I was just asking my self the question "what are the greatestmistakes that starting photographers make?".

Putting the subject right in the middle of every picture...

Eddybol wrote:.

Hi there,.

I was just asking my self the question "what are the greatestmistakes that starting photographers make?".

So please share your experience..

Tx, Ed.

Putting every subject right in the middle of the frame..

Sorry for the duplicate!  ..

Cameras can't read minds. They don't really think too hard, either. Technique, therefore, matters particularly in situations which deviate significantly from the norm (strong color casts in the scene, much brighter or darker than usual, and so forth)...

I like both of the previeous posters answers. Here is mine.....

Trying to get the "perfect" shot, or the "right" equipment..

You got to make sure your having fun with it. Unless your getting paid, it's got to be fun. (Of course, if I could get paid for it, that would be fun!).

Mike.

Just starting out and having fun at it!.

Nikon D80 18-135mmNikon Coolpix 3100 (Hey, I had to start somewhere)..

Fear of learning the manual settings. If you read one book on the basics of photography, you find it it really isn't rocket science, at least the basic principles. Of course, a few pictures to prove you learned something is the hard part .

It's a lot like checkers, easy to learn principles, hard to master the results..

Http://www.amateurapertures.blogspot.comMy fully documented blunders in Photography..

MJapper wrote:.

You got to make sure your having fun with it. Unless your gettingpaid, it's got to be fun. (Of course, if I could get paid for it,that would be fun!).

Oh it is .

Biggest mistake I see is just OOF (Out Of Focus) photographs.

Learn to use the camera first, and don't be afraid to experiment.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Always give the client a vertical-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-http://grahamsnook.wordpress.com/..

I wouldn't say it's the biggest mistake, but you're right don't be afraid to wait for an image, whether that's the for the light or a person wearing the right coloured jumper, sometimes it just happens, other time you can wait for ages..

Look at the sky, see which way the clouds are blowing and whether there is a break in them coming soon. Also do what even you legally can to get a shot..

A couple of cases in point, both on the same shoot. Earlier on this year I was doing a shoot of a vineyard on a river. Above this vineyard is a stately home, the art editor and myself wanted a shot of the vines with the house in the background. We drove as far as we could down country lanes on the other side of this river, then walked for 40 minutes to get to a field. Then waited 1 hour 40 mins for the sun to cover the vinyard and the house at the same time, then we had to walk 40 minutes back. All for one shot that was used full page in a mag..

Second one, We'd arrived the evening before, in great evening light, it was so good we got permission to start the shoot early and wonder round the vineyard as the sun was at it's best. The art ed was ahead of me walking down the vinyards, whena pheasant flew btween the vines. I called to the art ed to walk down the line of vines one down from the pheasant on the off chance he would disturb the bird enough to make it run in the line of vines where I was looking down. The idea worked and here's the shot:.

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Oh and a couple of other "rules":.

Don't be afraid to shoot lots of images of the same scene with different compositions It far easier to do it then, than go back and reshoot .

Finally....Don't be afraid to break the rules if a shot works eg. having the focal point in the middle isn't always wrong .

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Always give the client a vertical-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-http://grahamsnook.wordpress.com/..

On digital - changing iso, metering or something and forgetting to put it back. Picked up the camera bag and went out last week, not realising that my wife had borrowed the two lenses I thought were in it. Thought the bag seemed light..

Last year I got an OM1. Loaded my film, went out for the day to a scenic place with my 1yo daughter. Had mis-loaded the film. 30 odd family and landscape shots, the first day out with my lovely, shiny camera, all lost due to a stupid mistake. Been using film for 18 years, first and only time I've done this. I felt such an ar*e..

J..

Graham Snook wrote:.

I wouldn't say it's the biggest mistake, but you're right don't beafraid to wait for an image, whether that's the for the light or aperson wearing the right coloured jumper, sometimes it just happens,other time you can wait for ages..

