Wednesday, February 16

10 Things Photographers Should Not Do

I got this in Pipho while I'm trying to make myself sleepy plus I'm trying to visit the forum that I've been looking forward to visit since a few months ago. Anyway, I'll be haring this to you guys as the thread started shared this to the forum. Enjoy reading ^_^ .


1. DON'T EXPECT RESULTS OVERNIGHT
Learning photography takes time — and that goes for the artistic and technical aspects. Sure, you might be artistically and/or technically inclined, but you probably won’t have galleries begging for your photos a month after you pick up your first camera. The process of learning photography and developing a personal style can take years (or even a lifetime). Just keep at it and you should start to notice improvements in your work as the months turn to years.

2. DON'T LUST FOR NEW GEAR
New gear is exciting, isn’t it? Bigger better cameras, faster lenses, filters, tripods, flashes, bags, etc. Don’t get me wrong — it’s fine to get excited over this stuff. But don’t make it your life’s goal to constantly buy the next best thing on the market. My advice is to buy new gear when you need it rather than when you want it. You’ll know that you need something when you repeatedly find yourself missing opportunities (or even paying jobs) due to a lack of some feature or piece of equipment.

3. DON'T BE AFRAID TO FAIL
This one goes for anything in life — failure leads to success, improvement, and learning. You might screw up one or two shots from time to time, but you’ll remember those mistakes next time you head out (and hopefully you won’t make them again).

4. DON'T GET COCKY
Whether it’s seemingly justified or not, nobody really likes a cocky bastard. So you sold a print, got into a gallery exhibit, got featured on some big website, etc — that’s great, but don’t let it go to your head. Don’t talk down to other photographers or put yourself on a pedestal. If you do, it’s only going to drive people away.

5. DON'T IGNORE THE CRITICS
If you share your photos anywhere on the web, you’ve probably had unsolicited critiques. Of course, you’re more than welcome to ignore them, but it usually doesn’t hurt to read them and think about it. You might just learn something or improve a photo. But, keep in mind that not all advice is good advice.

6. DON'T MAKE IT COMPLICATED
Photography is relatively simple on the technical side. Too many times, I’ve seen new photographers get hung up worrying about modes and settings when they really don’t need to. As you continue to shoot and educate yourself, you’ll pick up the technical stuff quite easily. Besides, if you worry too much about the technical side, you’re more likely to miss shots entirely.

7. DON'T STEAL IDEAS
This goes for any form of creative expression. You see what I did at the top of this article? I gave credit where credit is due because I borrowed an idea and turned it into something of my own. Same thing for photos — if you borrow a concept from another photographer, make sure you give them credit. And look at it this way — if you inspired others to create new things, wouldn’t you like it if they gave you recognition for that?

8. DON'T NEGLECT YOUR GEAR
Cameras and other photographic equipment can be delicate at times. With the cost of cameras and lenses today, it’s worthwhile to take care of them. Try not to bang it around on things, drop it, get it wet, etc. And keep your gear clean if you want it to last — lens elements and sensors in particular.

9. DON'T IGNORE THE RULES
The rule of thirds, symmetry, leading lines, perspective, background, depth of field, framing, crop, and so on. You’ve probably come across some of the basic rules of photography either on the web or in a book. Then you also see advice out there saying “break the rules”. So what’s the answer? Follow them? Break them? Here’s the thing… there’s a major difference between breaking the rules on accident and breaking the rules on purpose. It’s called intent, and that’s what separates the good from the bad. So learn the rules, then learn how to break them.

10. DON'T STOP LEARNING
Probably the worse thing a photographer (or any hobbyist/professional) can do is stop learning. There is a ton of stuff to learn about photography and art in general, and the flow of new information only increases as technology advances. So always be open to learning new things — even if you think you know it all!

40 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Likewise. And I don't even consider myself a photographer even people do like some of my shots. :D

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  2. On the go for #10! :)) Even if you got no pro camera if you know how to use it, then, it will capture the best for keeps moments forever

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    1. I agree. Even the pros are still learning from their craft. ^_^

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  3. I like number 9 gives you more room to be creative.

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    1. Yes, sometimes ignoring them makes our results better at times. :D

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  4. I am a real newbie when it comes to photography, therefore something I wanna learn how to make it good. Thanks for these tips.

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    1. No problem Gigi. Just read and shoot then do it all over. ^_^

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    1. No problem Renz. Just keep on shooting? ^_^

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  6. I'm not a photographer so I'm tempted to say these things don't apply to me, but I'm a blogger (personal blog nga lang, pero blogger nonetheless) so I should at least apply #s 9 and 10. :)

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    1. Well if you use a cellphone or a digicam to take pictures you'd be considered one by your peers then ^_^

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  7. 5. DON'T IGNORE THE CRITICS - very true! Only problem with this is that most people who'll be able to see your photos (ex your blog readers and commenters) will just give you a positive feedback even in reality it ain't worth it. Filipinos aren't just too fond of criticisms.

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    1. I agree. Thats why I don't post as much pictures as I used to.

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  8. Oh my! This is what we are looking for. I'll bookmark this to remind us everytime. Awesome post! (Sorry if I sound like a spam HEHEHEHE but everything I said were true, this is a very useful article, love it! I'm gonna share it with my partner too!) :)

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    1. No problem Justin. Sharing is fun you see. XD

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  9. Love all the tips above. Specially the number 4 .

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  10. Photography is supposed to be an art. Don't mind the rules every once in a while.

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    1. I agree. That's why most of the time I break them :D

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  11. i agree with #10... learn from everyone

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    1. Just keep on doing it as long as you enjoy shooting. ^_^

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  12. wahhhhhh, tinamaan ako :) this is a wake up call for me. thanks for this post

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    1. No problme Kevin. Just keep on Shooting. ^_^

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  13. I've been trying to learn photography using a Canon EOS Rebel 2Ti which I constantly borrow to a friend. I still need more to improve.

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  14. very well said. as a pinoy adventurer, i make sure that i always bring my camera and always take care of it. sometimes i get good results and sometimes i dont. but the thing is, i always put room for improvement and learnings....thanks for the informations.

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    1. No problem. I wish I could always bring my big bulky camera with me everywhere I go. XD

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  15. A newbie like me should read this one. Number 4 strikes me the most. It applies to any field we are. It goes to show that if reap success with what we do, we just have to keep our feet flat on the ground.

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    1. Yeah! Humility is the word not just for me but for everybody else as well. ^_^

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  16. don't stop learning is the one i like it really gets into my everyday life! xx

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  17. Thanks for the tip here. Definitely consider myself as a newbie.

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    1. No problem. Just a fellow newbie sharing what I've learned and found here. :D

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  18. The tips here are so useful!:) Love tip #4 because I know someone, who after participating a single shoot, immediately created his own fan page that's filled with "boastful" claims. =0

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    1. There are a lot of those people out there. And that's why I defer creating my own page because I'm not yet ready to do one.

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  19. I am always enjoying your tips here. Crazy simple. I do agree with you on number 2 though. It is still a long way to go for me.

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  20. ito ang tips.. magagamit ko to sa mga susunod.

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