Common Mistakes 9

Episode 170 - More mistakes you will want to avoid making.

The Transcript page - https://photographysidehustle.com/170

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Transcript

Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones, and this is episode 170 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.

Okay, I haven’t done a common mistakes episode for a while, so here goes.

The first one is …

Not using a tripod
When I first started, I refused to use a tripod. I can’t tell you how many times during a shoot, I realized the photo needed a longer exposure, and I couldn’t capture it because I didn’t have a tripod with me.

One time was an engagement shoot in a park. There was a small waterfall, and I was taking photos with it in the background. If I had a tripod, I could have used a slow shutter speed to make the waterfall look soft and ethereal. I tried hand-holding, but the images weren’t sharp enough.

It would have been a great photo, but I didn’t have a tripod, it was a missed opportunity to impress the couple and future customers.

There are going to be lots of times when a tripod will save you, especially in low-light situations. Instead of turning your ISO up high and getting grainy images, use a tripod and a slower shutter speed.

Next common mistake …
Move around
When composing a photo, don’t just stand in one spot and take the photo. Move from side to side, get down lower, and find out what works best.

When you move, the light on the subject will change, and the background will change, too.

If there is a distracting branch hanging down into the frame, do something about it. Don’t just start shooting. Think about what is in the frame and how it looks.

I used to think to myself, I’ll fix that in Photoshop. But it is so much easier to get the composition right then and there. Just move so that the distracting object isn’t part of the photo. 

I guess you could take some pruning shears with you, but that might be over the top.

If you start moving and trying every photo from different angles, your sessions will be way more productive, and your portfolio will improve faster.

The next mistake is …
Shooting from too far away
I found this quote from Robert Capa, a Hungarian-American war photographer and photojournalist.

“If your photos aren't good enough, you're not close enough.”

Instead of taking a photo of a subject under a beautiful tree from 30 feet away so that you could get all the tree in the frame, get up close. 

Fill the frame with your subject. They are paying you to take photos of them, not the trees. 

I see this problem all the time, so get closer so you can see your subject's faces. 

Look at a professional photographer's portfolio, and in most of their photos, the subjects fill the frame. Don’t be worried about getting up close. Just make sure you fill the frame.

Next is …

Be thorough
Now, I think most of us suffer from this to some degree. By thorough, I mean take your time and make sure you are prepared for your next session.

It might be making sure you have your batteries charged and in your bag. Or going through your camera settings and resetting them.

I have made the settings mistake many times. In the previous shoot, I was capturing Christmas lights. The morning after, it was a hockey game. Well, the white balance needed resetting, and I didn’t. All the colors were way off, but luckily, I could change it in Lightroom.

On the other hand, I used to worry about everything for weddings. So, I made a list of things I needed to do and take with me. It really did help.

I could go on and fill a whole episode with my mistakes, but I’ll spare you that one.

So think about everything you will be doing before and during a session. Make a list and check it twice. Is Tripod on your list? Well, it should be.

Okay, next is …
Check your Histogram
Many photographers don’t use histograms, but they should, as they can save you a lot of heartache.

If you don’t know, the histogram is the little graph that shows up on your LCD screen.

On the left of the graph are blacks or shadows. On the right are whites or highlights. In the middle are the mid-tones, which are gray as they are halfway between black and white.

The histogram only tells you how much of the photo is dark, light, or in between.
If the graph touches the left or right of the histogram, it means that those pixels have no detail. They are either pure black or pure white, and you want to avoid that.

If a pixel is pure black or white, it has no detail, which means you can’t adjust it when editing. There are times like shooting a silhouette where pure black is acceptable. But wedding photographers don’t want pure white if the photo has a wedding dress in it. 

You need to protect your photos so this doesn’t happen.

All you need to do is check your photos as you go through the session. If some of the histogram is touching the left side, you need more light. So adjust your settings, like slow your shutter speed down a little, or turn up the ISO.

If it’s touching the right side you need to reduce the amount of light by using a faster shutter speed or use a lower ISO if you can.

Right, the last mistake is …

Not Believing in Yourself
When you are starting out, you can’t expect to get professional-looking photos straight away. You have to accept that your early work will not be that great.

The only way to improve is by taking lots of photos and editing them. When you are editing your photos, you’ll see the mistakes and know what to avoid in the future.

If you are only taking a few photos a week, you can’t expect to improve quickly. The mistakes are needed, and the faster you make them, the faster your photos will improve.

You must believe in yourself and go for it, knowing you will make mistakes. The more mistakes you make, the more lessons you receive, and the faster you grow.

So, I want you to take it from me that you have it in you to shoot professionally. Believe in yourself, and make lots of mistakes, just not the ones I covered in this episode.

Okay, that is “Common Mistakes 9.” If you have made a mistake and don’t know how to fix it, you can find me in the Facebook group or Messenger. I am more than willing to help you.

If you want a question answered on the podcast, you can send me an audio message. There is a link in the show notes and over at PhotographySideHustle.com.

Okay, that’s all I’ve got. All talk to you soon. Bye.