{"id":310687,"date":"2017-10-31T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2017-10-31T12:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lightstalking.com\/?p=310687"},"modified":"2019-08-03T01:32:33","modified_gmt":"2019-08-03T05:32:33","slug":"avoid-top-9-photography-mistakes-made-beginners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lightstalking.com\/avoid-top-9-photography-mistakes-made-beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoid These Top 9 Photography Mistakes Made by Beginners"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ok, we all make mistakes and that is how you learn in photography, but there are a few recurring ones that, if you stick with photography, will almost certainly make you cringe in a few years time. This is a rant… about those mistakes.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all made them \u2013 either from aesthetic ignorance or simply by a desire to simulate an effect that arouses our interest. Fortunately, when some of us mess up, generous peers help us notice those mistakes. The great difference between photographers who overcome errors and those who don't lies simply in learning to listen to this advice.<\/p>\n
Some mistakes happen directly in the camera, others at the post-production stage. But if we consider the final photograph as a result, it matters little when they happen. We assume in the following list that all these mistakes are committed after the photographer has learned to expose correctly and basically knows how to use a camera.<\/p>\n
Excessive use of HDR<\/strong><\/p>\nPhoto by George Coletrain on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Some years ago, the HDR technique became quite popular, and honestly, a good HDR shot can produce pleasing results. The important thing is to understand HDR as a way to level out the exposure of the entire scene to get the highest dynamic range of tones throughout the scene. This includes shadows and highlights.<\/p>\n
If we look at the work of Ansel Adams, we can appreciate the result of his meticulous zone system, which is the beginning of the quest to achieve a high dynamic range in a photograph. The problem with the excessive use of HDR is that it generates a strange image that ends up looking like a digital painting.<\/p>\n
Selective Color<\/strong><\/p>\n
I'm not exactly sure when selective colour was born, but the technique doesn't add anything to the meaning of the image, and its use is pretty tacky. Avoid it, no matter whether it\u2019s done in the camera (since some cameras allow it) or during post-production.<\/p>\n
Cutting off limbs in odd places<\/strong><\/p>\n
This is a recurring theme in photography, especially in street photography. When you\u2019re doing things quickly, the door is wide open to mistakes. This was perhaps one of the most important observations a friend\/photographer made about my work. I wasn't aware of this flaw, especially regarding people's feet. There are many types of framing, but when you crop a portion of the human body in a strange and even uncomfortable way, you make this mistake.<\/p>\nImage by Federico Alegr\u00eda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
There has been much talk around this, and even some images by Henri Cartier-Bresson exemplify this mistake. Personally, I think it\u2019s a mistake you should avoid.<\/p>\n
Excessive blurring<\/strong><\/p>\n
This is one of those mistakes that happen during post-production. People tend to see blurring (any type of blurring) as way to fix skin imperfections. This may be true, but when it\u2019s overused, it becomes so obvious that the result is very unappealing. The important thing here is to learn how to use postproduction tools properly to achieve a specific result, especially if you\u2019re working in commercial photography.<\/p>\n
Improper focal length for portraits<\/strong><\/p>\nImage by Paul Stevenson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
It\u2019s well known that the lens focal lengths that present natural results with a minimal distortion of reality are those longer than 50mm, especially between 50mm and 85mm. If we use wide-angle glass such as 16mm to take close-up portraits of a person, we get extremely strange results that affect the appearance of the subject's anatomy in a way that can seem satirical or mocking. Extreme care must be taken when choosing a lens for a portrait.<\/p>\n
Crazy Finger<\/strong><\/p>\n
Technology has allowed cameras to shoot a large number of frames per second, and this sometimes results in photographic disaster. This is commonly known in the photography world as “Spray and Pray”. By reducing the rate at which we shoot, we become better photographers. We also reduce the time it takes to choose and edit the images we wish to present to the world.<\/p>\n
Bokeh craziness<\/strong><\/p>\nPhoto by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Bokeh is a peculiarity generated by a lens' aperture. We must learn when it\u2019s necessary to use \u2013 but remember that not all images need an extremely creamy bokeh (as some new photographers seem to think).<\/p>\n
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