Photographer failures

This page lists common mistakes done by amateur photographers, failure avoidance recommendations, and several basic photographic rules. Having comprehended these rules, you may start to break them, but only if you understand clearly for what you do so.

Some faults are correctable by minimal processing in Photoshop, especially if source RAW is available. Such faults are marked by the icon near to the arrow connecting wrong and right variants. Some other faults are SOMETIMES correctable during post-processing, however this processing is not minimal. They are marked by two icons . An arrow without icons means that erroneous picture can not be practically corrected without significant loss of its value.

OK_low_key image presentation:
low key (left) and high key (right)
OK_high_key
no_star_effect image presentation:
effect filters (exemplified by Star-8)

install a needed filter in front of the lens
OK_star_effect
no_red_channel image presentation:
"marble skin" in black-and-white

increase a part of red channel during color to black-and-white conversion
OK_red_channel
no_romantic_blur image presentation:
"romantic blur"

tune transparency of a layer blended with its blurred copy in "overlay" mode
OK_romantic_blur
focal_length_short face perspective distorsion

increase focal length, move away from a model (optimal equivalent FL is ~85mm)
OK_focal_length_short
camera_highcamera_low object dimension distorsion

move camera up (reduce object) or down (enlarge object); photograph children from their eye level
OK_camera_position
red_eyes red eyes (flash photo)

use a pre-flash or move a flash light away from camera
OK_red_eyes
noise chromatic noise

decrease sensor sensitivity (ISO)
OK_noise
chromatic_abberation chromatic abberation on the periphery

remove abberation during RAW conversion or use a different lens
OK_chromatic_abberation
incorrect_white_balance white balance does not correspond to the subject

set correct white balance before the shot or during RAW conversion
OK_incorrect_white_balance
flat_clouds inarticulate clouds

use a polarizer filter
OK_flat_clouds
volume_obscured unclear object volume

rotate the object or move camera sideward
OK_volume_obscured
no_sidelight flat object

use side light
OK_sidelight
OK_point_defects skin defects

use soft filters or remove spot defects during post-processing
point_defects
reflection unwanted reflection in glass or water

change illumination angle or use a polarizer filter
OK_reflection
flash_obscured foreighn object shadow

remove a foreighn object (fingers, wires etc. in front of light source)
OK_flash_obscured
lens_obscured foreighn object on the foreground

remove a foreighn object (fingers, filter holder)
OK_lens_obscured
photographer_shadow photographer's shadow (sunlight photo)

change shooting angle
OK_photographer_shadow
vignetting vignetting

remove a hood and a filter holder; if unuseful, use a different lens
OK_vignetting
OK_unsaturated oversaturation

decrease saturation in camera settings or during post-processing, check color profile settings
oversaturated
OK_resolution low resolution

check camera and RAW conversion settings
resolution_lack
hdr_emphasized HDR artifacts

do not overestimate the power of HDR technology:)
OK_hdr
dynamic_range_low poor dynamic range

use a different camera (or set scanning options correctly)
OK_dynamic_range
flares unwated flares

use a hood, mask side light; if a light source is in a frame, locate it closer to the frame center
OK_flares
incorrect_focusing_zone wrong focusing (landscape)

select another focusing sensor than default, or use an autofocus lock or manual focusing
OK_incorrect_focusing_zone
focus_incorrect wrong focusing (portrait)

focus at eyes manually or using an autofocus lock
OK_focus_incorrect
field_depth_low a part of object is out of focus (depth of field is too narrow)

close the aperture or move away from the object
OK_field_depth_low
field_depth_high background is not blurred (depth of field is too wide)

open the aperture or move closer to the object, or place object further from the background
OK_field_depth_high
no_front_plane no foreground (landscape)

recompose a frame to include a frontground object
OK_no_front_plane
no_front_middle_transition frontground and background are unconnected (landscape)

recompose a frame to include a front-to-background transition object (road, fence, river etc.)
OK_no_front_middle_transition
a photo with three stages: foreground, middleground, and background
C07a__all_planes
 
a photo with two stages (left to right): without a frontground, without a background, without a middleground:
C08a__no_close_planeC08b__no_distant_planeC08c__no_middle_plane
 
geometrical (left) and tonal (right) stage transition:
C07b__all_planes_connectedOK_tonal_perspective
 
