Embarking on a photography journey is an exciting and rewarding experience. However, like any artistic pursuit, it comes with its fair share of challenges and learning curves. As I reflect on my early days as a budding photographer, I can’t help but cringe at some of the mistakes I made. In the spirit of growth and shared experiences, let’s dive into the biggest blunders of my early photography days.
1. Ignoring the Basics
In my eagerness to capture unique and breathtaking images, I skipped over the fundamental principles of photography. I was spending so much time on production and putting together these elaborate teams and concepts when I had not yet even mastered the art of taking a well lit, sharply in focus and flattering image. This also led me to error #2…
2. Overreliance on Post-Processing
Thinking I could fix any mistake in post-processing. In the beginning of my photography journey, post-processing was my favourite part because “that’s when my vision would really come to life”. I soon realized that while editing is a powerful tool, it can’t replace a well-executed photograph. Today, I prioritize getting it right in-camera and use post-processing as a supplementary enhancement.
3. Neglecting the Admin and Organizational Aspects
Do not underestimate the power of organizing your files well and backing them up properly! When you start working professionally these things are going to be more and more important, don’t start yourself out with bad habits like I did. Early in my career I was hired to photograph a 90 year olds birthday party. All of their family members flew in from different parts of the world as what might be one of their final celebrations together. I was 15 years old, I was just starting out and did not yet know about proper professional practises for backing up images and I lost half of them, never to be recovered. That was a lesson HARD learned, I still feel incredibly guilty and sad when I think about this event 11 years later!
4. Letting Imposter Syndrome Rule Me
I used to rush through set up and testing because I was afraid that if I took too long people would know that I don’t know what I am doing. I would get the lighting to be “good enough” and then rush to start shooting and rely on post production because I was so afraid that if people saw me taking too long in studio that I would be exposed as a fraud! The truth is even on professional sets with a lot of hands involved in this process, they can take a lot of time and trial and error to get things right. That’s just a normal part of the process! In fact when you are starting out in the beginning without all of that assistance you SHOULD be taking longer!
Conclusion
While I cringe at the memory of these mistakes, each one played a pivotal role in shaping the photographer I am today. To every beginner photographer out there, remember that mistakes are stepping stones to mastery. Don’t become so afraid of mistakes that you won’t allow yourself to try. Go out there and make mistakes, embrace them, learn from them, and keep clicking away on your unique photographic journey- you won’t regret it!
Chelsey Unfiltered 