what not to do.

humberklog

Don't think that clothes pegs are just for practising DOF but do remember that they are really best used for hanging clothes off.

Don't think that compliments from people you know mean anything other than encourgement.

Don't think that gear will make you better.

If you see a Heron: don't, just don't.

Don't set up a web site offering services until you're 100% sure of what you're offering otherwise you'll just expose youself to be the twat you really are and have to live with for the rest of your life.

Thecageyone

Herons > Cats > Dogs

Buckz

Back to Sinatra, Do it your way.

And Paul Gogarty Style, I'll apologise in advance, then do it anyway-n

Sorrrryyy

Thecageyone

Hugh_C

Don't start a post with 'I was bored so I took a picture...'
Don't do HDR. Ever.
Do shoot film.
Don't think that street photography is valid social commentary, you're just a sneak who's surreptitiously taking pictures of people because you're too timid to ask their permission straight out.
Don't photograph punk bands, Animal Rights has that market cornered and he's better than you'll ever be.

Don't forget to turn out the lights.

Thecageyone

Surrepwhatnow?

Thecageyone

I think you'll find I was showing how UN-original I was ...

melekalikimaka

you shoot swans ... i shoot you... with a gun

Thecageyone

I have done swans too. I actually admire them. They are a bit boring though, unless you capture one attacking a duck!

FoxT

Don't read this thread.

Do Read this thread

Dont believe what is on this thread, though.

Well, some of it is believable...

Grrr,feck....
I have about 20,000 photos on my hard drive & none of them will ever win a photo competition or make it into a Sunday Supplement. BUT...they all mean something...to me & the people who are close to me.

Soo....
Just go on out there & do what you are happy with.

-FoxT

FoxT

PS...Sorry Magicbastarder, I can see this whole thread has drifted off...

dazftw

Thecageyone wrote: »

I would advise the complete opposite, take photos of everything! At least everything that you think makes for a good image. I don't like the whole idea of images needing to all work together. I see every image as individual.

Exactly what I mean for projects. Give yourself specific projects that you're interested in. Develop your own original style. Dont just take photos of everything. It doesn't have to work together but it looks more professional to other people if it does. Every photo is individual anyway.

Thecageyone

Actually there's a good DO - enter every competition going, it gives you targets/missions/specific things to try when you're out of ideas.

But again, that's not a "what not to do".

How about:


Do not switch lenses when a huge lorry is passing you, through a puddle
Do not lean over the side of a bridge to take a shot without the strap around your neck
Do not shoot without a cover in lashing rain [especially with an un-sealed camera/lens]

melekalikimaka

Thecageyone wrote: »

I have done swans too. I actually admire them. They are a bit boring though, unless you capture one attacking a duck!

i find them the must mundane and ugly creatures on the planet, and the fascination photographers have with them in the first six months of getting a camera is ridiculous. I've had bad run ins with the creatures, if they all disappeared tomorrow, I'd be happy

Thecageyone

colblimp

Thecageyone wrote: »

I have done swans too. I actually admire them.

:eek:

Thecageyone

Only a sick, sick mind would see innuendo in that

colblimp

Thecageyone wrote: »

Only a sick, sick mind would see innuendo in that

I actually agree with you, and I apologise. What have I become?!! :D:confused:

CabanSail

Do not let others dictate to you what you find interesting. If you have a passion for the subject it will shine through. AR's project on the Swans comes to mind.

Do not be ashamed to show your work. You learn more from the failures than the successes.

Do not follow the accepted composition rules all the time. Break them and see when and why they work.

Do not take photo's if your heart is not in it. It will show. Have a break and come back when refreshed.

Do not get hung up on lists, like this one.

magicbastarder

at least some people have taken from this thread what my original intention was - don't take this thread seriously.

i've reached an agreement with the mods* that anyone showing the least sign of earnestness will be booted from it.