sky_overexposed overexposed sky

use gradient grey filter
OK_sky_overexposed
object_overexposed overexposed object on dark background

use negative exposition correction or spot metering
OK_object_overexposed
object_underexposed underexposed object on light background

use positive exposition correction or spot metering
OK_object_underexposed
frontal_flash flat face (flash photo)

reduce or turn off the frontal flash light, use a ceiling as a flash reflector, use side light
OK_frontal_flash
rear_underexplosed underexposed background (night flash photo)

use slower shutter, set camera to a tripod or a monopod
OK_rear_underexplosed
front_underexposed underexposed frontground (night flash photo)

open the apperture, or use stronger flash light, or increase sensor sensitivity (ISO)
OK_front_underexposed
filling_light_low underexposed object in back light

use fill-in light (incl. a flash light)
OK_filling_light
object_backdrop_merged object inseparable from background

enlighten a model or a background, reduce face-to-background contrast
OK_object_backdrop_merged
object_backround_contrast object on a dark background is too light

enlighten the background or use lighter background, or use negative exposure correction
OK_object_backround_contrast
object_backround_contrast object on a light background is too dark

use darker background or positive exposure correction; keep in mind the face-to-background contrast
OK_object_backround_contrast
water_frontlight inarticulate water

use back light
OK_water_contralight
horizon_tilt tilted horizon

hold a camera straight (except for dynamic subjects with movement) or apply an image rotation during post-processing
OK_horizon_tilt
camera_unparallel vertical lines converge

hold a camera (its optic axis) straight or apply a trapezoid correction during post-processing
OK_camera_unparallel
nose_shadow nose shadow

rotate a model so that a shadow either disappears or covers the whole cheek, or use a reflector (e.g. paper sheet) or fill-in flash light
OK_nose_shadow
sight_cropped cropped sight line or movement line

recompose a frame to leave at least a half of frame for a sight line
OK_sight_cropped
disbalanced unbalanced composition

recompose a frame to unload its upper part; place a visual "gravity center" at golden section
OK_disbalanced
object_cropped cropped object

recompose a frame without cropping of legs and arms
OK_object_cropped
extra_uncropped too much uninformative background

zoom or crop (except for the subjects of huge wastelands, loneliness, being lost etc.)
OK_extra_uncropped
half_section a frame is half-split by a line

recompose a frame using a rule of thirds or a golden section (applicable both to horizontal and vertical lines)
OK_half_section
empty_area too much empty space

crop the sky (wall, etc.)
OK_empty_area
scale_obscured object scale is unclear (landscape)

recompose a frame to include objects of known size (people, trees, tents, etc.)
OK_scale_obscured
littered too much rubbish

remove distracting objects, wait until there are no people on the middleground
OK_littered
overhead_object face interferred by a background object

recompose a frame to exclude wires, trees, furniture etc. protruding from model's head or ears
OK_overhead_object
frame_for_nothing the frame expresses nothing, nor it makes any athmosphere, it is unclear why it is taken

do not multiply photorubbish, think WHAT you want to express before pressing a button. And don't forget that product of quality by quantity of shots is constant.
OK_frame_for_something
eyes_closed closed eyes

wake a up a model and shoot again; make 2-3 shots of a group of people
OK_eyes_closed
wrong_camera_location the object seems smaller than it is

make a shot from the lower angle, decrease focal length, or recompose a frame to include a comparative object
OK_wrong_camera_location
contour_broken uneven outline

remove bumps, smooth cloth edges, fix a cloth by pins at the model back side
OK_contour
eyeflare_missing glazen eyes

use weak front light or draw eye flares during post-processing
OK_eyeflare
camera_shake camera shake

use faster shutter or a tripod
OK_camera_shake
object_moved motion blur (movement)

use faster shutter or ask a model not to move about
OK_object_moved
object_untraced frozen background (movement)

use horizontal camera tracking to blur a background, exclude vertical camera shake by a tripod or a monopod
OK_object_untraced
movement_frozen frozen object (movement)

use slower shutter depending on the subject; for runing water use ~1/30
OK_movement_frozen
front_curtain_sync traces in front of the object (movement, flash photo)

synchronize flash with rear shutter blind
OK_rear_curtain_sync

 

Sample images marked by (c)-sign in the corner were found by Google image search. The other images were shot specially for this page or taken from my personal archive.


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Last updated: 2013 Sep 26      Home