5 Common Mistakes New Photographers Make

Being a new photographer can be daunting, and it can be easy to make mistakes that can derail your progress and confidence as a creative. If you are new to the craft and looking to improve, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced photographer sharing five mistakes he made along the way and how to avoid them or learn from them. 

Coming to you from Jiggie Alejandrino, this excellent video tutorial discusses five common mistakes newer photographers make and how to fix or avoid them. Perhaps one of the most common is simply spending too much on gear. No doubt, quality gear can make a difference in both your chances of getting the shot and the image quality, but the trap photographers often fall into (even seasoned ones) is thinking that new gear will solve a deficiency in technique or even worse, a lack of inspiration. A new piece of gear can sometimes at least cover a bit of a lack of technique, but if you are using it to try to fill in boredom with the craft, you are only putting a temporary bandage on the problem, and it will always come back, often sooner rather than later. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Alejandrino. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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Imitation = education, in art.

Saw a documentary on Picasso some years ago - and he spent the first section of it, going to great pains to tell aspiring young artists to learn from the great masters.

Most importantly, to learn all the skills you need, to handle all the gear you use.

AFTER that, you have a foundation on which to build. And you can run off and develop your own style.

We all have to start somewhere. And the beginning of the road is the most sensible place to start!