5 mistakes you’re probably making as a self-taught photographer (and how to fix them)

Learning about photography on your own is an exciting and rewarding experience. While there are plenty of incredible self-taught photographers, all of them have had some epic fails in the beginning. We all make mistakes while learning, but some mistakes are more common than others, and some are very particular for self-taught photographers. In his latest video, Steve Arnold explains the five most common ones, so let’s dive right in and see if you recognize yourself – because I sure do!

Over (or under)editing your photos

Editing is a part of photography as important as taking the photos, but there’s a fine line between doing too much or too little. Steve calls this the “Goldilocks zone” of editing — not too heavy, not too light. Overediting can make your photos look unnatural, while underediting can leave them flat and unpolished.

This issue often arises because of external and internal factors that affect how you see your photo during editing. Things like the room’s lighting, screen glare, or even how long you’ve been staring at the image can skew your perspective. For example, an edit that looks great in a dim room at night might seem dull when viewed in natural daylight.

The key to fixing this is consistency. Keep your editing environment controlled, with lighting that’s “kind of dark but not completely dark,” as Steve scientifically puts it. :) Taking regular breaks helps you reset your eyes so you don’t get desensitized to colors and contrast. Steve also suggests stopping when you wonder, “Have I gone too far?” Leave the photo overnight and review it with fresh eyes the next day. This extra time can make all the difference.

Poor composition (or lack of a clear subject)

Even the most beautiful landscape won’t automatically translate to a great photo if the composition is off. Steve shares his own examples, demonstrating how even the most stunning sceneries look dull when you don’t think your composition through.

This has happened to all of us, and for some of us – it’s sill an occasional occurrence, even after years of taking photos. This is because it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the beauty of a scene and just point the camera without thinking about what the photo is supposed to highlight. Wide-angle lenses, in particular, can amplify this problem by making distant subjects seem even smaller.

The solution starts with identifying your subject. Ask yourself, “What’s the main focus of this image?” Then use a focal length and a composition that emphasizes that subject. Zooming in can help make your composition stronger and draw attention to the most important elements. If you realize later that your photo is unbalanced, cropping can sometimes rescue it, but it’s always better to get it right in-camera.

Overblending exposure in high-contrast scenes

Exposure blending is a popular technique for balancing bright skies with shadowy foregrounds, especially in sunrise or sunset shots. However, it’s easy to go too far and end up with something that looks more like a painting than a photograph. When you make the sky too dark or lighten the shadows excessively, the image loses its natural feel.

This issue often happens because it’s tempting to keep tweaking until every detail is visible. The result is an image that looks unnatural, even if your intentions were good.

To avoid this, Steve recommends asking yourself one very simple question: “Is the sky too dark compared to the foreground?” This helps maintain the natural balance between light and dark areas. The goal is to create an image that feels real, not overly processed.

Ignoring distractions in your image

Even if your composition and exposure are perfect, small distractions in the frame can hold your photo back. Things like stray stones, seaweed, or bright spots of light may seem insignificant on their own, but collectively, they can diminish the overall impact of the image.

Steve explains that these distractions are easy to overlook because they don’t always stand out at first glance. However, once you remove them, the difference can be dramatic.

To clean up your image, you can use the Spot Healing brush tool in your editing software. This works for both obvious distractions, like a stray rock, and subtler ones, like tiny bright pixels or overexposed highlights. The result is a polished image that looks much more professional.

Relying too much on compositional rules

Rules like the rule of thirds are often taught as the foundation of good composition. There is no doubt that they’re helpful, but relying on them too much can lead photos that are just… Boring. Steve shares examples of images that technically follow the rule of thirds but still feel static because there’s too much empty space that doesn’t add anything to the photo.

This happens because rules like these are meant to be guidelines, not strict formulas. If you focus solely on placing your subject on the intersection of the thirds, you might miss the bigger picture of how the composition flows and whether the elements in the frame feel balanced.

So, instead of blindly sticking to compositional rules, think about how the different parts of your image interact. Ask yourself if every part of the frame contributes to the story or feeling you want to convey. The goal is to create a dynamic, engaging image, not just follow a rule for the sake of it. Although, I’d always suggest learning the rules before you break them – this is the only way to break them intentionally.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it a million more times: mistakes are a natural part of learning. All of us have made them, and all of us still do. But if you recognize where you can improve and take steps to fix the issues – that’s what counts. I find Steve’s video to be a great set of guidelines, so keep it in mind the next time you’re taking or editing your photos.

[5 HUGE MISTAKES Self-Taught Photographers Make | Steve Arnold]

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