Tag Archives: Club

Simple mistakes to avoid in photography

The quick way to improve:

…Is undoubtedly to listen to the mistakes that others made. Here are some easy things you can do to improve your photography in leaps and bounds. Getting lots of practice is the first step. The more you shoot the more you will get to know what works and what does not. However, going further than that takes a little diligence. So here are some things to do for quick improvements…

1. Not reading the manual

Get the manual out. Learn a technique from the manual. Then go out and use that technique.

2. Not reading the manual again in six months

Repeat (1) in six months. Using your camera will become easier and your memory will be refreshed.

3. Not making friends

The most fun you can have in photography is with friends. Join a club, find some other camera owners, join a website that shares comments… whatever you do – get people to look at your photos and help you with tips and tricks.

4. The equipment you own

Read “Seven deadly photographic sins” and realise that you should concentrate on learning everything about the equipment you own. Once you are an excellent photographer with your current equipment then consider new stuff, but not before.

5. File resolution

Shoot with the largest file size and highest resolution. If you do not know how to do that consult the manual. This is important. Using tiny files and low resolution will really frustrate your improvement.

6. Not checking the image

Beginners often click away without checking the image. Shoot-and-hope mostly fails. Check your screen, check and check again. Reduce the number of shots you take. Concentrate on composition – make the images you do take higher quality. Read up on “Chimping” the gentle art of screen checking!

7. Deleting in camera

Do not delete in camera… There are many good reasons for this…

  • Constant deleting shortens the life of your memory card – only ever format the card.
  • Unless very experienced you are probably not qualified to say if a shot is good or bad.
  • You cannot possibly tell if an image is good enough in the low resolution of a camera screen.
  • As your ‘eye’ develops you will change your idea of what is a ‘delete’. I have seen an image voted Best-shot-of-the-day but listed as a deleter by the author before the vote.
8. Not looking at the image in full size

There is only one sure test of sharpness, look at the image in full resolution. When you pull the image up on screen it is reduced and sharpened. Expand it to 100% to see it as you took it. Read your software manual to see how.

9. Ignoring the light

Find out all you can about light – all types of light and all sorts of lighting situations. You can find a whole range of resources here… Light and Lighting – Resource pages on Photokonnexion. Your knowledge of light will make you a great photographer if you focus on that alone.

10. Not using a tripod

The best sharpness tool is using a tripod. Never forget your tripod and you will always have sharp images!

For more on this subject and some detail of how to get past these mistakes read: Mistakes beginners make and how to overcome them

Here is a short video with four more great tips for you to take on board…

Mistakes to Avoid as a Beginner Photographer

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By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy - Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photog and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photographers.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.

Camera Clubs

Tuesday night is one of the nights I go to a camera club. Tonight I will be doing a short session on “Camera bags and carrying equipment”. An article on camera bags is to follow tomorrow.

For now, I just wanted to say a little about the benefits of joining a camera club. Photography is both a solitary pursuit and a social one. You can spend hours on your own peering through a camera viewer on a shoot. Then you want to show your photos off to everyone in sight. While most peoples eyes glaze over, your fellow members at a camera club will more interested. So here are some reasons to get joined up…

  • Meet other like minded people.
  • Learn from others with more experience.
  • Share your experiences and discuss them.
  • See other peoples pictures.
  • Show off your pictures to other members.
  • Go on shoots and trips together.
  • Share costs and equipment with friends.
  • Meet more experienced people and experts and professionals.
  • Get access to lectures, information and help.
  • Spend time practicing skills with help on hand.
  • Meet new friends.
  • See a wide range of equipment in action.
  • Try out new types of photography.
  • Learn how to take a photograph!
  • Enter competitions – tune up your skills.
  • Go to events.
  • Enjoy photography shows.

I could go on. There are certainly plenty of other things you can gain. I am sure you get the point. A club is there for its members. Usually, for a very small amount of money for membership, you get to exercise your passion for photography in an warm and friendly environment where everyone is there to help each other. Why not look around and see if there is a club near you?

Meet other photographers and share!

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy - Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photog and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photographers.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.

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