Whether you are shooting with a cellphone, your first point-and-shoot, or a fancy DSLR camera, you want to take the best photographs you can. However, common photography mistakes are made by most photographers when they first begin taking pictures. Learn from, and try to eliminate, these mistakes from your photography, and your pictures will look better immediately.
1. Point and Shoot
The common name for modern, small cameras is point-and-shoot. The name is supposed to imply how easy using them is, not how you are supposed to use them. But this is exactly what most new photographers do, point the camera and push the shutter button.
Sometimes, due to the nature of the shot, you have no choice. But most of the time, the subject of your picture isn’t going anywhere. Take your time. Move around a bit and think about what you are photographing. Move closer and further away. Get down low or find a higher perspective. Taking your time and giving some thought before you shoot the picture will go a long way to improving the outcome.
2. Flash or No Flash
Many people, especially with automatic cameras, let the camera decide whether to use the flash. Most of the time, the camera will make the right choice. But remember, you are the photographer, and it’s your decision whether a flash is needed or not.
Most cameras, even simple models, have the ability to force the flash off or on in a given situation. There are two common situations when you should do this. One is when not enough light exists, and the camera decides to use the flash. Often, this will result in red-eye, harsh light, and deep shadows. Try holding the camera steady and taking the same shot without the flash.
The other situation is a backlit subject. The most common example of this is someone standing on the beach with the ocean and sky at their backs. Depending on how the camera meters this scene, either the people are too dark, or the sky is too bright.
The way to solve this is to use what is called fill flash. Turn your flash on in this situation, and it will fill in the shadows on the people while letting the sunlight the ocean and sky. Think about whether you really need a flash or not and experiment. You will be pleased with the results.
3. Don’t Break the Button
Most people get excited when they see that perfect scene they want to capture. They bring the camera up and smash the shutter button in their urgency to get the shot. But camera movement is the most common cause of blurry, out-of-focus images, and the major cause of this is pushing the shutter button too hard. Instead, bring the camera up to your eye or at a level where you can see the screen on the back.
Please take a deep breath and let it out. Then slowly roll your finger across the shutter button. This simple technique will eliminate most, if not all, of those ugly blurry pictures. Thinking about and following these three simple tips will move your photography greatly without buying expensive equipment and allow you to skip the trouble of making these common photography mistakes.