*i still need to inform them of this

DaireQuinlan

charybdis wrote: »

For some reason I copied a list of photographic clichés to a text file a while ago:

Don't take photos of:

* pets
* cemetaries
* university campuses
* feet/toes/hands
* flowers
* cameras
* macro shots of bugs
* hot chicks by a window or in the woods
* abandoned buildings
* barns
* HDR anything
* Converse shoes
* dutch angles
* concert photos
* The underside of piers
* Feet (with or without hipster shoes)
* Streetlights from right underneath them looking straight up.
* Cats
* Leaves floating in a stream
* Sunsets and sunrises
* Rocks on a beach
* Long exposures of waterfalls/running water
* Long exposures of cars at night
* things shot in the reflection of sunglasses
* the moon
* Coffee
* Anything with a heart shape
* Unused chairs
* Those multicoloured beach hut things
* Homeless people
* Trashcans, dumpsters, trash, etc
* clothespegs on a line
* images exposed while zooming the lens

I think I could probably fit these onto the one roll. I shall call it 'The Scylla project'. Bonus points if I actually manage to shoot them in the same order.

ellieswellies

charybdis wrote: »

For some reason I copied a list of photographic clichés to a text file a while ago:

Don't take photos of:

* pets
* cemetaries
* university campuses
* feet/toes/hands
* flowers
* cameras
* macro shots of bugs
* hot chicks by a window or in the woods
* abandoned buildings
* barns
* HDR anything
* Converse shoes
* dutch angles
* concert photos
* The underside of piers
* Feet (with or without hipster shoes)
* Streetlights from right underneath them looking straight up.
* Cats
* Leaves floating in a stream
* Sunsets and sunrises
* Rocks on a beach
* Long exposures of waterfalls/running water
* Long exposures of cars at night
* things shot in the reflection of sunglasses
* the moon
* Coffee
* Anything with a heart shape
* Unused chairs
* Those multicoloured beach hut things
* Homeless people
* Trashcans, dumpsters, trash, etc
* clothespegs on a line
* images exposed while zooming the lens

guilty as charged! Mind you I love learning from mistakes in general.

my 0.02...don't worry about rules

chevron

charybdis wrote: »

For some reason I copied a list of photographic clichés to a text file a while ago:

Don't take photos of:

* pets
* cemetaries
* university campuses
* feet/toes/hands
* flowers
* cameras
* macro shots of bugs
* hot chicks by a window or in the woods
* abandoned buildings
* barns
* HDR anything
* Converse shoes
* dutch angles
* concert photos
* The underside of piers
* Feet (with or without hipster shoes)
* Streetlights from right underneath them looking straight up.
* Cats
* Leaves floating in a stream
* Sunsets and sunrises
* Rocks on a beach
* Long exposures of waterfalls/running water
* Long exposures of cars at night
* things shot in the reflection of sunglasses
* the moon
* Coffee
* Anything with a heart shape
* Unused chairs
* Those multicoloured beach hut things
* Homeless people
* Trashcans, dumpsters, trash, etc
* clothespegs on a line
* images exposed while zooming the lens

This should be a DO List,
By doing all of teh above you will learn something new while doing a list like this.
Just because you photograph them doesnt mean they have to be shared aslong as you take something new from each of the above.

This has now become a new Training list for me
Images will not be posted as not to offend yall :P

charybdis

Just to clarify: while I really think some of the things on that list are trite and I haven't photographed them, I'm certainly guilty of a lot of them, and furthermore I really like some photographs by other people of a lot of the things on the list.

I mean, is there anyone here who hasn't taken a photograph of a cat?

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

I think I could probably fit these onto the one roll. I shall call it 'The Scylla project'. Bonus points if I actually manage to shoot them in the same order.

Extra bonus points if it's a roll of 120.

Flawless victory if it's a single 8x10 sheet.

DaireQuinlan

charybdis wrote: »

Flawless victory if it's a single 8x10 sheet.

Would a single 8x10 sheet contact printed from a roll of 35mm count ?

charybdis

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Would a single 8x10 sheet contact printed from a roll of 35mm count ?

I was going to say it has to be one exposure, but I think it would be interesting to try and composite a photograph on 8x10 film in-camera.

I think it really has to be a single 8x10 neg.

DaireQuinlan

charybdis wrote: »

I was going to say it has to be one exposure, but I think it would be interesting to try and composite a photograph on 8x10 film in-camera.

I think it really has to be a single 8x10 neg.

damnit ! (starts fiddling with very very small movable frames to allow for multiple exposures on the one sheet)

sineadw

charybdis wrote: »

I mean, is there anyone here who hasn't taken a photograph of a cat?

Do dead ones count?

DaireQuinlan

sineadw wrote: »

Do dead ones count?

Define the word 'cat'. If your definition includes any qualities associated with friskiness, chasing yarn, bringing in dead mice for presents, being warm, etc etc etc then probably not.

