What's the best photography lesson you have received?

That photography is all about the light, get it right and even a mundane subject will look good. Conversely get it wrong and even an amazing subject can look drab.

I learnt this from a commercial photographer I assisted when I was 16 and it has always stuck with me. Some of the things we photographed weren't amazing to look at, but when lit correctly looked great, a bank HQ was one memorable one, the building itself was so-so, with the right light it looked impressive.
 
Best lesson(s) I ever had were two very kind professional photographers I got to know from Purestorm spending their own time with me over separate weekends (one stayed over the weekend) and teaching/training me on various studio lighting techniques, invaluable advice/training that has completely changed my portrait photography and all given for nothing. Still can't thank them enough for this even though it was a good couple of years ago now.
 
To look for the things you don't want in the image, as well as the things you do want. Not put quite like that, but going out on weddings with a friend early on, he set a group up and then asked me what was wrong - they looked fine! He then pointed out hands in pockets, rumpled clothing etc.

If you see a photo, take it there and then. There is a very strong likelihood that it won't be there tomorrow, or even in 30sec.
 
Check battery before leaving the house, NOT when you're on the train.
 
Llamaman said:
Check battery before leaving the house, NOT when you're on the train.
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Hah, I did similar last weekend, went out for a long walk in Ely with the camera to try out the 150-500 Sigma lens I'd just bought. Got into the woods, checked and both batteries at bare minimum power, third "spare" battery sitting nicely, fully charged... on the side at home. :banghead:

Thankfully these batteries seem to go on and on forever, I rattled a good few hundred shots off while I was out and they were still going when I packed up and headed home and stuck them straight on charge :LOL:
 
If you've borrowed an expensive camera and an expensive lens (£75k +) don't assume they've sent the right kit and that the bayonet fitting is meant to be tight.

When a manufacturer promises their mount will stay attached at 150 mph, it won't.

Shorting out a v-lock lighting Li ion battery is spectacular.
 
Don't trust your expensive DSLR and lens on a £4 camera strap purchased on eBay !

Not happened to me but I know someone it has.
 
Make your own mistakes, don't let someone on a forum tell you that you shouldn't do something because it didn't work for them.

You'll never know you've done something right until you've done it wrong.

Relax, life's too short to get wound up about things.
 
blakester said:
I watched a Scott Kelby video online, in it he explained about working a scene.
If something has caught your eye in a scene, there is a photograph there. Its then down to you to realise that photograph, work through it, wide angle, close crop, down low, from above etc, find the photograph.
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The best tip I received was the exact opposite! Take your time, think about the scene, look at it and compose carefully rather than snapping away from every angle.

Different courses... :)
 
Pay attention to what you are doing.

About 7 years ago I got into the elevated photography market and invested in a 50' vehicle mounted mast. One of my very early jobs was a charity calendar, creating all 12 images. One was to be 100 odd kids at the local rugby club positioned to spell my town out on the pitch. So I duly arrived and after the Sunday morning training finished I drove to the centre of one of the pitches. Whilst the kids were being positioned and 200 odd parents watched on in fascination I started to set up with a group of dads and organisers surrounding me. To set this up the mast rolled off the roof, pivoted upright and locked into a assemby welded to the tow bar. I fiddled with the settings to ensure it was upright and with the camera in place, started to pump the mast up. The camera was connected to my laptop via a long USB cable. So far so good.

Whilst pumping of course the usual jibes and banter started coming in and the atmosphere was pretty jokey. Kids all in position, all watching the camera go up, 200 parents doing the same. Now, pumping these things manually is pretty strenuous but due to the noise, laughing, yelling and general atmosphere I wasn't paying attention! Not properly. The pumping was being particularly difficult and getting harder. Suddenly there was an awful snap. The USB had coiled around the tow bar assembly and was essentially holding the mast at about 30'. I was just adding to the pressure. So when the cable snapped the mast shot up like a rocket, clanged, swayed a bit and that was that!

No way to move the camera (control cable for the pan and tilt was tied to the USB). No way to make the photograph.

So now, set against a somewhat embarrassed silence I had to let my mast down and call the whole thing off.

All in front of 100 kids and 200 parents.

NEVER happened to me again but as I say, ALWAYS pay attention to what you are doing!

Matt
 
To buy a sun sniper (or similar) sling to replace the canon strap. Of the ~8k I've spent on equipment over the past years this £60 accessory has brought more pleasure to my photography than any other- it's now so simple and comfortable to carry my camera round (even with a heavy body/lens) that it comes out with me far more often than it would in the past
 
StephenM said:
Or more succintly - there's often only one position from which you can make the best possible image; you can take a load of photos and hope you accidentally hit it, or you can think carefully and make one exposure.
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^^ That I like & is very true ;) I've been very happy coming home from a sunset outing with just a handful of decent exposures compared to others who've been stood by me firing off shot after shot.
 
When I first started I was studying exposure like everyone else. I was having a hard time completely grasping depth of field and how the f-stops and distance effected it. What I did was set up my camera on a tripod and tether it to my laptop. I then took shots at different f-stops and looked at how the setting change effected my dof. Then I added a different focal length and examined that. It all became crystal clear to me after that day. I think having the set environment and having a big screen to examine it made a world of difference to me. I always recommend doing this for people trying to get their head around depth of field.
 
That's a good tip will try that this weekend. Thank you [emoji2]
 
markmullen said:
The issue there is finding infinity on your lens, some AF lenses have soft stops to avoid damage to the motor when it gets to infinity, so turning it right around won't necessarily get you to the proper infinity.
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Ahh okay, but it works for me on my kit sigma 10-20...cheers for the advice :)
 
The most important thing you need is a pair of eyes (tho I guess one would suffice)

Learn how to use them(it) and you are on the road to becoming a photographer.
 
Understand the relationship between the three points of triangle ... how changing one affects the others.
 
don't eat yellow snow

....oh, photographic lesson...

never forget the snapshop (it's the closest thing to being there), as photographers we tend to try to hard sometimes (and end up with kids that get annoyed with being posed/repositioned for photos), looking back after over ten years and realising that the most precious images are the ones taken of the kids when photography was new, exciting and carefree on a 1.3mp Kodak DC260 can be hard. Obviously, this sentiment is hugely fueled by nostalgia but it's good to never let the carefree snapshot slip away, you'll miss it when it's gone
 
Most important lesson? Gear envy is the quickest way to feel bad in this hobby. Admire and envy other photographer's skills, not the equipment they own. Also, if you're neither getting enjoyment nor money out of photography, you're not doing it correctly!
 
"Look through the little hole in the back, press the little button on the top".

- Someone on another forum.


Steve.
 
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