In my (not anybody else's) experience, I had to begin by studiously learning what equipment I thought I needed and then buy the best and cry once.
What advice would you give beginners about the most common mistakes to avoid
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Pundamilia
New member
So true! I have made many of the same mistakes and still don't always remember to check my settings before a new shoot. A few minutes invested here can save you a lot of disappointment.
Not A Speck Of Cereal
Well-known member
My best advice: after you have made sure to charge and pack the batteries, you have the lenses you need for the job, some lens wipes, the appropriate tripod and head, remote shutter release if you need it, snacks of course; but just before you head out the door, make sure you've packed a camera body.
ASK ME HOW I KNOW.
ASK ME HOW I KNOW.
rloeb
Member
Always love this topic 
I began in 1962 with a Nikon F and a F/2 50mm lens. My mentor taught me to load my own film cartridges and started me with a 100' roll of Tri-X. Then he told me that I had to shoot 100 frames or more every day, process the film, print proof sheets, and mark the sheets with the shots I liked or with comments about what I would do differently. Amazing what you can learn just by doing, over and over and over. Get closer. Get lower. Watch the direction of the light. Don't just look at the subject and the framing. How's the contrast? Does the picture lead the viewer to what you want them to see? (Took a while to understand that in a context other than landscapes.) Turn the pages on every photo book you can get your hands on, just looking at the pictures. What makes each picture unique? We had magazines like Life and National Geo. Why did the editor pick this picture and why is it cropped or placed this way? Would you have done it differently? Why? At some point, all those questions become automatic. And the next step is the most fun: break ALL the rules except one: never go anywhere without a camera. Smartphones have solved that one.
Final exam: take at least 10 significantly different self-portraits. This is much more difficult than it sounds.
What I came to understand later: each of us learn differently. Give some thought to how you've learned new things in the past.
And, the most important advice of all: have fun!
Rog
I began in 1962 with a Nikon F and a F/2 50mm lens. My mentor taught me to load my own film cartridges and started me with a 100' roll of Tri-X. Then he told me that I had to shoot 100 frames or more every day, process the film, print proof sheets, and mark the sheets with the shots I liked or with comments about what I would do differently. Amazing what you can learn just by doing, over and over and over. Get closer. Get lower. Watch the direction of the light. Don't just look at the subject and the framing. How's the contrast? Does the picture lead the viewer to what you want them to see? (Took a while to understand that in a context other than landscapes.) Turn the pages on every photo book you can get your hands on, just looking at the pictures. What makes each picture unique? We had magazines like Life and National Geo. Why did the editor pick this picture and why is it cropped or placed this way? Would you have done it differently? Why? At some point, all those questions become automatic. And the next step is the most fun: break ALL the rules except one: never go anywhere without a camera. Smartphones have solved that one.
Final exam: take at least 10 significantly different self-portraits. This is much more difficult than it sounds.
What I came to understand later: each of us learn differently. Give some thought to how you've learned new things in the past.
And, the most important advice of all: have fun!
Rog
Great advice, check and double check!
In that light, one of my favorite features on my Z9's and Z6III are the viewfinder info I can have up. One of my favorites is the DX alert a flashing DX in the viewfinder display !
I have my critical settings that I change show up in my viewfinder. Shutter speed, aperture, EC level, and what the auto ISO is doing since I shoot manual and auto ISO for fast action ever changing light and habitat bird ID photography that is my favorite shooting mode for efficiency starting back in my D4s days.
I also have my histogram up besides the feed back from the what you see is "almost" what you get viewfinder to see if I am possibly loosing detail in whites or blacks that I do not want to loose. Be careful to not change your viewfinder to enhanced for easy viewing where it changes the brightness artificially from what you putting on the card.
I used to do it all the time before our local camera store closed, I found another in Idaho and it is a great one but 5 hours away in good weather.
