5 Mistakes to Avoid Being a Photographer

Being a Photographer has some fantastic merits, the happiness in creating something which you haven’t experienced anytime in the past. The sudden praises you receive, the questions on how do you achieve this and that. On the other side, spending more on gear, new lenses and costly equipments.

And all of a sudden you seem like a mighty giant in photography who doesn’t have encountered the word failure ever, people are there to accept whatever you shoot and if at all you get some criticism you wash them off with the praises you receive from another end.

Fan following and more exposure create a wonderful zone of comfort within you. But wait are you committing a mistake somewhere? How healthy would this magic zone help you in moving forward to the next level.

This article is to speak about the darker side of photography, the mistakes every individual is prone to have undergone. I have underlined the common mistakes you and me are prone to do as a photographer. These are mere clues to the bigger picture which we often commit or fall prey to. Avoiding them will make us evolve better and serve good as a photographer.

Photos by Tavepong Pratoomwong

#1 Lack of Communication

Be it a street photographer or a fashion photographer, communicating with the subjects we shoot is mandatory to get the best out of the characters. To make them ease into the zone of comfort and to reap rewards in accordance to the emotions, actions and body language they deliver, communication becomes mandatory. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a language, subtle actions with a gentle smile are also considered to be a form of communication. Believe me, a smile with an appreciation of thought for the belief that you have captured them beautifully inside your camera can enrich their performances before you.

#2 Gear is not everything

Greater depth of Field, more frames per second, higher ISO range and what more. One should understand the fact that better gear can never assure you produce better pictures, meaning the principle lies in the eyes of the photographer. Gear is just a tool to enhance your vision and to translate it better. Discover the balance, this is for the geeks out there who invest more time on to mark out the pros and cons in a product rather than creating masterpieces with what they have in their bag. In short, the best gear is the one you already have in your hand.

#3 Ego vs. Photography

Ego doesn’t take much time to enter into the minds of a creator. Right after one produces a winning image, a masterpiece , a picture which people think is out of the world. Watch closely, what might happen next is an interesting phase in your career as an artist. Slowly there forms a belief which makes you dream whatever you click is groundbreaking stuff. You want them to accept it. Ego doesn’t let you digest the fact that there can be a losing picture from a winner like you. Yes even Photo-Contests do the same. You click  a good picture, everybody knew it and you want the whole world to accept the fact, the thirst for appreciation and acceptance, above all fame. Staying at the top is no bad, but the desire to have a group below you is where your ego starts performing its homework. Appreciate others work, and learn to accept the fact when your work is criticized. Take care.

#4 Vision > Photoshop

Post-Processing is a brutal weapon with sharp knives on both the ends. Many times good and sometimes bad too, when you start to realize the very objective of post-processing the other obstrucles might just fly away. I often wonder what makes people feel proud for the fact of post-processing more than photography and the pictures they click. Fleeting isn’t, yes there is no point boasting about the before/after pictures. Our Masters have never did that, fortunately photography may have entered into the next phase have there been art of photography classes equal to the number of Photoshop and post-processing classes. Believe me, Post-Processing cannot be taught, basically it is just the tools there which has to be multiplied with your vision. When people praise your processing techniques, accept the bitter truth, it is your photoshop skills which has arrested them rather than your photography skills. Agree?

#5 Style, Inspiration and Innovation

What to shoot, how to shoot will always be two wonderful questions which needs to be answered by yourself. Right at the beginning of your career or towards the very end. The faster you discover the answer, better the chances for you to become a pro. Speaking about the style of photography, people seem to believe every person enjoys having his own style in art, but the truth is, style keeps evolving, with every picture you see, with every photographer you add to your favorites list and so on. Inspiration will remain a constant, everyday so many new talents with so many wonderful creations. It need not be pictures and photographers always, it could start from a bird’s chirp or even a burp. Innovation is the key, transform your inspiration into something for what you should be known for.

All the best.

Don’t miss to check our previous Photography Tutorials:

• 5 Things To Do On A Street For Every Street Photographer
• Street Photography Tips And Techniques By Thomas Leuthard
• The Importance Of Lines In Photography – An Overview With Superb Examples
• Street Photography Tips, Techniques And Inspirations
• Wide Angle Photography – An Introduction With Stunning Examples
• Essentials For Post Processing In Photography