Avoiding Common Mistakes in Photography Part 1

Most people have spent time in the past sorting through and throwing away a quantity of blurry photographs. Fortunately these days we do not have to pay to get these outcasts developed before discarding them and can quickly and easily delete them from cameras and computers. But of we could avoid taking blurry pictures in the first place, how much better would that be?! Quite often the images that turn out blurry were so because of the excitement of the instant, the knowing what a great picture this could be, and the moment is lost. Improving your camera handling abilities while in high spirits is the key to sharp pictures. It's not always easy to remember but with practice it will become natural to keep a steady hand at these times.

Try not to rush, shake or adjust your position while trying to take a photograph, some people even hold their breath for a second while pressing the button to absolutely minimise shake. Slowing down your shutter speed will help avoid blurring images too. Wait until your camera has locked its focus, if you're impatient with your tools they won't perform. Lastly, the photographer's best friend, the tripod, is the best way to avoid shake and you can jump around as much as you like!

Clutter

In photography less is often more. An overly busy scene can appear cluttered and confusing to the viewer. If, for example, when on holiday you want to capture the sun, the sea, the beach, the family, try to take photos of each of them. You don't have to cram everything into one shot. Take countless photographs, you can go back and delete the ones you don't want later. Your photograph should be clean, with a clear emphasis on the subject. Clutter and confusion do not make for good photographs or canvas prints.

Not Enough Patience

Patience is rule number one in photography. It doesn't matter if you're taking tricky photographs such as baby or animal shots, or just trying to wait out the weather, patience is your number one tool. Choosing the actual moment to take the photograph can be spontaneous but take your time before hitting the button. This is especially true when trying to shoot action photography such as sports and wildlife. The unpredictability of the subject makes for tense photography, but take your time and you are pretty much guaranteed a better photograph that the guy that got bored and was satisfied with a mediocre shot.

Staying at Eye Level

There is so much choice and variety in photography yet many of us amateurs habitually stay at one level to take photographs. Eye level photography has its place and can be the best angle to shoot from, but it's not the only angle you can use. You may wish to use eye level photography when taking pictures of things that are lower down than you to give better perspective and composition, such as animals and children, but when taking pictures of other subjects, play around with angles and positions to create more interesting photographs ideal for photo canvas printing.