Top 10 Beginner Photography Mistakes to Avoid

Beginner Photography  •  Photography Tips

Photography is a beautiful fusion of art and technology. This is one reason it’s challenging—especially for beginners. Amateur photographers not only need to understand all the technicalities that go into taking a photograph, but also the creative elements such as composition, posing, storytelling and more. Therefore it is quite natural for beginner photographers to make tons of mistakes. So, in today’s video, we have filmmaker and photographer Parker Walbeck with photographer Nate Taylor highlighting the top 10 mistakes that beginner photographers often make and how to easily avoid them:

The highlights in this discussion are well balanced between the technical aspects, involving gear and camera settings, and the creative stuff, such as posing, storytelling and composition.

A common mistake that many newbie photographers make is to rush out and buy the best equipment. A better idea is to understand how you can optimize what you already own. Most of the time, a simple lack of knowledge is the culprit for bad photos, rather than gear. An even better idea is to invest in education to better yourself in photography. Learning the correct settings will help you achieve sharp focus, tackle tricky lighting, and even add some creative touches to your photos.

Composition is another key area of focus in this video. Always placing subjects in the center of frames, including unnecessary dead space, not emphasizing the subject—these are all common mistakes. Thankfully, there are a lot of composition guides that you can go through. In the video, you can see how simple techniques like rule of thirds and leading lines can improve a photo.

“One of the biggest things that separates a professional photographer from a beginner is their ability to use and shape light.”

Popping up in a location at any time of the day doesn’t guarantee you good results. For instance, midday sun can be harsh for outdoor portrait and landscape photography. You will need to work when the sun is low for flattering results. Being able to understand and visualize how light is interacting with your subject is key. And if you’re aspiring to be a studio photographer, you need to learn about taking control of your own lighting.

We’ve just scratched the surface in this article. To know more about the common mistakes that beginners make, we highly encourage you to watch the complete video. There you’ll learn more about posing, visual storytelling, editing and much more. Further, we’re sure that the practical examples in the video will make you understand even better.

If you’re guilty of ever making any of these mistakes, let us know in the comments.