One mistake I make, as a relative beginner, is actually the inverse of this: not taking the shot NOW when something captures my eye, on the assumption I can take the same shot later. In the late afternoon there might be just a few minutes when the light is perfect in one spot. And it's hard to put yourself in the same spot 24 hours later. When the image strikes you, you need to take the shot if there is a camera anywhere nearby...

Assuming that a bigger and more expensive camera will enable them to take better pictures..

Becksi..

BACKGROUND ...........

Failure to realize that background is as important as subject. That might be overstating it, but not by much. You might find a great subject, but the background of the shot can make or break the photo. The background will either be a plus or a minus....add or detract to/ from the main subject..

I guess you might say...how you BACKGROUND the subject is how you COMPOSE the picture ( at least, you might think of it that way )..

In this photo, if I shot straight ahead, I would have included distracting tourists and other subjects. By shooting from a lower angle, I not only iliminated the distractions, but was able to include the dramatic architecture, as well. Also, there is no one best way to frame ( BACKGROUND ) a shot. A straight ahead shot would have been fine, if I wanted the picture to reflect the "festival " atmosphere..

My advice, for a beginner would be to choose a subject , then play around with various ways to BACKGROUND that subject,,, move to the right, then to the left, try different angles....but always be aware of the BACKGROUND in the shot.Eventually, you will start BACKGROUNDING your subjects , instinctively..

Good luck,bruce.

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Using the idiot modes!!!.

"GAWD!!!! When will I stop using the IDIOT modes".

RegardsThe Indian PhotoGrapherhttp://www.TheIndianPhotoGrapher.blogspot.comel..

Forgetting to check the settings on the camera before shooting. Too many times my settings were wrong as I did not check them before hand..

The other is not stopping to take the shot when some inner voice says to stop and take it. Fortunately I've learned to listen to that inner voice...

...thinking that great equipment automatically creates great pictures..

Cameras are just tools..

In the hands of an artist, then better tools can get better results, but an artist with really poor tools can still create art, while someone like me with the best tools cannot..

Ansel Adams created great art with a pinhole box camera..

Would Leonardo Da Vinci been less of an artist if he had cheaper brushes?.

I laugh when I see posts like: "I don't know anything about photography, but I want to get started. Can you reccomend the best DSLR and lenses for me to buy? My budet is around $1500.".

Someone who posts anything like that would be better off buying a cheap camera and learning the basics first. A 5MP point and shoot with some manual controls would be fine. In fact, a used Canon Rebel 300 (roughly $300 today) with the kit lens would be even better.MartyPanasonic FZ7, FZ20, FZ30, LX2Olympus C4000, C7000..

Too far away..

Don't pay attention to shadows..

Fail to compensatge when a hyge part of the pictuyre is really bright that's why so many beach and snow photos are grey..

Thinking the camera works in lousy light..

No settingup the shot, and instead getting messy pictures..

Leaving the camera at home..

BAK..

When I got my new camera recently, I took it out on a walk in the woods and fields, set to "automatic" because I had no experience with picking my settings myself. The idea was to not just take good pictures while the conditions were easy, but also read the settings the camera chose so I could learn what settings would make a good starting point for those conditions..

I realized later that "A" on the little dial on top didn't stand for "auto". It stood for "aperture priority". The actual "auto" setting on the dial was cleverly hidden with a label that said "auto"..

The unwanted side of this was that the aperture must have been pretty wide, since the depth of field was rather shallow. A good side effect might be that this caused the camera to use a fast shutter speed which "froze" very active twitchy insects, although it might have anyway because this was in full sunlight...

In no order:.

1) Not taking the time to understand the basics of photography (shutter speed, aperture and ISO) and how changing each affects the photo..

2) Getting hung up on the gear/technical side...which I have been know to do on occasion...instead of learning to "see" a shot...sometimes the best shots are not great technically..

3) Not thinking before shooting...or thinking too much..

