Beginner Myths about photography

[William]

I turned my hobby into a job, and it's the greatest job in the history of the world ever. (Except for the bit where you get stuck processing images on the computer, though even that's much better since I just outsource that to India these days)

Dont understand , You dont process your images anymore ? What type of images do you outsource for someone overseas to process ?

[ameerat42]

Photoshop can enhance a good photo but will never fix a bad photo!

I disagree: all my photos are bad!

[I @ M]

I turned my hobby into a job, and it's the greatest job in the history of the world ever. (Except for the bit where you get stuck processing images on the computer, though even that's much better since I just outsource that to India these days)

Hey Michael, seeing as we haven't seen an image from you on the site yet I would really love to see some samples of the editing from India.

Might save me a lot of time if it is cost effective.

[norwest]

I turned my hobby into a job, and it's the greatest job in the history of the world ever. (Except for the bit where you get stuck processing images on the computer, though even that's much better since I just outsource that to India these days)

I'm like to learn more about the outsourcing of the processing to India. You never know, us other blokes and ladies might want to do the same to save us time and trouble.

Your a lucky bloke, Michael, to have the greatest job in the history of the world 'ever', but you have stop 'loosing' your Eneloop batteries. I never 'loose' mine as I always leave a little charge in them so they can answer me when I whistle. It works well.

[Kym]

(Except for the bit where you get stuck processing images on the computer, though even that's much better since I just outsource that to India these days)

I assume you've forgotten the sarcasm tags ?

[ricktas]

This thread is getting way off track about photography myths that beginners fall for. Let's make sure it gets back to what it is supposed to be about.

[darkbhudda]

Always use a tripod for better pictures

I've seen a few beginner photographers drag massive, heavy tripods around to take photos of people in bright sunlight using fast shutter speeds.

[Kym]

Always use a tripod for better pictures
I've seen a few beginner photographers drag massive, heavy tripods around to take photos of people in bright sunlight using fast shutter speeds.

Tripods and support in general are not well understood.
For landscapes and long exposures tripods are great.
For wildlife a monopod is really useful.
The real answer is it depends! So the main thing is to think first.

[Seven]

I started years ago with film and ya had to wait for the film to be developed. That to me was photography and now it has become something else. How ever one thing is for sure it is harder these days learning all the new technology of the modern camera to the software.

I think we all are beginners in some way and the myths are growing day by day.

But bottom line the basics are still the same, it's just the technology growing at a huge rate.

[Dylan & Marianne]

I think I smelled a troll!
My main myth is very generic:
"My pictures will be fixed by 'x' piece of gear"

For instance "my pictures will be fixed by this new GND set I got"

Actually, if you use them badly, the pictures can look even worse! With any aspect of photography, learning how to use the equipment and not its mere acquisition is what will improve your photography

[AVALANCHE]

7.) You need to bring ALL your gear with you out, ALL the time when shooting. Otherwise you might miss something!

Totally not true. Especially when out during the day shooting people or street in general. Leave the tripod at home! Bringing bags of gear (could be your kit lenses, a tripod, flash unit/s, reflectors etc) encumbers you, and could very well have you miss some shots if you feel the need to change your lens for a moment in front of you that could be gone in a minute or less. Which leads me to my next one...

8.) "I wish I had x lens, then I could get x shot and it would be great for sure!"

That statement is a surefire way to blow a lot of money fast on lenses you may not actually need. Rather than worry about how to acheive a shot with a particular lens, think how you can achieve the shot with what you currently have. You don't need the entire focal range to acheive photos! A lot of the time, it is simply stepping back a few feet back or forward to acheive a shot. For low light, a fast prime lens will cover you...for everything else, as long as you are in your approximate focal range you need, you will be fine.

[fadiya]

Those are myths??? kidding, thanks for the information, really helpful thread to ease my mind and bring me down back to earth (#6)

[Dug]

Some good tips and myth bustin' here.

Here is one. Myth: M is the holly grail of creative photography. Well no M , AV and TV all have there uses in creative photography.
Cameras have been able to adjust exposure on the fly in AV and TV modes for many years so you might as well take advantage of it when the situation calls for it.

Hot tip: Before thinking all technical about the picture, take the time to work out what it is about and how best to convey that.
Not always necessary with familiar subject matter where you have previously done that ground work, but more those less familiar shots where you think "that would make a good shot" and you take the picture before thinking why it is a good shot and how to make that obvious to someone else from an image.