There are a few mistakes many people do when taking pictures that can easily be prevented, and with just a small change turn the picture into a proffessional looking photograph.
Here are five common mistakes people tend to do, especially when taking pictures on their vacation…
1. Wrong Perspective & Always shooting from the same level standing up
Photos are all about enhancing something; a feeling, a story, making a point. This can be done most effectively from different perspectives and angles.
A beautiful object doesn’t always look the best straight on from standing level. Sometimes it looks better from a lower level, or from the side.
By using the zoomer you can enhance a photo a lot. Just step back, zoom in and the object will look much more dramatic and there will be more depth in the photo. the same thing happens when you take a photo from a lower perspective.
A typical example is food. It can like the most boring plate of food ever known to man, or like a little masterpiece – it all depends on how you take the photo. Of course this also has a lot to do with the settings, (and I will write another post about how to take pictures of food) but the angle you shoot from makes a big difference.
2. Too much clutter
Less is more. Too many things in a picture makes it look cluttery, and it can be hard to understand what you’re actually taking a photo of. It also takes away any depth in the photo. Focus on fewer things and you will have a greater effect.
3. Dark silhouette
A very common mistake is to take heaps of pictures in broad day light in fron of the ocean or a view, only to find out later on that you are just a big dark silhouette in the picture. Always remember where the sun is when you take a photo. If it’s in front of the camera lense you will most likelt get a dark silhouette, if it’s behind you the object will be perfeclty visible.
If you really want to take a photo of something but have the sun in front of you shading the object, use the “fill flash”. If your camera doesn’t have one, then press the shutter button half way and let the camera auto focus and find the object correclty so it knows what to focus on.
4. Not taking photos of people
People can often be the best way to add depth into a picture, even when your focus is on the view. Often people wait for people to get out of their way to get that “perfect shot” of a view, but taking a picture including someone enjoying the view can be a great way to guide the (photo) viewer into the scene. You can identify with the person in the picure.
Another reason to include a person in a photo is to create some depth into the picture, or documenting the life of the people at the place you’re in. Showing a person related to the scene is a great way to enhance the feeling of the place.
And lastly, inlcuding a person in a photo can give it a sense of scale and size. If you’re taking a photo of something huge, it will become much m,roe obvious how big it really is of you include a person in the picture.
A great example is a desert, or a big monument.
5. Always taking photos of yourself
Ofcourse we all want a few pictures of us visiting these beautiful places, and some sort of proof that we were really there. But including your face in every photo can get a bit boring. Especially since so many people always strike the same pose, you might as well just pose in front of a blue screen!
If you love showing your face in every photo, take one first without you included, and then one with you. Then you always have two options to choose to show people. Also, when including yourself in a photo, try to make it look a bit more fun.
The absolute most natural photo taken of people are in burst, of when they don’t expect it, for example when a friend of partner takes a photo without telling you before hand.
Photo credits: Endlisnis, Balaji B, Like a grand Canyon
