50 Common Photography Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Do you often find yourself asking why when you open your images, they don’t look like how they did on your camera? Perhaps you’re struggling with location and shooting challenges. Or maybe your biggest struggles are with building your brand.

Hello, I’m Daria Koso, and I’m a Miami-based fashion photographer with more than a decade of professional experience. Here, I’m going to share some common photography mistakes that I see even the most talented photographers in our industry make over and over, and I’ll help you fix them. Rectifying just a few of these has the potential to transform your portfolio and get you the clients that you desire.

Common Client and Business Mistakes

So much of what affects our ability to be successful in this industry isn’t directly related to the quality of the photos that we take. Here are some common client and business mistakes that I often see photographers made.

I Post My Work, But No One’s Booking

One of the best ways that you can stand out is to define your niche, and then speak directly to those in that niche in the portfolio that you post, your ads and otherwise.

Don’t think of yourself as a general photographer who’s for everyone. Focus on a specific target audience.

Clients Disappear After I Send My Price List

You should always follow up with a personalized message that further describes exactly what’s included and why those things matter and will help. Also make sure that your price list isn’t too detailed as that can overwhelm prospective clients and cause them to not seek your work.

Everyone Around Me Charges Less and Gets Booked

The secret is to present yourself as the expert in your niche. Once you do that, your style will be the hook that gets you clients, and the prices will become a secondary focus for those considering your services.

Clients Take Weeks To Pay Me, and I Feel Awkward Chasing Them

The best way to limit these risks and that annoying awkward feeling is to require that they place a deposit before the shoot begins. Also be clear about your payment deadlines in the contract that you ask them to sign, and be straightforward about the late fees that they’d pay if deadlines are missed.

I’m Afraid To Lose a Client if I Ask for a Deposit

Simply make deposits standard in all of your contracts, and explain to the client that by placing this deposit, they’re reserving the photo shoot day.

I Keep Working for Exposure, but It’s Not Paying Off

Limit how often you do unpaid work. Not only ensure that any work that you do for exposure fits your niche, but also consider only engaging in strategic collaborations that really build your portfolio’s quality.

I Often Get Last-Minute Cancellations, and That Costs Me Money

In your contract, add a cancellation policy with the applicable fees clearly stated.

Common Location and Shooting Mistakes

The location’s one of the most important elements of a photo shoot, and mistakes are commonly made here.

I Panic When a Location’s Not Working Out

The best way to fix this mistake is to be proactive. Not only should you thoroughly scout prospective locations, but also make sure to have one or two backup spots in mind so that you can quickly pivot to one if the initial location’s not working for you or your client.

Bad Weather Often Ruins My Outdoor Shoots

When you’re scouting locations, also make sure to keep indoor or covered ones in mind as back-up options in case bad weather’s coming through the area during the time of your shoot.

Flat Images Often Result When Shooting the Model in Direct Sunset Light

A good way to fix this mistake is to turn your model just slightly away from the light. Doing this will help add depth and shape to your photo and how their face and body are presented. A bonus advantage is that these types of photos can be especially dramatic and memorable.

My Full-Body Shots Make People Look Short or Stretched

To avoid this mistake from happening, use an ultra-wide prime lens, such as a 24-70 mm or 35 mm one. You can also take shots from a low angle, which will not only help prevent this mistake from happening but also result in a dynamic perspective.

I Struggle With Directing People Who Feel Awkward

This is often one of the biggest challenges that photographers struggle with.

The best way that you can help your model relax is to simplify things. Give them straightforward movement-based poses, and physically demonstrate those as you guide them into the movements. Also make sure to use fun prompts. Doing so will help them relax and result in beautiful natural photos.

I Stay Silent During My Shoots, and the Model Feels Awkward

Talk. Even if it may not come naturally to you, be vocal, at least enough to set a positive, energetic tone. Your vibe, your energy, is vital to the quality of a photo shoot. As you speak, give your model directions on what to do and how to act.

I Keep Having Clothing Wrinkles and Straps Showing up in Final Photos

This can be a big mistake because of the hours of editing that follow. For that reason, always adjust clothing before you start clicking your photos.

Someone’s Always Blinking or Looking Away in Group Shots

The best way to reduce this likelihood is to take multiple rapid shots while using bright mode.

My Battery Often Dies or I Run Out of Memory in the Middle of Jobs

You should pack more charged batteries and formatted memory cards than you think you will need for that shoot. It’s always best to be overprepared (a minor inconvenience) than underprepared (potentially disastrous).

The Photo Looks Perfect on My Camera Screen but Not at Home

Use your histogram. That way you can avoid having overexposed or too-dark images that weren’t clearly so in the preview that you were looking at.

Lighting Changes Often Ruin My Setup

It’s always best to learn the skills of this trade to the degree that you can easily adjust on the fly. In this case, learn your settings inside and out so that, should you need to, you can quickly adjust them at a moment’s notice. Fixing something like this fast is an invaluable skill.

Changing the Backdrop Takes Forever, Eats Into Shooting Time

If you’ve minimized the time that it takes to change backdrops and it’s not helping, consider this out-of-the-box solution: Use color gels. Doing so can completely change the look and the mood of those images without a single set piece needing to be altered.

The Lighting Location Is Terrible, but I Can’t Move the Shoot

If moving the shoot is impossible but you’re dealing with terrible lighting conditions, there are still a couple of things that you can do to fix this problem. One is to have a portable light source or a reflector with you to help alter that light. Also make sure to fully educate yourself on your camera’s low-light settings.

