Everyone wants to be a photographer or simply someone who thinks they are and really aren't. Photography is an art, one that cannot be mastered by taking a few really good shots one day. It takes practice, know how, and talent to do it all the time. Not everyone is that great either, you may enjoy it and not have a single great picture worth showing.
Here are 10 mistakes that most beginners make:
1. Using Your Phone
A true photographer uses a DSLR or better. Your phone can take some amazing photos sometimes, but you can only do so much on it. An actual camera has so much to offer and make every photo so much better.
2. Too Much Focus On The Foreground
The background is just as important as the foreground. Pay attention to everyone and everything in the frame. Be sure to capture what you're goal is to capture.
3. Lighting/Flash
Natural light is the best kind of light in any situation with photography. Most times the flash is only used during point shoots like model shots and senior pictures of the like. Also never point in the direction of the sun, everything in your photo with be dark and shadowy unless that is the goal. Especially when taking shots of people be sure to have the light facing their face and not coming from behind them, their face with have dark circles and shadows.
4. Never Using The Zoom
Most times people think cropping is the best option, but in reality it isn't. It is so much better to zoom in and shoot than to crop later, because the image will be sharper and not as pixelated.
5. Too Much Centering
Remember the rule of thirds in photography. Avoid centering when possible, because it comes off as unnatural and unrealistic. Having the main focus be to the side is much better in most situations.
6. Sticking To The Same Angles
Not everything can be captured from the same four angles that most think they can. Try jumping and lying down or purposefully standing straight and looking up or down and etc.
7. Not Cleaning The Lens
It is one of those tedious jobs that most people forget to do, but not doing it will ruin photos and that's annoying.
8. Over Editing
This is where everyone thinks they are prime photographers, well guess what, you're wrong! Too much editing will make the photo look unappealing to the eye and very fake. Change little parts of the image and leave it. Also don't editing every photo the same way, contrast doesn't have to be changed in every image.
9. Shutter Speed
Everyone forgets this exists too! Shutter speed controls how sharp/crisp the image with appear after capture. The faster the speed the sharper the image. This only applies to certain situations so don't rely on a fast speed with every image.
10. Avoid Clutter
Too much in a photo can be very unappealing. It's too distracting, confusing, and annoying. Have a main focal point and capture that keeping the background as clean as possible. If you are taking a picture of someone standing in a busy side street, be sure to capture the least busy portion of the area, allowing a small crowd to form without it looking like a riot.