4) Not understanding the role of light in photography...I know this sounds basic but a lot of people just click away and don't think about it..

5) It's been said before...but...expecting high priced gear to automatically give good results..

6) Expecting too much too soon..

Don..

I would agree with most of everything people said and especially with the last person who said "leaving the camera at home". There have been so many times when I have left my camera at home because I didn't want to carry it with me and then I miss amazing shots..

I'm an amateur and photography is just a hobby, so justifying carrying around my DSLR at all times is hard, but I would recommend carrying it with you whenever you can...

Not seeing the background, resulting in a "false attachment": not compensating for backlighting/bright surrounds: using too much flash (both, too often and too bright). Also, not allowing the AF take effect (either through not allowing it enough time, or through "hitting" the wrong item in the frame)..

Once I wasted all the shots taken on a snow holiday (slides), because I didn't know you had to compensate for the bright light coming off of the snow. The snow turned out more or less OK (a bit dull), but everything else in the scene looked as if it were late evening or (polar night)...

Same as with every other piece of equipment from automobile to zipper: not reading the manual...

Failure to use fill-flash ....especially, when subject is in shade, overcast.......with sun or light coming from behind.....

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No C.O.E.....Center of Interest. In a photo like this one, your eye is all over the place....no place to rest..

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Too bloody right.There is NO substitute for a good EYE..

Good gear helps, but folk get bogged down on here about edge accutance at 1600ISO when stopped down to f6.357 due to chromatic aberration and format limitations..

Sod that.IS IT A GOOD PICTURE, IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER HAPPY?.

Nothing else matters....

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Http://catmangler.smugmug.com/..

Good point, but with the shot you posted you could have thrown the background OOF to bring the subjects forward in the frame and give distance to them and the back ground..

As it was, you shot on program and let the camera make the decision...if you opened up a bit it would have been such a better shot...IMHO =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Always give the client a vertical-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-http://grahamsnook.wordpress.com/..

Far and away the biggest mistake is when one gets motion blur and/or OOF images..

I don't have a problem with them using AUTO mode, as the camera's metering is probably better than theirs..

I do have a problem with people using AWB in lousy lighting - now that's a recipe for disaster!I hope you got my point,Redandwhite from Malta.Photos at > http://redandwhite.deviantart.com..

Most of the times I had no options to wait for the "right" time. In Germany I made visits of the different cities between 12-16. You can see some examples in the galleries in the signature (when Photobucket will be back in service).VictorBucuresti, Romaniahttp://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m268/victor_petcu/..

I second that..

The basic errors are :Expecting to be a master in a week (not too many people are getting there).Forgetting to get very familiar with the gear and taking time for that.Not learning how to look at things before creating pics..

Enjoying to try making better images again and again and .....

6stringer wrote:.

Fear of learning the manual settings. If you read one book on thebasics of photography, you find it it really isn't rocket science, atleast the basic principles. Of course, a few pictures to prove youlearned something is the hard part .

It's a lot like checkers, easy to learn principles, hard to masterthe results..

Http://www.amateurapertures.blogspot.comMy fully documented blunders in Photography.

I Fully agree with 6sringer, but let me propose one change: " Of course, hundreds of pictures to prove you ... )".

Success and regards. Eduardo..

Has someone already mentioned :.

1. Too much sky2. "Cheese" portraits3. Shooting into the light4. Abuse of flash ? .

Funny thread !..

An actual understanding of what is a good photo, so many people think that a sharp photo with high saturation is a good photo, so much so that they are blinded to the fact there is a colourcast, the horizon isn't straight, too much or too litle depth of field, etc, etc..

I used to look at photos that pros and good amateurs took and think well mine aren't like that I need a better camera/lens/flash/light mter etc, etc, when in reality my composition, light etc was just wrong..

Also relying too heavily on the camera to create perfect photos, things like exposure composition when there is a bright subject..

