Karen Dorame - 101 Mistakes Photographers Should Never Make

Copyright 2016 by Karen Drame.

All rights reserved.

All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.

Front cover photograph by Storey Wilkins.

Back cover photographs by Karen Drame.

Published by:

Amherst Media, Inc., PO Box 538, Buffalo, NY 14213

www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins

Editors: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt, Beth Alesse

Acquisitions Editor: Harvey Goldstein

Associate Publisher: Kate Neaverth

Editorial Assistance from: Carey A. Miller, Sally Jarzab, John S. Loder

Business Manager: Adam Richards

Warehouse and Fulfillment Manager: Roger Singo

ISBN-13: 978-1-68203-026-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015954504

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the authors experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Photo by Drake Busath.

Photo by Ted York.

Photo by Scott Nelson.

Photo by Karen Drame.

Photo by Joel Grimes.

Photo by Karen Drame.

Photo by Karen Drame.

Photo by Scott Nelson.

Photo by Karen Drame.

Photo by Karen Drame.

Photo by Jim Garner.

Photo by Karen Drame.

The author grew up in the shadow of her mothers tripod legs and excitedly shot with her first camera while still in grade school. Although she graduated in the field of communications from Brigham Young University, she was able to continue practicing her photographic skills while working in public relations for the Orange County, CA, health department. She retired from public service and co-founded Special Kids Photography of America (www.specialkidsphotography.com) to focus on training photographers to better serve families of children with special needs. She has provided webinars for Marathon Press and presented programs at Imaging USA and regional conventions hosted by Professional Photographers of America. She is the author of Photographing Children with Special Needs, The Photographers Guide to Making Money, and Mastering Infrared Photography (all from Amherst Media).

You dont take a photograph, you make it.Ansel Adams

Making, Not Taking

While visiting Germany, I entered an art museum and asked, Darf ich hier drin Bilder nehmen? roughly meaning, Can I take pictures inside here? Although this may be a polite request in English, in German, this entreaty is quite absurd. The security guard gave me an astonished look as he grasped at words to inform me I was certainly not allowed to take any artwork out of the museum. The correct terminology in German is to ask, May I make or create pictures? (not take them).

This book is all about creating photography, not just taking pictures.

What Makes a Photographer Professional?

The art of digital photography has blossomed into a vast world of creative expression enjoyed by myriads more enthusiasts and professionals than in the not-so-long-ago olden days of film. With that, technology has allowed shoddy photography to become rampant. Many would-be photographers are only technically passable without being skillfully competent. Cameras have become hand-held robots that bypass many factors that must work in harmony to create true photographic art.

Not all the points made in this book are actual mistakes. Some are just options. Most points are basic photographic guidelinesrules that can sometimes be bent or broken to achieve the photographers artistic vision. However, there is a difference between breaking the rules and not knowing them. First, learn and practice the rules; they provide power, confidence, and excellence in the craft.

101 Mistakes is a book about making better choicesabout controlling the variables that go into the process of creating professional images, not just pictures. Suppose a photographer comes to a hypothetical fork in the road while creating an image. One path may be a shorter route to the destination; the other may take longer but reveal a more breathtaking vista. The higher, more difficult road is the one that gets top professional photographers the fees they deserve.