov 2009 in Guides[ 29 Comments ]

Making mistakes is part of any learning process and photography is certainly no different. In fact, the amount of information one needs to learn to become proficient in photography means there are probably a lot more mistakes we can make. There are however, a few mistakes that you can learn to avoid very quickly. Here are what we would regard as the five most egregious photography mistakes.

1) Holding Your SLR Like an Amateur – This one is a dead give away. It’s especially embarrassing for people who rushed out and purchased a top of the line DSLR without first bothering to learn anything about photography first. If you learn how to hold a camera properly, you will avoid the sneers and muffled laughter of other more experienced photographers and your images will be better due to your more steady camera.

Photo by Keith Wills

2) Trying to Take “Overall Picture” Shots – There is a saying the the three rules of photography are “Get closer. Get closer. Get closer.” Most people are shy of walking up to their subject and filling the lens with whatever they are taking a photo of. But this is usually how you can get much more striking photographs. The sad fact is that trying to stand back and take an “overall picture” maybe with the intent of cropping it later, is a sure-fire way to get a mediocre shot. Fill the lens with the image that you want to have in the end.

3) Photoshopping it Later – With the invention of the digital camera and DSLR came the technique of simply shooting thousands of shots and then hoping one or two will turn out ok. Even worse are people who try to save their mediocre shots by running them through Photoshop after. Photoshop cannot make up for poor photographs. Spend a little time planning your shots and composing the image in the frame. Photoshop or any other photography software can be great, but the real skill is in only having to make minimal use of it. Photoshop skills are not the same thing as photography skills.

4) Using Inappropriate Equipment – You do not need a high-speed super telephoto lens to take a standard landscape shot. And you kind of look like a nonce when you try. This one harks back to the issue of people running out and buying gear that they haven’t really learned how or when to use. Don’t be one of those people! It really doesn’t take that much effort to look up a few guides online about the correct gear to be using in certain circumstances and for certain shots.

5) Not Knowing Your Camera – Ok, this one may have happened to most of us, but it makes it no less embarrassing. You’re setting up a picture of a group of people, you say “say cheese” and then press down on the button. Nothing. The camera doesn’t take a shot. You look down at the camera. People start to giggle. It’s not even on. Now, for somebody who truly knows their camera, there is usually no need to even take your eye away from the view finder. You can just use your hands to automatically go to the appropriate controls without looking. And that is what every camera user should be aiming at being able to do.

Now, there are potentially hundreds of mistakes that a new photographer can make so this list is nothing like comprehensive. In fact, we’d be very surprised if we didn’t have at least some disagreement over these being the top 5 at all. But when such mistakes are so easily fixable it would be a shame for a new photographer to not make the few minor adjustments needed to banish these ones altogether.

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Tags: photography mistakes, tips

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29 Comments

Susan Reep:

I disagree with number four. Some of us, especially on more limited budgets, opt for one lens that will do most of the jobs. So you’ll see me taking landscapes with my 18-250 telephoto. And soon I’ll be doing it with my 28 -300. I travel lots, and it’s too difficult to take and change lenses. Usually, the shot is gone by that time. Is it perfect? Not at all. I’d like a 16-35 lens and maybe that’s next. But for now, I’ll be shooting it all with the long lens, and people can think what they will.

November 3, 2009 at 6:17 pmReply
nico:

wat about forgetting to turn the flash off when doing a close up?
it still gets me sometimes :P

November 3, 2009 at 7:46 pmReply
LightStalking:

@Susan Reep – an 18-250 is what I would call versatile. A 650-1300 is what I would call inappropriate (for a landscape) and yes, I have seen someone using the latter in that situation. :)

@nico – Yup, I have done that too. Ain’t sayin’ I’m proud. :(

November 3, 2009 at 7:57 pmReply
Jay mcintyre:

I too frequently forget to switch back to single or continuous shot from timer. Get in on a shot press the shitter and nothing. Often leads to a funny looking shot of my own face.