Lastly not getting close enough to the subject, a famous photographer (his name escapes me) said if your photo doesn't have enpough impact you aren't close enough...

....always taking photos standing up..

This is one thing I have learnt since getting my Nikon D50 just over a year ago. Always see if there is a better perspective to be had by kneeling or crouching or even lying down!.

The photo doesn't always have to be taken at eye-level...especially if it's children, pets etc...

Trying to fit in too many subjects, and not getting close enough..

"Here's uncle Bob in front of the Washington Monument" isn't likely to be a good picture of either uncle Bob or the Washington Monument. Bob's face is probably 1% of the frame, and the Monument is cut off 1/2 way up..

Seen in a fortune cookie:Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed..

Olives_cloud wrote:.

....always taking photos standing up..

This is one thing I have learnt since getting my Nikon D50 just overa year ago. Always see if there is a better perspective to be had bykneeling or crouching or even lying down!The photo doesn't always have to be taken at eye-level...especiallyif it's children, pets etc..

Great advice for beginners, indeed ! You are absolutely right...

Hey guys,.

Thanks for all the replies. Seems like there are quite alot answers here..

The reason why I stucked with this question is because after hours, i'm a teacher giving short courses digital photography for beginners. (just don't ask my books, they're in dutch ). I had noticed that a lot of the people in the courses had some trouble with the aperture value. Most of them make photo's in auto mode because of that. I tought that not knowing the lower the aperture value, the more light thru the lens was one of the main mistakes why there photo's didn't got well..

But ive learned something here. There are alot of mistakes I have pay attention to.Thanks all of you..

Regards, Ed..

As a beginner myself, the first thing I did was learn the basics of exposure. The relationship between aperture, shutter speed, iso. Then I went out and only shot in manual mode. After every shoot, I would come back to my PC and study my EXIF settings while my session was fresh in my mind and see where I could improve. I must say this helped my learning curve immensely but it was alot of work. Especially when I had 200+ shots to review almost on a daily basis..

In retrospect, I think the comment about using the Av and Tv settings and replicating or studying those is a good one and would have made for a quicker learning curve - at least in terms of learning how the camera itself evaluates the exposure of a scene. The main thing that I am learning to do now is evaluating a scene's exposure with the naked eye "seeing the light" or viewing the scene as a "virtual histogram". I believe this is the most important thing in capturing a moment that is not easy or impossible to replicate..

A mistake that I made and it had me boggled for a long time was not shooting in what I call the "meat" of the lens. I was consistently getting soft images when I thought I should be getting sharp ones. The key is to learn the limits of your equipment. Know what apertures to use in order to produce a good sharp image at a given zoom in a certain light condition for each of your lenses and stay within these parameters as much as possible..

If you are playing in the extremes of your lens then you must use appropriate equipment to compensate; ie. tripod, flash, alternative light sources..

The last thing that I can speak about is DOF. This is where I am experimenting now. Learning the mathematics of depth of field I have found is becoming more important as you begin to develop your "eye" for composition and framing the scene the way you would like it expressed to your viewer. Distances from subject at given zooms and apertures was something I was taking for granted. This and the accuracy of your focal point play a critical role in keeping the parts of the scene that you desire to be in full focus..

These are the barriers that I have had to deal with. Again, I am just beginning myself so if anyone cares to comment or correct me on what i've stated, please do so. I am still a newbie and will benefit from all constructive criticism you can throw at me..

Thanks, Derek...

Mike.

Just starting out and having fun at it!.

Nikon D80 18-135mmNikon Coolpix 3100 (Hey, I had to start somewhere)..

Ed,.

Great start on this thread. Kudos to you for starting it. After reading all of these suggestions, It gives a new person (myself) quite a bit to think about. (I think I committed most of these.).

One last one that I do not think was mentioned. Not turning the dang thing on. I'm glad the the D80 has a quick start up (unlike my 3100). My wife now knows what the problem is when I hesitate and say "hold on"..

