Other stories

Common Photography Fears and How to Overcome Them

Photography FearsLearning anything new comes with its fair share of challenges. As you start learning new concepts, you will start encountering opportunities to implement them that will push you beyond your comfort zone. New and unknown things scare us.

Even with photography, you would face the same circumstances. When you start off, finding out new aspects can be quite exciting and appealing. However, photography is all about creativity and imagination. To scale the heights of this, you would constantly need to set goals and overcome the boundaries. Such experiences might scare you a bit. But once you execute them successfully, you will be amazed at the stunning results.

Let’s take a look at some of the common fears that newbie photographers face and ways to overcome them.

Learning About the Camera Settings

One of the most daunting things about photography is the fear of understanding and learning the details and the various settings of a camera. A DSLR may seem to be an extremely complex camera with a horde of aspects to learn before you can start using it with ease. Additionally, you would need to have a clear concept about the features like aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc. As a result, this can turn out to be quite overwhelming for many newbies.

One of the best ways to tackle this problem is by educating yourself about these. You can join a photography class to receive guidance from expert trainers. Apart from this, you can watch videos, talk about your fears with an experienced photographer, read blogs etc.

Shooting in Public

Most of the wonderful options of photography are located at the outdoor. Also, finding a less crowded location with the perfect photography options can be quite difficult. Many photographers succumb to the fear of shooting in public. They are gripped with shyness and fear that make them hesitate to take the photographs.

One of the best ways to overcome this fear is by facing it head on. You can consider asking them for permission before taking the photographs. You would be surprised at how many people will be happy to get their photos taken. Walk around the location, look for best photo options, start a conversation with a stranger and smile enough. When you make the people comfortable, they would be willing to star in your photos.

Also, it is wise to focus on the camera and its settings. This way, you will not be thinking about the fear and you will feel more confident.

Fear of Criticism

Perfectionism is one of the fears that chase almost everyone. However, the reality is, none of us are going to be perfect in the photos we take. You need to keep in mind that no matter how calculated and stunning your photographs are, there are going to be flaws in them and someone or the other is going to point those out to you.

You should keep in mind that these flaws will help you improve. Your peers are quite likely to have a different perspective than yours and this may help you identify the details that you may have overlooked. Such constructive criticism can help you take better photos.

Fear of Rejection

Rejection follows criticism quite closely. The fear of rejection can be extremely difficult to overcome. Clients may reject photos, a stock photography website may reject the shots you submit as well. You need to keep in mind that rejection is unavoidable. You should learn to accept it, understand the mistakes and move on while taking away valuable lessons from the rejection.

Fear of Post-Processing Damage

Many photographers are terrified of ruining the image post-processing. To avoid this, it is always wise to shoot in RAW format. Before making any changes, you should always keep a copy of the original photo saved so that you can use that if the edited one is accidentally deleted or lost. You should not work on the original file.

While these fears are quite common, it is important not to let them hold you back. The more you practice, the more you will find your fears lessening. Experiment enough and have fun along the way.

Contributed by: http://gulfphotoplus.com/

If you have any questions, please ask below!