Amateurs repeat the same common mistakes that destroy the would-be masterpieces, such as trembling hands to crowded frames. Such mistakes are caused by the lack of knowledge about the main concepts, as opposed to the nature of gear restrictions. The identification of tendencies in blurred shots, boring arrangements, or unnatural editing can leads to a significant increase in improvement. Knowing how to prevent a cull makes frustrating culls be predictable keepers of all genres.
Shaky Frames from Slow Shutter Speeds
Sharpness is destroyed by camera shake where shutter speeds are less than 1/focal length rule. The minimum required is 1/50 second on a 50mm lens, and 1/ 200 second on a 200mm lens. Solution: Elbows always steady to the body, exhale and then click or 2 seconds timer. Telephotos are stabilized by the monopods; 2-3 stops of safety are provided by image stabilization. Check LCD 100% zoom upon capture.
Wrong Focus Points on Key Subjects
Auto focus takes closest edge rather than eyes or subject. Fix: change to single point AF, make sure that the cursor is over the near eye when taking portraits. We can also use back-button focus, which does not connect shutter and focusing, and is retained during recomposition. Peaking of the manual focus helps with low-contrast images. Zone AF clusters follow wild animals; spot metering is precise.
Centered Subjects Kill Dynamic Composition
When the horizons or faces are in the center they form stagnant and unbalanced frames. Use rule of thirds grid: place eyes at the intersections of the upper horizons, place the horizons on the bottom third. Image is naturally drawn by the leading lines of the paths or fences. Stuff subject in frame to make an impact; cut mercilessly in camera. The portraits are made animated by vertical format; the negative space makes them move.
Wasted Foregrounds in Landscapes
Foregrounds are empty, making a sweeping vista flat. Compositions using texts that are textured: rocks, flowers, driftwood and faraway mountains. Large apertures (f/11) are brought into focus in a matter of inches to infinity; hyperfocal calculators give the greatest depth. Low shots are exaggerating scale; step-ladders are raised over mud. Elements in layers are a natural occurrence of atmospheric perspective.
Over-Reliance on Wide Apertures
f/2.8 is an unpleasant blur to group portraits and landscapes. Match depth to subject scale: f/5.6 to waist-up singles, f/8-11 to environmental, f/16 to expansive. Limit of f/22 in full-frame; test aperture per lens. Shoot during the golden hour to have options of creating blur.
Ignoring Exposure Histograms
Crushed shadows and blowouts are not seen until editing. Enable histogram; by the right side, overexposure is indicated and by the left side, underexposure. Lost detail is immediately disclosed by blinkies. Expose to right (ETTR) saves shadow information; pull back during raw conversion. Manual mode removes the confusion of auto metering in changing lighting modes.
Low ISO in Dim Conditions
Base ISO obsession compromises the shutter speed resulting in motion blur. Confidently use ISO of 3200-6400 on new sensors; grain is easily removed by noise reduction. Fast primes collect more light as compared to slow zooms. Base ISO can be unlocked anywhere by tripods; handheld method wins the pixel purity battle every time.
Harsh Midday Lighting Choices
Noon sun invents raccoon eyes and flat shadows. Directional soft light: shoot golden hours (first/last sunlight). Open shade flatter the skin tones; the diffusers diffuse the direct sunlight. Shadows are raised with fill flash or reflectors. Black-and-white is forgiving of contrasting light; polarizers are cut glares and show no color casts.
Over-Editing Kills Natural Look
The saturation is heavy and the clarity passes 50, and the extremes of HDR appear amateurish. Conservatively sharpen process raw files: 20-30% sharpening, 10-20 points sharpness maximum. Match edits to represent intent; histograms assist white/black points. Check monitors annually; print proofs check accuracy of screens. There is the slight difference between professionals and amateurs.
Not Checking Gear Before Shoots
Dead batteries, full cards, ugly sensors lose golden moments. Pre-flight checklist: set up of format cards, charge batteries, clean lenses using rocket blower. Sensor swabs on sticky areas; additional equipment in dry bags. Rain disasters are avoided through weather-seal checks. Test shots prove settings prior to the arrival of subjects.
Deliberate review Practice patterns by examining discards at the conclusion of each session. Participate in critiques to get an objective feedback. Technical perfection liberates the creative vision; error turns into muscle memory by means of repetition. Regular practice develops signature style among amateur traps.