common mistakes that ruin photos

Well...today I've decided that I'll be covering the common mistakes that ruin photos.

I used to make these mistakes all the time. And the bad part is, I didn't even know it!

When you know you're making mistakes then you're learning. If you don't realize your making mistakes how are you going to learn?

Today I'll be covering a few very common mistakes...

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Common Mistake 1: Living in Automatic Mode
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Automatic mode is a great mode to work in when you don't have time
to mess with manual settings. For example, when you don't expect
something to happen automatic mode is great.

However, do not limit yourself to this. Experiment with manual
and other settings.

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Common Mistake 2:Focusing on Too Many Things
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A lot of times when beginners take pictures they'll focus on way
too many subjects. There'll be an owl on the top, a fish on
the bottom, and an old man in the middle!

Focus on just ONE subject! When you get good at this THEN you can
try doing more complex shots.

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Common Mistake 3: Photos that Are Too Dark/Bright
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When you take a photo, you need to be positive you have the right
settings. Improper settings can make your photo too dark or bright.

Here are some very rough guidelines when photographing with an SLR.

In Full Sunlight
-aperture of 16
-shutter of 1/125

In Shade
-aperture of 5.6
-shutter of 1/125

If you are using an automatic camera and are in auto mode then to
ensure your photo is bright you really should start learning how
to use the meter modes in your camera. You can choose to let the
camera adjust the lightness based on the center, an average of
points throughout the photo, or other methods as well.

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Common Mistake 4: Failing to Have a Concept
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A lot of photographers take photos just to look nice. This is great
when you are taking photos with friends, family, etc...however
when you go out and take pictures for the specific picture of just
looking nice you're really in the wrong mindset.

When you take a photo be sure you have a main concept in mind.
If you're photographing birds and flowers, your concept is
probably happiness or peace.

Stick with this concept and eliminate all other things that DO NOT
fit with it.

If your concept is peace and happiness and you have a homeless man
ranting about in the background, you have a problem...



Well, that's all for today! Have fun shooting!