November 3, 2009 at 9:05 pmReply
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November 3, 2009 at 9:47 pmReply
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November 3, 2009 at 10:11 pmReply
Amy:

@ Jay Mcintyre –
Yep, just the other day I was feeling so wonderful about taking a family shot (I’m not a person shooter – I stick with nature, landscapes, water – non-judgmental subjects ;D ).
I turned it on, got the perfect settings for indoor light and pressed….beep beep beep! Ten seconds later….Ooops, let’s try that again. At least it was just my parents and brother.
Nice thing about making these mistakes…if they cause you discomfort, you’re likely to learn from them and not repeat!
Great article!

November 3, 2009 at 11:45 pmReply
Valerie:

The first one: in the photo (in the other article) the guy is holding his lens way too cramped. I’d have trouble keeping that up all day. The video shows a more natural look. For me at least. The photo just shows me the ‘guy who only zooms and never puts a step forward or backward’… because he’s holding his lens like that.

Dead on with the 3rd one. People keep thinking photography is something you do on your computer. I keep hearing ‘can’t you photoshop it’? No.. I cannot photoshop the sun on the exterior, the way the light and shadow falls on the bricks of the building, the overall color of everything around it, shadows everywhere and the blue sky when it’s cloudy. *Sigh*. Seriously!

But I am missing the most important one. Buying a dslr in the first place, when all you want to do is enjoy photography every once in a while. Most people would be much better off with a nice point and shoot, one with some manual settings on it maybe or a ‘hybrid’ camera for that matter.
Taking many many photos or owning expensive equipment that’s capable of a little more when you know how but not taking that many photos.. You know which one is more important to actually take better photographs, right? :)

November 4, 2009 at 12:59 amReply
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November 4, 2009 at 1:53 amReply
Rachel:

@jay – I do that ALL the time. Mine has more to do with the fact that my (not even so fat) finger always seems to find that button and I never even realize I’ve hit it. It’s come to the point that when I press the shutter button and nothing happens, that is the FIRST thing I check!

@Valerie – The whole “I want a dslr because I can’t get good pictures with my point and shoot” thing bugs the crap out of me too!! They don’t realize… if you can’t get a good picture under normal circumstances with your P&S, you are NOT going to get any better pictures with an SLR.. the problem is YOU… not your camera.

November 4, 2009 at 7:43 amReply
Ann:

I disagree about wanting a DSLR to take better pics..with my 2 little boys the P&S just couldnt catch the shot..they were too fast.
I do agree about people thinking they own a DSLR so they can become a pro photog overnight. I am approaching it slowly and practice practice practice before I collect a dime.

November 4, 2009 at 8:35 amReply
Julia Spencer:

I agree with the photoshop statement… The more natural a photo looks the better. We don’t all look like porcelain dolls.

And I’ve totally been taking photo’s in the middle of a shoot, where i’ve turned off the camera to save battery, and set up a shot, forgot that I turned the camera off and go to shoot. The only thing is though I can recover pretty well and just switch it without ever taking my camera off my face. :) LOL!

November 4, 2009 at 8:54 amReply
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November 6, 2009 at 6:28 amReply
Z:

I partially disagree on the 3rd one. Taking many many pictures then reviewing them give you the best way to learn and gives you the best chance to capture what it is you are trying for. Look at how many shots professional photographers will shoot just to get that one right one. This isn’t something that was borne of the digital age. Pros were doing it on film too. The digital age just made this professional technique available to amateurs.

As for Photoshop. i think there’s a difference. In many cases, some fine changes in post processing can take a “good” image and turn it into a “great” image. one should not restrict the tools they use, but at the same time those tools should not be a crutch.

November 6, 2009 at 12:26 pmReply
Jodi:

Actually, number 4 is dead wrong. Landscape photography requires simply the most appropriate equipment, as does any other photography. If you’re trying to take a small portion of an inaccessible location, or you simply desire the compressed effects of a longer lens, say for making a background of trees neutral, then a longer lens is eminently desirable. Every shot is different.