I Avoid High ISO, but That Results in Underexposed Images

You shouldn’t fear using high ISO as modern cameras handle it well. In any case, keep in mind that noise in your photos is better than you struggling with a series of blurry images.

Strangers Keep Walking Into My Background

This is something else that being proactive can save you so much time and so many headaches. Schedule your public photo shoots during low traffic times. If you did that or the preferred timing just didn’t work out well for you and your model, do your best to creatively position them to avoid having those strangers in your shot.

I Frame Shots but Find That They Don’t Fit Social Media Platforms

The secret to fixing this common mistake is to leave more space than you think you will need for potential cropping.

I Always Shoot With the Same Lighting Setup and From the Same Angles

This is a significant mistake that I often see photographers make. Experiment. Use different light directions, angles and heights.

Experiment for two main reasons. One is that by doing so, you’re keeping your work fresh. The other is that experimenting can cause you to learn a new way of doing things that you hadn’t considered before.

Common Post-Production and Workflow Mistakes

Some of the most painful mistakes are made during the post-production and workflow stages.

Editing Takes Forever

The editing process is the bane of their professional life for many photographers. However, there are a few things that you can do to really speed up and simplify it. For example, create presets and use actions, and then follow that up with batch editing similar images.

If you’re a new photographer, keep in mind that the editing process does get quicker the more you learn about this process and how to avoid time-consuming mistakes.

I Can’t Get Consistent Colors

In most cases, there’s an easy fix to this: Make sure that you’re using the best white balance.

I Use the Same Presets for Every Shoot

You’ve likely found that using the same presets for all of your shoots has resulted in your photos looking the same or quite similar. Instead, customize those presets to fit the atmosphere that you want to create for that session.

I Forget Where I Save Files or Otherwise Lose Them

Set up a specific folder and backup system, and follow it to a tee. It can also help to not delete photos or formatted memory cards until the session’s completely finished.

I Get Overwhelmed When Choosing the Best Images

In this case, delegate that responsibility to your clients. Use proofing galleries, and then have them pick their favorites. That way, all of that time’s being spent by them and not by you. Plus, they’ll often feel happier with their choices when they’re the ones choosing the best images.

Common Marketing and Social Media Mistakes

Marketing in general and social media specifically are amongst the most important things that you should focus on to ensure the continued growth of your photography business.

I Can’t Keep Up With Posting on Social Media Outlets

If you can’t keep up with posting on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest and any other social media outlets that you’re considering using, delegate that task to others.

But if you’re a burgeoning photographer working by yourself or with a very small team, simply focus on one platform, only adding to that if doing so doesn’t overwhelm you.

I Feel Invisible Online; I’m Not Experiencing Any Results

The best ways to increase your social media presence are to post consistently and be active in places where your niche’s audience most hangs out.

I Don’t Have Time To Post on Social Media

Create a batch of posts in one sitting, and then schedule them. Doing this will save you quite a bit of time and not feel like something that you need to be constantly on top of.

I Have No Idea How To Stand Out

It can feel overwhelming to compare yourself to thousands of other talented photographers and feel like you aren’t standing out and don’t know how to. One of the ways that you can do that is to define three signature elements of your style and showcase those wherever you can.

I’m Too Embarrassed to Promote Myself

It may help to not think of it as promoting yourself. Instead, look at doing these types of things as using your skills to help others achieve goals and solve problems.

Common Pricing and Business Growth Mistakes

Another element of photography’s business side in which mistakes are often made is business growth, but I’ll help you learn how to fix these mistakes as well.

I Don’t Know How To Price My Work

Think of this as a math equation. Calculate how much it costs you to run your business and your desired profit, and also take into account your market. Doing so will result in prices that fit. For more details, check out my video about how much to charge.

I Spend Too Much on Gear I Rarely Use

This is something else in which being proactive will save you so much time and money. In this case, rent gear before you buy it so that you can test it in working environments to determine if it’s worth buying.

I Feel Stuck at the Same Income Level

A couple of ways that you can solve this issue is to upsell products, such as albums, and add higher-value packages to your offerings.

I Don’t Know When To Raise Prices

Let your personal market decide this. If demand for your work’s growing, if your calendar’s full or nearly full, raise them. Otherwise, don’t.

Important Common Mistakes To Avoid

These are mistakes that are especially important to limit but also ones that all of us experience from time to time.

I’m Afraid That the Clients Won’t Like the Final Images

The best solution is to show them a few shots during the session. Doing so will not only build the trust between you but will also result in the client giving you valuable feedback on what looks good to them, on their artistic preferences.

I Don’t Feel Creative Anymore

When you feel like you’re in a rut, schedule a personal project that you can do just for fun.

I Get Stuck Shooting the Same Poses Over and Over

Utilizing a post-inspiration library can help you get out of this habit. Make sure to update it monthly.

I’m Scared to Try New Techniques With Paying Clients

You can address this in one of two ways. The first is to try new techniques in style shoots before starting to incorporate them into shoots with paying clients. The other is to ask your client if they want to do something new; in some cases, they’ll say yes, intrigued and excited by the idea.

I Don’t Know How To Push My Photography to the Next Level

Continuously study the work of top photographers and take workshops and mentorships to ensure that you’re up to speed on what works best in today’s world.

I’m Constantly Comparing My Gear to Others

Simply put, don’t do that. Instead, focus on what you have and on mastering it.

Do You Want Assistance?

If you’d like personal feedback on your photography career, whether related to your photos or the business or social media side of your business, that’s just what my workshops and 1-on-1 mentorships are for. There, I’ll give you direct feedback to help you speed up this learning process quite significantly.