Interestingly dictionary.com doesn't really help us out here, defining a cat (amongst other things) as a "small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.". Can something dead be regarded as being 'domesticated' ?

Nisio

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Interestingly dictionary.com doesn't really help us out here, defining a cat (amongst other things) as a "small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.". Can something dead be regarded as being 'domesticated' ?

Well you could claim it's toilet-trained? And lies quietly on the rug? And doesn't bite you? (and its not like a dead cat is any better than a live one in responding to instructions)

Adrian.Sadlier

I have only been taking photos semi seriously for about 18 months (always had a camera but it was always full auto point and click).

I have very few do's/don't rules except these:

I take pictures of things/people/events etc. (and in HDR) because I like to and I want to - whether its shelters, dogs, my kids etc.

I don't care if people don't like them because I like them but I do value constructive criticsm (even if a poster hates my shots - I might learn something)

As for gear (expensive or not) I am a gadget man (you should see my tool shed!) but I believe it's the eye behind the camera more than the camera in front of the eye that makes a good photo. (I know, I have poor eyesight)

Thecageyone

Phew! for a minute there I thought I was on a Nat geo forum!

A big don't I should try enforce upon myself: Don't fall in love with lenses or equipment you just cannot have, save first, then start looking.

jaansu

charybdis wrote: »

It's funny you should say that given the photograph of Bray Head I posted in the Random Photo thread was in reply to another poster's image of the same thing taken on the same weekend.

I don't think I was operating under any delusions of originality.

That was me, and I was just experimenting which I think should be a Do

dakar

sineadw wrote: »

Do dead ones count?

In my professional opinion, yes.

A dead cat is a cat first and foremost. It's inherent catness remains, even though it no longer in a position to exhibit any of the traits Daire helpfully pointed out above.

DaireQuinlan

dakar wrote: »

In my professional opinion, yes.

A dead cat is a cat first and foremost. It's inherent catness remains, even though it no longer in a position to exhibit any of the traits Daire helpfully pointed out above.

Actually, though I would of course bow to your professional expertise if the afore mentioned 'cat' was actually ALIVE, I think that the 'cat' being dead has removed it from your particular area of competence and into a more metaphysical realm. Therefore I hold that the argument remains a question of whether or not it is yet a 'cat' or whether its essential 'catness' has departed it along with its vitality.

ellieswellies

are we discussing schrodinger's cat?

DaireQuinlan

ellieswellies wrote: »

are we discussing schrodinger's cat?

we're re-framing the terms of the experiment. It's not so much whether the cat is dead or alive, but whether what's in the box is a cat or a not-cat. OTOH, whenever Dakar does it they always end up dead. He lives in a strange quantum state.

smash

I guess there's not a lot for people to photograph to keep the boards photography forum happy then.

dakar

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

OTOH, whenever Dakar does it they always end up dead.

Ahem...

Nisio

dakar wrote: »

Ahem...

But if he doesn't observe the cat when operating on it; it's got a 50% chance of being alive?

(I'd like to take a picture of that scene)

DaireQuinlan

Nisio wrote: »

But if he doesn't observe the cat when operating on it; it's got a 50% chance of being alive?

(I'd like to take a picture of that scene)

actually, taken out of context it does look a bit grim, doesn't it. I was envisioning more Dakar's secret mephistolean lab, occupied from floor to ceiling by sealed boxes, each containing a little vial of poison, a radioactive source that has precisely 50% chance of decaying and resulting in the poison vial being opened, and a dead cat. They're all dead because he forgot to put air holes in the box.

dakar

Nisio wrote: »

(I'd like to take a picture of that scene)

Sineadw's beaten you to it

dakar

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

I was envisioning more Dakar's secret mephistolean lab

Muahahahaha...

That is all.

ellieswellies

ah, here's schrodinger's cat himself - the one that survived of course - after a healthy dose of toxic radiation:

the other cat, or the above cat's metaphysical alter ego, is lost somewhere in quantum space.

maybe we can add 'not exposing cats to lethal doses of radioactive materials' to that list

condra

DONT forget to turn your ISO back down after that low light shoot.

DO get down on your hunkers, or stand up on the wall.