Something I've found interesting for a while now which your post calls to mind is that when I happen to come across older National Geographics or wildlife photography books and look through them the quality of the photos is vastly lower than what I see regularly from "nobodies" on the internet, let alone true professionals like Steve Perry.Always love this topic
I began in 1962 with a Nikon F and a F/2 50mm lens. My mentor taught me to load my own film cartridges and started me with a 100' roll of Tri-X. Then he told me that I had to shoot 100 frames or more every day, process the film, print proof sheets, and mark the sheets with the shots I liked or with comments about what I would do differently. Amazing what you can learn just by doing, over and over and over. Get closer. Get lower. Watch the direction of the light. Don't just look at the subject and the framing. How's the contrast? Does the picture lead the viewer to what you want them to see? (Took a while to understand that in a context other than landscapes.) Turn the pages on every photo book you can get your hands on, just looking at the pictures. What makes each picture unique? We had magazines like Life and National Geo. Why did the editor pick this picture and why is it cropped or placed this way? Would you have done it differently? Why? At some point, all those questions become automatic. And the next step is the most fun: break ALL the rules except one: never go anywhere without a camera. Smartphones have solved that one.
Final exam: take at least 10 significantly different self-portraits. This is much more difficult than it sounds.
What I came to understand later: each of us learn differently. Give some thought to how you've learned new things in the past.
And, the most important advice of all: have fun!
Rog
I'm not just talking about technology limited stuff. Sure, the resolution of lots of these photos was not as good as a modern photo, and there's a LOT of grain you wouldn't see today, but I'm not talking about that. I mean that the composition, the lighting, and other more key or "artistic" aspects of the photos were just a lot worse. I'm also not talking only about stuff from the 1950s, though it's more striking with those, but with stuff even from the 80s and 90s or even the early 2000s.
I don't say any of this to insult those photographers of the past, and though I said I'm not primarily talking about stuff that is directly gated by technology, it's definitely true that newer technology has made many of the sorts of differences I am talking about much easier or even possible.
Rather, I say it because it's very interesting and helpful perspective to look at a National Geographic where the most world class of wildlife photos would have been found and to realize that so many of my own photos that I'm disappointed in for whatever reason would have been good enough for that magazine maybe even when I graduated high school.
LouiseDan
Active member
-#1 for me is to be ethical; do not hassle/bait/chase wildlife, stay off private property, do not park hot vehicles on dry grass.
-Don't run right out and buy all of the gear that others suggest until you have a chance to figure out what you like to take pictures of. Read reviews of possible gear purchases (good and bad reviews). When you do buy; buy quality, it holds its resale value much better if you decide you didn't buy the right item, lens etc.
-It is awesome to find someone close by to help you learn, but it is not always possible. At that point practice and patience become your best friends.
-Don't give up after a few bad shoots. Those of us that have been hobby shooting for years have BAD shoots too, we also have days when we travel for hours and come home empty handed.
-Don't try to copy someone else too closely, find you own style.
-Shoot as many different types of photography as you can, you never know what your passion will be.
-Every scene has a subject; but is it something that speaks to YOU? Learn what calls to you, your images will be much stronger if you have a passion for the images you are taking.
-Two exact models of cameras cannot run exactly the same settings and give you the exact same shots. Practice different settings.
-Get to know your gear; fumbling for buttons in the dark is no fun and if you are shooting in the dark near other photographers they will not want you waving a flashlight around any more than is absolutely necessary. Buy a red headlamp for seeing your camera at night, one you can flip from red to white light are very handy.
-The person standing beside you might see a totally different shot than you do. My daughter and I shoot together all the time and we come home with wildly different shots, we have 2 different styles that we prefer. I prefer realism, she loves the artsy shots ie: long exposures, small apertures, close ups and macro style. I am all about fast shutter style water droplets action of the waterfalls, the flights of the birds and catching the animals moving rather than stationary subjects.
-If you are going to go to social media for advice, be prepared for some good and bad, learn to watch posts to see who gets thanked for their advice (usually means the advice was extra helpful) and if you are going to post on social media for critiques; gain a few layers of skin so that you can take the advice and not feel discouraged. And again, watch for who gives helpful critiques rather than snarky put downs.
-Don't run right out and buy all of the gear that others suggest until you have a chance to figure out what you like to take pictures of. Read reviews of possible gear purchases (good and bad reviews). When you do buy; buy quality, it holds its resale value much better if you decide you didn't buy the right item, lens etc.
-It is awesome to find someone close by to help you learn, but it is not always possible. At that point practice and patience become your best friends.
-Don't give up after a few bad shoots. Those of us that have been hobby shooting for years have BAD shoots too, we also have days when we travel for hours and come home empty handed.
-Don't try to copy someone else too closely, find you own style.
