Photography: 10 Things Not To Do

Becoming a better photographer doesn't happen overnight! It's something that takes time and lots of practice! Today I'm here to share with you 10 things not to do. Kelli and I created this list based on mistakes we first made when we first started photographing. These are 10 common mistakes that you don't want to make. Enjoy! 

1. Use Auto Flash ALL The Time Oh no no no no. This is a common mistake that is so easy to fix! Just turn off your automatic flash. See how in the above examples the auto flash makes the photo look flat and washed out, don't let this happen to your photos! Natural light is lovely, so take advantage of it!  

2. Ignore Your Color Story and Composition How many times have you seen a photo with a super distracting background? The above example is a little extreme, but always be sure to choose backgrounds that compliment the people or objects in your photos! Choose a color that makes your color story stronger, not more busy. 

3. Plan To Crop Everything Later Kelli told me over and over that she never has to crop a photo in photoshop because she always composes photos exactly how she wants them through the viewfinder. I love this challenge! When you compose a photo how you want it, you will get the best point of focus and a stronger image than if you crop everything later. 

4. Pose In Direct Sunlight This is something you should never do, if you can avoid it! Unless, of course you want a photo that looks something like this... 

Wow! So unflattering. Now, There are ways to make sunlight work for you but this is most definitely not it! Direct sunglight has ruined many pretty photos, so don't let it ruin yours! Read more in our articles about tips for outdoor photography and working with backlight and sun flare. 

5. Ignore The Details... They're Not Important It's easy to forget to snap photos of little details in our day to day lives. Below is a collage of some of my favorite small moments over the past few years. Don't ignore the details! Be intentional about capturing them on camera. They might just turn out to be some of your favorite memories. 

6. Copy Someone Else....Exactly A lot of young photographers make the mistake of being "too inspired" by another photographer. Sometimes people don't even mean to "copy" but it doesn't make it ok. Copying someone you admire is awkward for you and for them... it's just no good. It's ok to be inspired by other people, but don't use their exact ideas and compositions! Create something fresh and beautiful that you can be proud to call your own. 

7. Post Every Photo You Took Today Have you ever seen someone upload every single photo from their holiday on Facebook? It kinda feels like they didn't take the time to go through and pick the best ones. Don't do this. Posting too many repeat photos takes attention away from your best photos. Take the time to choose your favorite photos before you hit the upload button! 

 8. Take Photos Exclusively At Night I used to be one of those people who took ALL my DIY photos at night because I just didn't have time to do it during the day. See the above example for what a huge difference some natural light can make. Both photos were taken without the flash on auto settings. There will, of course, always be instances where night photos are necessary- like a party or event. These days, if I have a choice I will ALWAYS take my blog photos during the daylight. Even if it means I have to wake up an hour earlier or rearrange my schedule it's very worth it!  

9. Stick With What You Know Don't forget to branch out. As a photographer I always go through phases where I learn a new skill and then use it a whole lot. Sometimes I get in a rut where I don't try new things for a long time. I think it's important to never stop learning. I do better work when I'm actively learning new things and challenging myself. What about you? 

10. Post Your Photos To Facebook & Never Look Back One of the saddest things about living in the digital age is that many people no longer print out their memories! For the first few years of my dating relationship with Jeremy I made this very mistake. I realized that I was posting photos online, but not doing anything else with them. Since we've been married I've been making an effort to print photos out, order albums and frame photos in our home. I love this habit. It's healthy and makes me more thankful for each and every memory when I see the photos. If you're not in the habit of printing photos, order some today! I promise you'll be happy you did. 

Thanks for reading! I've had so much fun teaching photography lately! Thank you for all your kind comments. It's fun to hear that some of you are super excited about photographing your life too!

xoxo. elsie 

Comments

[Gwyneth Genevieve]

I love these tips! Number ten is definitely my favorite, though. You're totally right; it's too easy these days to take beautiful pictures and never do anything with them. Your blog has certainly given me a lot of wonderful ideas for how to make use of my prints!

[ashley]

thanks elsie! i'm learning so much from your photography series! :)

[Sarah]

Great post! I actually just had prints made the other day, and it was such a great feeling to look through them.

When I first got my digital SLR, I shot everything in auto, with the flash on. Many of my first pictures were just... bad. Just plain bad. Did you find it hard at first to shoot little detail moments with your SLR? I feel so conspicuous, so I usually end up shooting with my phone again, and the quality is pretty sorely lacking (2mp iPhone 3G). Do you have any tips for that?

[rebecca caridad]

great advice! I try to follow most of these rules pretty strictly on my blog but I can totally see myself getting repetitive with my outfit posts. I will have to switch it up somehow. Also, I totally never print out my photos, boo! I just got my wedding pics so I think it is time to start ordering albums and such. Thanks Elsie!

[Arica]

Great tips for a beginning photographer. So much of a beginner that usually feel that I have no idea what I'm doing and end up taking a zillion photos for just one good one. Lighting is the trickiest especially for product shots... It's all about practice and learning new tips like these. =) Thanks!

[Megan]

I am really loving these photography posts Elsie! Thanks so much for these...they are so helpful and great to read!

[Eden]

Great ideas! I've been getting very into photography lately, and these tips will definitely help me! :) You're an excellent photographer!

xo Eden

[Logan]

Wow! Thank you sooo much! This enforces a lot of what I thought, but wasn't sure I was thinking right:) Now, for practice:)

http://www.loganmakesamess.com

[Ruby]

Love the ideas <3 this is definitely inspirational <3<3

[Ruthy]

Those are all great tips and I will keep all of them in mind when taking pictures.

[Logan]

Oh! It is so amazing how different your photos can turn out when you "fill the frame." Trying to get a good shot with that mind set can be very rewarding!

http://www.loganmakesamess.com

[Kate]

I have really enjoyed this series and am recording some new tips I have not tried before. Your last tip really struck a cord with me as I have no photos of my boyfriend (of 5 yrs!) and I in our home, except on my blog or facebook. I am definitely going to order some prints and make a blurb book for our anniversary.

Its been great to getting advice from a blogger and awesome photographer I really admire! Thanks Elsie and Kelli!

[Helen]

great tips! thanks so much!

[ashley baker]

I so need to print out more pictures. Good reminder.

-Ashley
http://pencilleddaydream.wordpress.com

[Rebecca]

Great tips and such helpful thoughts! I wish i remembred to actually bring my camera with me more often so I could actually take more pictures!

Check out loveneonsunglasses.blogspot.com

[All Things Adorable]

I really like this article. I have been reading your blog a lot lately and it has inspired me to want to take up photography again. I always liked it, but could never afford a good camera. I still can't afford one, but I am not going to let that stop me. Nowadays, we have phones with great cameras! Thanks for the inspiration!

[All Things Adorable]

I really like your article. I have been reading your blog a lot lately and it has inspired me to want to take up photography again! I could never afford a good camera, which is why I gave up on the idea before. But with today's technology, my phone has a pretty good camera, so I am not going to give up on it this time! Thanks for the inspiration! You should check out my blog. I would love to get your input!

http://alexandraallthingsadorable.blogspot.com/

[Sara]

really awesome tips!! haha thanks! :)

http://saramadebeth.wordpress.com

[Maddie]

What simple, yet great tips! I love the tip for printing out photos. Coincidentally, I was flipping through some old photos albums (albums that were made when Facebook wasn't around) and thought, "why don't I do this anymore?" It's a sad fact that everything is digital now but a motivator to start making photo albums and scrapbooking again :)

As always, thanks ladies!

[Allison]

Thank you for this! I am guilty of a lot of these things you should not do. I also really need to start ordering pictures!!