List of Common Photographer Mistakes

Usually, there is catastrophically little time during shoots, so I try not to step on the same rake. I don’t want to repeat the typical mistakes of many photographers that once stole my time, which I could have spent more productively on better collaboration with stock agencies and improving my professional skills as a photographer.

Basic List of Photographer Mistakes

Here’s a basic list of photographer mistakes that can be avoided in your work:

• Arriving at the shooting location only to find a dead battery, so always check the charge level (I always check the battery indicator before heading out to shoot);
• Arrive at a shoot only to discover a full memory card, so check the card’s capacity in your camera before leaving;
• Panic over losing the lens cap. For example, I have made it a rule to always put it in my left upper pocket;
• Forgetting to take the tripod mount or the entire tripod (just a reminder);
• Leaving the ISO from the previous shoot set to the maximum noise settings. Make it a rule to always reset settings to defaults after each shoot, in case something urgent comes up. And don’t forget to check your camera settings before the new shoot;
• Not setting the autofocus mode. Refer to the previous mistake;
• One of the most common mistakes is leaving the shutter delay turned on;
• Forgetting to secure the tripod head (same as above, check everything before shooting);
• Shooting with very long exposure in windy conditions (train yourself to review images on the screen, zooming in as much as possible in the viewfinder, and if possible, check on an iPad);
• Focusing on random abstract macro shots, the photographer forgets to turn around and may simply miss the amazing sight behind them (need to be more attentive);
• Not allocating enough time to adjust the height of the tripod (try to pay more attention to such things before taking a shot);
• Forgetting to clean filters or lenses (try to clean them after each shoot, and before heading out on a new shoot, always check them).

Tips from Professional Photographers

By the way, here are a few more tips from comments left by other microstock photographers who read this article:

• Don’t forget to check the edges of the shot to understand what is getting into the frame (thanks to Afagundas);
• Don’t forget to reset the exposure compensation settings to zero (thanks to Physi28);
• Don’t forget to format empty memory cards (thanks to Livingstonatlarge).

Photographer Afagundas also notes that by using the camera’s software settings, you can be 100% sure to reset settings to defaults.

I understand how much time I need not to miss the chance to capture all the amazing things that come my way, so I try to spend my time as economically as possible to seize opportunities.

Awareness of this helps me fight all the inefficiencies of work processes, helping me understand that I shouldn’t freeze like a statue, inspired by a moment, amid the exciting possibilities of the wonderful world of various subjects and objects. Thoughts aloud…

Below, I have included some shots from my latest trip to Sydney. I only had one morning, where I woke up at dawn, skipped lunch, and one evening.

Sydney is a beautiful city worth seeing if you get the chance!

Link to the original article: blog.dreamstime.com/2011/08/01/not-making-basic-mistakes-some-thoughts-_art35812