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ricktas
06-10-2012, 7:48am
We often see new members join up and asking questions like 'which brand should I buy' or 'what course should I do'

Exploding the myths.

1. One brand of camera is better than the others.

I blame existing photographers for this one. :D Whether jokingly or not, we all often make a comment that implies our own brand choice was the best one. It does not matter how expensive (or cheap) your camera is, or what name label it has on it, no camera is perfect and the best thing you can do is learn.

Learn how to use your camera. once you understand how a camera works and the basics of photography, then you will understand that the camera is no the major determining factor in producing great photos, you are.

2. My photos are crap

There is no such thing as instantly being a great photographer! Practice is what makes your photography better. The more you learn about your gear, how it works, how to frame your scene, how to process your photos, then you will start to see improvements. Professional photographers are made not born.

If you think your photos are crap, why are they crap? You have the power to change that. But you have to put the effort in.

3. I need to do courses to become a great photographer

it is true that you need to learn, but you do not need to do courses to learn. Some of the top photographers in the world are self-taught. Yes you can go out today and sign up for a photography course, but once completed, it may not make you a great photographer. Just cause someone is a self taught photographer does not make them an inferior photographer, in fact, quite often the opposite is true. Self taught photographers often learnt by trial and error and have their own unique way of seeing the world through their lenses. Those who do courses, will often see the world the way they were taught to do so. Yes you need to learn, but you don't have to do a fine arts degree/diploma to do so.

4. My camera is not good enough

Any camera will not produce good photos if you do not know how to use it. So you have an entry level DSLR and think it is not good enough. OK, I hand you a $45,000 Hasselblad (http://www.hasselblad.com.au/hb/) and say here you go, take great photos. Could you?

If you think your camera is not good enough, then you do not know how to use it properly. Simple as that.

5. Don't worry about that you can fix it in photoshop. (From Shelly)

Aim to get the best image possible in camera. Editing is part of the process, but you want a good image to start with.

6. Getting lots of compliments about your photography on Facebook and from family and friends means you’re ready to shoot professionally. (From Kym)

When your family, friends, co-workers, and assorted acquaintances see your images, they will almost always say very complimentary things.
Why?
Because they are think your images look better than their happy snaps.
Also, generally they like you and will therefore complement anything you do.

Paying customers don’t compare your images to their snaps.
They compare your work to what they see in magazines, online and on the TV.
The know what professional quality images look like, and they will know if you’re not up to that standard.

Solution!
Face facts, you're not ready to go professional until your images start selling.
When people want to part with real money for your images then you're likely to be ready for the big step.

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If anyone else has a myth that they want to explode about photography, especially those relevant to beginners, please feel free to add it to this thread.

Shelley
06-10-2012, 8:02am
Don't worry about that you can fix it in photoshop. Aim to get the best image possible in camera. Editing is part of the process, but you want a good image to start with.

Kym
06-10-2012, 8:16am
#6 Getting lots of compliments about your photography on Facebook and from family and friends means you’re ready to shoot professionally.

When your family, friends, co-workers, and assorted acquaintances see your images, they will almost always say very complimentary things.
Why?
Because they are think your images look better than their happy snaps.
Also, generally they like you and will therefore complement anything you do.

Paying customers don’t compare your images to their snaps.
They compare your work to what they see in magazines, online and on the TV.
The know what professional quality images look like, and they will know if you’re not up to that standard.

Solution!
Face facts, you're not ready to go professional until your images start selling.
When people want to part with real money for your images then you're likely to be ready for the big step.

PS re: Item 1 -- except for Pentax :lol:

outstar79
07-10-2012, 6:43pm
I suffered a lot from myth number 4. For a long time I believed my camera wasn't good enough - then after seeing the works of Matthew Courtney and other Kx users I very quickly realised that I just didn't know how to use it properly. Then I spent more time learning to use the ole Pentax, instead of spending more money on another camera (though that will happen one day :D).

I don't know if I'll ever be good enough to sell images though I do like the little recognition I do get from this site and others and quite content at the moment to enjoy this passion we (APers) enjoy in photography.

Epicaricacy
09-10-2012, 12:00am
Shoot with the sun behind you....

mudman
09-10-2012, 7:56am
regarding #4, if you gave me a Hasselblad you would not see me for dust:lol::lol:

Rattus79
09-10-2012, 8:44am
regarding #4, if you gave me a Hasselblad you would not see me for dust:lol::lol:

yep, insert Greg shaped blur here! :D

arthurking83
09-10-2012, 8:40pm
yep, insert Greg shaped blur here! :D

you two could capture the other one's virtual blurriness at the dizzying speed of 1 frame per second too!

Rattus79
10-10-2012, 8:27am
you two could capture the other one's virtual blurriness at the dizzying speed of 1 frame per second too!

Yep. that would be a frame with a large file size, poorly framed, have a blurry subject matter and likley have blue and red lights in the BG .....

jaso1
24-10-2012, 6:59am
Good info here . I like the friends/family/Facebook reference best .

wmphoto
25-10-2012, 8:58am
4a - the more mega pixels your camera has, the better it is. And your images will be better too.

MattNQ
25-10-2012, 10:23am
Another aspect of the photoshop myth - "I can always crop it later" - If you can safely do it, Zoom with your feet for the best possible image, especially with wide angle lenses.

glenhughes
02-11-2012, 5:40pm
If I take a thousand photos I might get lucky and be able to show off at least one or two!

While digital cameras allow us to take a lot of inexpensive images, taking the time to make each one count is really worth it - or so I am findiing.

Glen

Mark L
02-11-2012, 8:23pm
"I'm not using higher than ISO 200, 'cause I don't want to much noise in the photo."

shelly1170
04-11-2012, 11:33am
"I'm not using higher than ISO 200, 'cause I don't want to much noise in the photo."

I still suffer from this! But getting better by taking LOTS of really average/bad photos!

kalley
04-11-2012, 2:15pm
Read the Manual you got with your camera.

Then practice and keep practicing until you don't need it.

Best thing I ever did. Can now remember how to change things with out using the menu button all the time.

smatheson
02-12-2012, 9:17am
Photoshop can enhance a good photo but will never fix a bad photo!

mongo
04-12-2012, 7:36am
when you think of turning your fun and passion into a job/profession, is when you (perhaps foolishly) turn the love relationship into a hate relationship. Be careful what you wish for unless you are seriously more than ready for it.

geoffsta
05-12-2012, 4:22pm
Mongo is right. I turned my computer hobby into a job 12 years ago. Only lasted a couple of months, and the fun went out of it.

Michael Leadbetter
11-12-2012, 9:06am
Mongo is right. I turned my computer hobby into a job 12 years ago. Only lasted a couple of months, and the fun went out of it.

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)

William
11-12-2012, 10:39am
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
11-12-2012, 10:51am
Photoshop can enhance a good photo but will never fix a bad photo!

I disagree: all my photos are bad!:2ambiv:

I @ M
11-12-2012, 10:54am
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. :th3:

norwest
11-12-2012, 2:22pm
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
11-12-2012, 2:55pm
(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 ?
:2biggn:

ricktas
11-12-2012, 3:04pm
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
21-12-2012, 11:48am
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
21-12-2012, 11:52am
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
04-01-2013, 12:19am
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
04-01-2013, 1:59pm
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
04-01-2013, 11:22pm
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
26-07-2013, 4:09pm
Those are myths??? :D kidding, thanks for the information, really helpful thread to ease my mind and bring me down back to earth (#6)

Dug
26-07-2013, 7:05pm
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.