DO make a tripod mountable softbox out of a laundry basket

colblimp

condra wrote: »

DO make a tripod mountable softbox out of a laundry basket

Ooh, how do I do that, then?!

condra

I did it just today with a laundry basket a bit like this one:
http://images.bizrate.com/resize?sq=469&uid=1808127462
I got it in Tesco for €2.80. With a bit of messing around, the bottom of my tripod mount fitted perfectly through a gap in the plastic, and when I close the quick release, there is a very snug fit.
Then I just lined the basket with silver reflector, secured it with cable ties, and chucked some white fabric on front... see:
http://www.zexualhealing.com/images/softbox_laundry_basket.jpg

Interesting thread. They do tend to get diluted though. "Do not" take photos of your kids, pets, family, friends, etc.... What are you to take photos of then? It'd be a dull world if people didn't take those shots.

But anyway, the only things I can add worthwhile sharing are:

DO use photography to manipulate other interests. I love the Emergency Services. Thanks to my DSLR, I'm on fairly friendly terms with a Senior fire officer in the local fire station, get on great with one or two local Gardaì, have met and talked in-depth with many Coast Guard and River Rescue employees/volunteers, etc. etc.

So, while I've gotten some photographs of Emergency Service cars/trucks/jeeps/etc. that I really love, I've also learned a lot about each local service, up to and including tours of their buildings, and I now know, and make small talk with, a fair few members of such services. This only really happened since I bought a camera and got an itchin' to take some Emergency Service photographs.


I'm sure the same can be applied to other hobbies and interests, too. I've photographed at local gigs (that I didn't pay into, obviously, and even got free soft drinks at some). Music isn't really something I care about, but it's great to feel appreciated and you meet a lot of people through it.


I generally find that if you present yourself as professional* and are always courteous and mannerly with people, you'll do yourself wonders and your camera can get you into situations you otherwise wouldn't be near.


If you get a burst of inspiration, DO act on it. I mean, anything from a location popping into your head that you want to photograph, or writing a letter to ask permission to photograph somewhere. Act on it and see what happens. One time I actually even got out of bed at about 3am to go out taking photos.

I was knackered, but I was happy I did it. It could have waited for another night, the bridge i wanted to photograph wasn't going anywhere, but I was just in the mood to take photos. I enjoyed that night, and all. Visited places I didn't know existed.


DO NOT mislead people. I know a guy who lied through his teeth to get a paid portait session with some girl. How he even ended up getting offered the 'job' in the first place, I don't know, but he took a load of photos, lead the girl to believe he was a pro, charged a decent rate.. I'm sure you can guess where this is leading.

People will eventually see the photos. Don't tell people you can take photos that you can't take. People aren't idiots. I don't like to work for free; It undercuts local pros and I bust my hump for a couple of hours for no financial gain. But I do believe it has to be done. It'll stand to you down the line, and everyone needs to get their foot in the door.


DO promote yourself. Buy some cheapo business cards or something. You might never turn pro. I know I probably won't. But it still gets your name out there and you can get offers to do things that you would otherwise not have been considered for. I think it's great taking photos in different settings with different people, and such. But again, go to my prior point about not misleading people. Never agree to something you can't do.




*I don't mean pretend you're a professional photographer, that's just silly. I mean act professionally at all times. In other words: Don't be a prick.

AnCatDubh

Inspired by something Barry McCaul said the other night at the Canon gig -

Do not expect (or indeed get frustrated) that every shot will be a keeper.

Barry who is renowned in the world of fashion photography and does damn fine portrait work said, sometimes if he is lucky, he will get the shot he is looking for after about 30 exposures but that this is the exception rather than the rule. Mostly it takes far more than that.

So, this coming from a guy at the top of his game, that has spent 20+ years at his profession, pre-visualises and otherwise prepares extensively for a shoot, with as much lighting, studio space, and gear that he wants, and sometimes - just sometimes, he gets the image after about 30 takes.

SetOverSet

AnCatDubh wrote: »

Do not expect (or indeed get frustrated) that every shot will be a keeper.

Barry who is renowned in the world of fashion photography and does damn fine portrait work said, sometimes if he is lucky, he will get the shot he is looking for after about 30 exposures but that this is the exception rather than the rule. Mostly it takes far more than that.

Similarly, the Manum photographer David Hurn, in On Being a Photographer, reckons that for a seven-picture photo essay, he would shoot 20 or 30 rolls of film and that he'd get an exhibition quality image perhaps once every 100 rolls of film :eek: