No person is perfect, there are always mistakes, and it is important to learn from the mistakes of others. As a photographer, I will share my mistakes with you in the hope that you can learn these lessons before making the same mistakes. And you might have made these mistakes, so you'll have peace of mind knowing you're not the only one who's made them!
1. Incorrect settings
When you get a good exposure with a fast shutter speed make sure that you have reset your sensitivity to light from yesterday evening and you are shooting in the daytime. This happened to me a lot. Also, if for some reason you switched from RAW to JPEG, be sure to switch back to the raw file again. What about white balance? exposure modes? exposure compensation? AF modes? measurement modes? Check and recheck your settings before shooting.
2. Inappropriate background or distraction
I could classify this as another "newbie's mistake", but I'm just as guilty as everyone else. If you are taking a picture of your friend, family member, favorite pet, etc., pay attention to what is in the background. Moving your feet just a few inches can make the difference between a great photo and a photo of your subject with a street lamp growing out of its head. Lots of photos are taken with unwanted objects in the background.
3. Dirt on the lens
Dust, fingerprints and some dirt on the front of the lens will negatively affect the sharpness of your photos. This does not mean that the lens is 100% clean, as some dust may not affect your photos. However, one time, I was out to photograph an abandoned industrial site and noticed a strange glow happening in my photos. I checked the camera screen, sensor and filter on the lens. I didn't find any problem. I asked some friends and sent them pictures and they didn't know the root of the problem. Then I looked at the rear element of the lens to find a huge smudge. Please keep the optical element of your camera clean.
4. Spontaneously format the memory card
Before you format your memory card, feel free to listen to that voice that comes to your mind and say, “Hey, why don't you take a minute and make sure you download the images from this card to your computer before that?!. I ignored that voice once and lost the pictures. Fortunately, the data recovery app I downloaded saved most of it, but it could have been a lot worse. If you format your card, the information may still be there until you overwrite it with more photos, but don't count on that.
5. Do not change the image perspective and framing
We all look at the world from eye level. I often change the perspective and framing method to give my photos a new perspective. But I often fail to do this on my own. This isn't necessarily a bug, but I'm sure there have been times when I could have improved the images by changing the perspective. I not only confess my sins here, I write this to remind myself to practice what I advise.
6. Battery out/memory full
Previously, you ran out of film. But today we have two different things which are the battery and the memory card. So bring more batteries and memory cards than you need, because you will need them on any shooting trip. And what's the problem with her coming back with you empty?!
7. Using the tripod incorrectly
A tripod can sometimes give you a false sense of support. Just because the camera is mounted on a sturdy tripod doesn't mean it can't shake while taking a picture. Use a tripod, and tighten everything into it. But then make sure your DSLR is in mirror lock mode or set mirror mode or point and shoot to timer mode. Or use the remote shutter release. If you want to be more careful, delay the shutter while using the release button so that you can let go of the button before taking the photo. Wind is the enemy of the tripod, too. Weight it to withstand any heavy winds, or try to protect your gear from the wind. And beware of kicking the tripod with your leg as you move around it while filming.
8. Obsessions about mistakes
Don't hold yourself responsible for past mistakes in photography. What happened with you is over and you are now in the position of avoiding mistakes and repeating the experience until success. I love looking back and making mistakes. And I can tell you more stories about the photos I missed than the ones I took. Note to self: go shoot now and don't worry about what's too late.
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