November 7, 2009 at 9:20 amReply
Nikki:

A “nonce” must mean something different in the US. Here in the UK it’s another word for a paedophile. Not sure how using an inappropriate lens makes you look like one of those…

November 8, 2009 at 1:18 amReply
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November 11, 2009 at 2:08 amReply
Alan:

Umm, let me see,

1. Guilty (at least first 2 weeks)
2. Guilty (what can i say, i love clutter)
3. Guilty as a sin (still correcting some shots from 2 years ago – don’t do that at home)
4. I would still disagree on this one. I have shot some nice landscapes @300mm which at my sensor (APS-C) would be approx 450mm, and i got wonderful cityscape panorama of Berlin out of it.
5. Still Guilty (at least to a degree).

November 25, 2009 at 4:09 pmReply
LightStalking:

@Alan and Jodi – the keywords in that sentence are “super” and “standard”

A 650 up to a 5000mm lens to take an overall view landscape shot is silly. Sure, it might be appropriate if you are trying to zoom in on something specific like a flea 12 kms away, but that isn’t really what we’d consider a “standard’ landscape shot.

November 27, 2009 at 6:42 pmReply
Susan Reep:

I disagree with number four. Some of us, especially on more limited budgets, opt for one lens that will do most of the jobs. So you'll see me taking landscapes with my 18-250 telephoto. And soon I'll be doing it with my 28 -300. I travel lots, and it's too difficult to take and change lenses. Usually, the shot is gone by that time. Is it perfect? Not at all. I'd like a 16-35 lens and maybe that's next. But for now, I'll be shooting it all with the long lens, and people can think what they will.

January 5, 2010 at 3:18 pmReply
Cromequaz:

What about using flash with natural light? That could potentially f-up your photo…

February 19, 2010 at 6:20 pmReply
Cromequaz:

I agree, it's also good to make an attempt at the best possible shot you can. Of course there would be an exception for moving object such as jogging people or birds, but when your taking a picture of a flower, you shouldn't do a random pitty shot and hope for it to be good.

To me, the photoshop should only be used for colors, because maybe you'd like it in black and white. But changing the lightning can make someone look very un-professional.

Just my opinion.

February 19, 2010 at 6:25 pmReply
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November 16, 2010 at 1:15 pmReply
e thomas:

all of this is a a little bit snobbish methinks, and a bit bitchy.
maybe I hold my camera wrongly, but in time i’ll figure it out. Yes, i have bought and then sold innapropriate lenses, but hell that’s all part of the learning process.
some comments on here don’t help those new to dslr photography. At last look, photography wasn’t a club for the hip, trendy and do rights – just a wonderfull pastime for those interested in catching moments.
rant over.

April 8, 2011 at 2:46 amReply
Mark:

Too many of these “mistakes” might just be on purpose. Some of the best wildlife photographers in the world will tell you to grab the close up portrait of your subject and then try to capture them with EVERY LENS IN YOUR BAG to get different perspectives, to place them in their environment, etc. So the idea of a “wrong lens” is just a biased opinion and we all know about them!!!!

June 29, 2011 at 6:18 amReply
Mark:

And as to photoshop (or GIMP), digital cameras are never as sharp as film!!! If you are not using some post processing technique to “sharpen” you images you are missing the boat!!! I shoot wildlife at 640mm equivalent and I use a smart sharpen plugin for GIMP or I use local contrast adjustments or I use unsharp mask on every photo that is worth keeping. Mind you I am using Canon L series lenses, but digital intrinsically is not as sharp as film so you need some post work to get there. The key to post-processing is to use it very subtly. As with HDRI, if the viewer can tell you used software to enhance your photos, you used it too harshly!!! Good post work is invisible to the viewer, but a noticeable improvement that you can see.

June 29, 2011 at 6:25 amReply
Mark:

I guess to sum things up, items 2,3, and 4 are just poorly informed opinions of the author and in too many cases WRONG!!! Google Florian Schultz and read his ideas on wildlife photography and you will see my statement here supported. While you are there, check out his awards and customers and you will see that he is a major world class nature photographer hired by large customers and paid very handsomely. In other words, he has CREDIBILITY!!!

June 29, 2011 at 6:30 amReply
Larry Lourcey:

I would like to add #6:

Looking at the back of the camera between EVERY exposure.

If there is a bigger sign of a novice photographer, I don’t know what it is.

August 3, 2011 at 5:35 amReply