Stop Taking BAD Photos: Easy Fixes for Common Mistakes

We head out into the woods to do some landscape photography and discuss how to transform your photo skills from mediocre to magnificent by fixing some common mistakes that are holding you back.

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#landscapephotography #inspiration #spon

0:00 Intro
1:00 Tip 1 - Approach and first photo
2:30 Tip 2 - Planning, slowing down and second photo
5:45 Tip 3 - Keep it simple and third photo
8:20 Squarespace Ad
9:50 Tip 4 - The Expert's Choice

[laurelb]

Beautiful image of the reflection in the water

[rodneybrown]

Great to see you are out and about, and another superb video …. Press on…..and be well…

[GFUW]

Was having a similar discussion recently when there was a strong focus on technical flaws in images, even though some could only see them at 300% viewing. Little chat about the feeling or emotion coming from those same images. I guess ICM is the extreme end of that spectrum; deliberately flawed from a technical viewpoint, but (sometimes) absolutely beautiful and a stronger sense of place than a textbook, pin sharp front to back image with no crushed blacks or blown highlights. I am crap at the artistry most of the time, but I will keep trying to improve. Reading books about how artists think and work has been useful. Also frustrating when you see they have the ultimate 'editing tool'; if they don't like an element, they don't paint it, or if an island is in the 'wrong' place, they move it. Not so easy for us if you don't subscribe to extreme editing, but using your feet and different focal lengths can be just as useful in finding the right composition. Nice work Adam, thanks for sharing more thought provoking videos.

[michaelhale]

Thanks for a great message. I have been doing my best to adopt the slow down method. Too often I run around like a chicken instead of being thoughtful. I typically only get time to shoot on the weekends, and recently have been focusing on a couple of local areas where I know there is good potential for creating photos. Dependent on the weather and atmosphere, I pick a location and spend more time trying to capture an emotion versus a technically proficient shot. Thank you for your channel and all I have learned from you. Cheers.

[bobtaylor]

Great point about photography as an art form rather than a purely technical exercise. Short anecdote; I was out recently shooting what I considered to be a great location (Glen Tanar Estate, Aboyne), I had spent some time getting the shot I hoped for, probably spending more time on technical aspect than the actual shot, when a couple approached and showed interest in what I was doing. As they left, the lady said they would let me get on with my art! Her saying this made me stop for a moment and look again at the surrounding scene and I refocussed my mind. Easy to get sucked into the camera technical aspects and forget the beauty of where we are. Thanks for doing what you do Adam, always enjoy your work, and your art! 😀

[williammiller]

Really enjoyed the video Adam! Love the images you shared also. Thanks for the inspiration!

[petrbrhel]

Many thanks for this video - for me next few pages of notes, yes photography is a way - never ending beatifull way ...

[randyschwager]

All excellent advice and superb images, as always! One additional factor is that you have to get out the house and go create! Regularly! Thanks for taking me along!!

[terrymartin]

Thanks for this video. amazing how many people don't see the same things I do. I just love to take the time and look for something to shoot and share.

Thanks for this video. I can feel the urge of helping other photographers and I can feel the passion you have.

About improving I would say: don't stop making bad photos, they help to improve. We just have to learn to critic thoses bad photos and try again.

[petemellows]

One of the main drivers for me to chase photography was a series of very lucky shots. I knew composition from graphic design, but knew nothing about how a camera worked. Yet I managed to capture my vision by letting the camera do the work for me.
Now that I know how the camera works, I shoot manually most of the time so I can achieve my vision without relying on automatic settings.
As you say, even if you’re unprepared, you can achieve your artistic vision if you know how.
Great video.

[scotty]

Been reconfiguring my workspace the last couple of days and today I was restowing everything and when it came to putting my books back on the shelf, I stopped and had another browse through your book Adam. Your images and indeed the ones today really personify your talent and agree with the points you raised in today’s video.

[guypool]

I'm with you on the rushing aspect; I used to be a Royal Navy Photographer and we were nearly always rushing during our work. So now when I'm out with my camera it's really hard to slow down and enjoy the experience. It can get very disheartening when you don't get what you expect.

[MaliDaviesPhotography]

Speaking sense and photographing some beautiful scenes. The final shot, stunning, subtle and as you said keeping it simple.

[JohnSmith-rkjt]

I like the reminders of how to enjoy and improve my photography. The pictures look great I really enjoyed them.

[terrymorganphotography]

As ever Adam, insightful stuff and a great reminder that a good photograph is, more often than not, the one that deserves (demands?) a second (longer) look because it is a work of art. There is of course that dichotomy of over-planning and spontaneity. There is, I feel, a middle ground where planning is done to give you piece of mind that you are in the right place at the right time with an idea of what you might/should achieve, ( a feeling of control) balanced with enough flexibility to "go with the flow" and allow yourself the freedom to be taken by the moment (that inspiring and satisfying feeling of being "creative"). It's a mental thing....one the one hand I don't want to be so rigid with a plan because you're setting yourself up for disappointment and mental anguish if it doesn't go to plan, and, conversely, with no plan and a reliance on "what will be will be", if you go home with nothing then you get depressed and beat yourself up about not planning. But hey, that's life in general I suppose....we get the best results when we are less stressed and using our natural abilities (both learned and instinctive). Oh, and my favourite of your shots in the video was the "portrait landscape" (at about 8 mins in) because the composition is balanced, the tones superb and it, in my humble opinion is a work of art that happens to be technically perfect

[cmeluzzi]

Thank you, Adam, for sharing your thoughts. I liked to see the 5D4 instead of the latest camera model, it just reinforces your arguments. ❤

[luisfigueroa]

Another good one Adam. Thanks for the advice.

[chrisburnard]

Thank you Adam, more great advice and content.

[jasonlacey]

Excellent.. thank you Adam great advice