Photography is a wonderful hobby or career that is accessible to almost anyone who is interested. The great thing about photography is that anyone can pick up a camera and start taking pictures, but if you choose to learn more advanced methods there can be a steep learning curve. Then again, there are a few common pitfalls that you may wish to avoid if you’re just getting started.
Photo Equipment Overload!
It’s easy to get swept up in all of the possibilities for your photography gear. Tripods, extra lenses, filters, darkroom gear, timers, lights, reflectors – the list is endless. If you don’t have a solid understanding of what you’re able to do with your camera, you’ll never be able to truly master the use of all of the accessories. Start off small with a basic digital SLR or a basic 35mm camera and only one lens so you can really learn the photographic basics. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with using your equipment and have goten some great shots, it’s time to start looking at some new accessories.
One Missed Shot
When you get started, you’re going to miss lots of shots. There will also be times when you get a shot but it turns out badly. For this reason, it’s probably a good idea to take every photograph at least twice. This will help teach you about the subtleties of your camera’s inner workings, as well as provide a bit of safety in knowing you won’t miss the important things. In this day of digital photography, there is little additional cost in shooting hundreds of images compared to only shooting ten.
Turn the Flash Off
You don’t need it. An automatic flash will at best teach you to ignore complex or difficult lighting situations and will at worse ruin your images. Turn your flash off and force yourself to adapt to natural light using only your wits and your camera’s settings – you’ll be better for it in the long run. You can take pictures without a flash in almost any environment. All you have to do is be a little creative in how you use the light that’s available.
Improve Your Composition
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to put your subjects in the exact center of the frame. This can create unnecessary space in your pictures and make them less interesting. Try to imagine the frame of your camera as cropping tool and get everything that’s important in there, without any wasted space. Framing your image properly in the viewfinder doesn’t take long to learn but will make a lasting difference in the quality of your photographs.
Simple Cameras
Simple digital cameras with giant LCD screens on the back are certainly tempting, but if you’re hoping to learn about the art of photography and challenge yourself to improve, you’re probably not going to get anything out of a point and shoot camera. Many beginners pick these cameras due to their convenience and affordability, which is absolutely fine if you’re only intending to use it for non-professional or artistic purposes. If you want to take great pictures and expand your knowledge of photography, you will need to have the right photo tools for the job.
Overall, these five mistakes are easy to avoid and won’t cause you much harm if you happen to stumble into one now and again. When learning photography it’s important to establish good habits and skills early on so you can continue to build upon a solid base of knowledge going forward. Just keep taking pictures every day and before you know it you’ll be creating images that you’ll be proud to display in a picture frame in your home or office.