Great topic!Mike.

Just starting out and having fun at it!.

Nikon D80 18-135mmNikon Coolpix 3100 (Hey, I had to start somewhere)..

Eddybol wrote:.

I had noticed that alot of the people in the courses had some trouble with the aperturevalue. Most of them make photo's in auto mode because of that..

It's really an important issue. Having known photography before digital era, I thought that closing much aperture like on ancient SLRs woult produce the same effect on compact digital cams, i. e. crisper shots. But, as I read here and there, that's not true, because of diffraction issues. So it seems that on compact digicams, average aperture is better. Here is a great mistake to avoid...

Freespin wrote:.

Graham Snook wrote:.

I wouldn't say it's the biggest mistake, but you're right don't beafraid to wait for an image, whether that's the for the light or aperson wearing the right coloured jumper, sometimes it just happens,other time you can wait for ages..

One mistake I make, as a relative beginner, is actually the inverseof this: not taking the shot NOW when something captures my eye, onthe assumption I can take the same shot later..

If I see a likely shot, I often 'grab' a quick one, then take my time to capture various alternatives - another composition, vertical instead of horizontal format, different aperture to control depth of field, zoom in a bit more or a bit less, review the histogram and change exposure compensation - and so on. Then when I get them on the PC I can choose the best one, but it's amazing how often the first shot turns out to be the best. When it's not, it's more likely to be due to a technical error - focus or exposure - than a creative one..

If your instincts are good, the first shot is always going to have a good chance of being the right one...

..was telling mjy wife how much my camera had cost, after I bought it.Mike..

I just got my first dSLR in November and I've had 10 months to make mistakes! Here are mine:.

1. Not holding the camera still/not waiting for the focus2. Holding it crooked3. Putting the faces of portraits in the middle (I keep doing that one too!).

4. Not understanding light-how a camera "sees"/meters, how AV mode is different than full auto especially when using a flash (bright foregrounds, dark backgrounds).

5. Not understanding manual white balance-I take a lot of indoor photos and ended up with yellow photos.

6. Not understanding how to use the proper shutter speed to avoid handshake (I seem to have shakey hands)7. Focusing on the wrong spot8. what everyone else said!..

-Using the flash at night in situations when you shouldn't use it..

-Not using the flash during the day in situations when you should use it..

-Not replacing the battery after charging..

-Not replacing the memory card after uploading..

Thinking that because it's says so on the box the anti-redeye is actually going to work..

..........the list is endless and I'm collecting plenty of them as I go...

There is a lot of good advice ahead of me, but I'd like to elaborate on some already mentioned..

1) Read the manual..

I can't speak for every camera ever made, but check your manufacturer's website and download the PDF manual. In many cases it goes into much more detail than the paper one that came with the camera..

Then read it through and through, with your camera in hand. When you're done, re-read the manual again! This alone with eliminate a lot of mistakes..

2) Shoot outdoors in the morning or early evening light..

If you shoot outdoors during the midday in bright sunlight, (contrasty light) you will have a wide range of dark shadows to bright highlights to deal with. Result: if your camera doesn't have a wide dynamic range (DR) and/or you don't meter correctly, you will have overexposed areas on the photo (aka. blown highlights)!.

Film tends to have more dynamic range than digital; DSLRs tend to have more DR than point-&-shoots. Shooting when the sun is lower on the horizon eliminates a lot of these problems..

3) Always metering on the center of your image..

Sometimes spot metering on an off-center part of the image and then recomposing the picture will yield a better exposure..

Stay Well,Pete K...

...Hmmm... maybe not as bad as telling your wife how much it was going to cost BEFORE you bought it! ..

This morning, I shot a few landscape shots with my LX2..

When I got home, I noticed I had the switch on the side of the lens set to "AF MACRO"....MartyPanasonic FZ7, FZ20, FZ30, LX2Olympus C4000, C7000..