-Shoot as many different types of photography as you can, you never know what your passion will be.
-Every scene has a subject; but is it something that speaks to YOU? Learn what calls to you, your images will be much stronger if you have a passion for the images you are taking.
-Two exact models of cameras cannot run exactly the same settings and give you the exact same shots. Practice different settings.
-Get to know your gear; fumbling for buttons in the dark is no fun and if you are shooting in the dark near other photographers they will not want you waving a flashlight around any more than is absolutely necessary. Buy a red headlamp for seeing your camera at night, one you can flip from red to white light are very handy.
-The person standing beside you might see a totally different shot than you do. My daughter and I shoot together all the time and we come home with wildly different shots, we have 2 different styles that we prefer. I prefer realism, she loves the artsy shots ie: long exposures, small apertures, close ups and macro style. I am all about fast shutter style water droplets action of the waterfalls, the flights of the birds and catching the animals moving rather than stationary subjects.
-If you are going to go to social media for advice, be prepared for some good and bad, learn to watch posts to see who gets thanked for their advice (usually means the advice was extra helpful) and if you are going to post on social media for critiques; gain a few layers of skin so that you can take the advice and not feel discouraged. And again, watch for who gives helpful critiques rather than snarky put downs.
LouiseDan
Active member
Quote from above (If you see a unicorn fighting a dragon, just fire away, even at ISO 51200Some random thoughts:
Learn about the behaviour of animals, about light and composition.
Read good photography books.
Get honest feedback.
Always be nice to other (nice) photographers.
The welfare of the animals always trumps a picture.
Calm down and use a tripod for landscapes or macro (at least flowers and other subjects that don't move).
Learn from other photographers but don't feel you have to be better than them (that would be a very good way to quickly take the fun out of your hobby).
Don't format your card when you haven't saved the pictures (just did this on Saturday, fortunately nothing important on the card).
Read Steve's books!
If you see a unicorn fighting a dragon, just fire away, even at ISO 51200
)Or wild horse stallions fighting at 12 800 and the totally wrong/bizarre F Stop and shutter speed LOL. It was a bad day :(
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rloeb
Member
No disagreement, but the tech has made a huge difference. I've got negatives of multiple U.S. presidents that were shot (bad word, in context) with Tri-X pushed to 2400 and Ektachrome pushed beyond anything recommended. Ditto plenty of action pix, e.g., high school Friday night football or college football in a snowstorm The B&W would take hours in the darkroom dodging and burning to create a pic that didn't look horrid in print. Digital makes it so much easier to manipulate. I would have paid just about anything for subject tracking, auto capture, and vibration reduction.
The B&W would take hours in the darkroom dodging and burning to create a pic that didn't look horrid in print. Digital makes it so much easier to manipulate. I would have paid just about anything for subject tracking, auto capture, and vibration reduction.
My number one has been to learn, really learn, your equipment and its capabilities. The only way to do that is to shoot, shoot, shoot and try to improve each time you do. Sounds simple, but there are lots of ways and gear to take a good photo. Find your own path and your own style.
2Lab
Member
My two things a beginner should know beside the basics of photography;
1. Know your equipment inside and out.
2. Know your subject inside and out.
1. Know your equipment inside and out.
2. Know your subject inside and out.
tclune
Well-known member
Recognize that clicking the shutter is the start of creating a photo, not the end.
I judge a lot of photo contests. With that context here are my suggestions:
- There is a difference between documenting a photo of a thing you see and an artistic photograph
- Backgrounds need to enhance the photo - clean backgrounds or thoughtful environmental context
- Quality of light and the direction of light are critical
- It's okay to not make a photo and just enjoy the experience
Recognizing the role equipment does play in what you want to photograph. While you don't always need the latest and greatest you do need appropriate equipment for the type of photography you want to pursue.
Learn to use the EXIF data in you photographs to evaluate the impact of your camera settings on the end result.
Learn to use the EXIF data in you photographs to evaluate the impact of your camera settings on the end result.
Great recommendation and why I appreciate those who use the BCG preset, that includes the EXIF when putting photos in this forum.
Also why I go one step further frequently open my images in Nikon's NX Studio software to see what my camera settings are doing and more metadata. I do this periodically but always when I am using new settings, have a new camera or lens. Canon, Sony and others have their own free proprietary software that can do the same.