Some photography mistakes are easy to spot and fix right after you see the photo on your LCD display. And others are sneakier and repeat even after years of being a photographer. In his recent video, Simon d’Entremont shares some of the most important lessons he learned the hard way, and these can quietly hold you back for years without you even realizing it. Let’s break them down and add some tips for both spotting them and fixing them.

A Beautiful Scene ≠ A Good Photo

Simon says this is one of the biggest mindset shifts he had to make, and I can relate. Just because something feels amazing in real life doesn’t mean it will translate into a strong image. He gives a great example: standing on a cliff by the ocean. It feels incredible, soothing, and liberating at the same time. The wind, the sound, the smell of the ocean, atmosphere – it’s all there. You grab your camera to take a photo, and you get “two blue rectangles separated by a line.” Quite… underwhelming.

This reminded me of my Corfu trip. It’s one of the most beautiful, charming cities I’ve ever visited. But looking at my photos, you definitely can’t feel it. The city is more about the atmosphere, history, and people than anything else – and it wasn’t something I was able to capture in any of my photos, unfortunately.

To make a photo work, you need to build your experience into it. Simon explains that this usually means including a clear subject, adding a sense of scale, and creating some kind of visual structure like patterns or leading lines. These are all some basic tips, but when you feel overwhelmed by the experience, they can give you some structure and guidance for capturing stronger images.

You Won’t Fix it in Post

Another common photography mistake Simon highlights is depending too much on editing to fix bad light. If you shoot in natural light, you can’t control the sun, but you can absolutely control how you use it.

Instead of shooting in poor lighting and trying to rescue the image later, Simon suggests making simple adjustments in the field. Move yourself or your subject when you can. For example, move the person you’re photographing closer to a window if you’re indoors. Shift your position so the light hits your subject better. Step out of deep shade and into softer, directional light.

For wildlife or outdoor shooting, Simon recommends working the edges of light, not the darkest parts of a scene. Even a small change in position can dramatically improve your exposure and overall image quality. If you have a reflector on you, you can also control the light by bouncing it, blocking it, or diffusing it.

Watch Your Background

Simon points out that backgrounds are often ignored – especially when you’re excited about capturing your subject. This is something where I also recognize myself, and I end up with shitty backgrounds even today, after so many years of shooting. After all, the background usually takes up most of the image. And if it’s messy, distracting, or cluttered, it can completely ruin an otherwise great shot. My biggest “sin” are usually poles or trees “growing” out of people’s heads.

But as Simon explains, even small changes, like moving a few steps sideways, can clean up a background dramatically. It can be the difference between a chaotic image and a clean portrait or wildlife shot.

If you can’t change your position, you still have options. A shallow depth of field can blur distractions into softness. Zooming in tighter can also eliminate unwanted elements by cropping them out in-camera. The main goal is simple: you don’t want random background elements and clutter to pull the attention away from your subject.

Don’t Try To Capture Everything

It’s tempting to include everything you see in a scene, especially when it feels exciting. That’s another problem I still have when traveling and hiking, especially if it’s somewhere new. But this usually leads to cluttered and chaos with no clear focus. Too many elements compete for attention, and the viewer doesn’t know where to look.

Instead, simplify your composition by focusing on smaller parts of the scene. Instead of photographing everything, look for individual moments, details, or subjects that tell a stronger visual story. It helps me to look for something specific: a color, a subject, shadows, or details/textures. When you’re a little overwhelmed by the experience and the place you’re photographing, this calms you down a bit and gives you focus back.

Of course, no need to avoid those wide shots completely. If you want to document memories, absolutely go for it! But when it comes to creating impactful, portfolio-worthy images, isolating a subject almost always works better.

Slow Down and Be Patient

One of the biggest differences Simon sees between beginners and experienced photographers is patience. Beginners tend to shoot immediately, while more experienced photographers tend to pause, observe, and wait. He explains that this comes down to two skills: anticipation and patience.

Anticipation means studying a scene before shooting. Where is your subject moving? What’s the best background? Where will the moment happen? Instead of reacting immediately, you prepare first.

Patience is about waiting for the right conditions. That might be better light, a stronger composition, or a more interesting moment. This is something I’ve learned (although not perfected yet) through film photography and gladly apply it to my digital work. Although, in life, there’s still a lot of working on these skills for me. 🙂

Now, what makes these photography mistakes tricky is that they’re not immediately obvious. If you’re like me, you may still struggle with some of them even after years of shooting. This is why I think it’s important to keep this somewhere in the back of your head, maybe make it as a sort of a checklist. It will give you some direction and help you see differently, slow down, and be more intentional with every shot.

[5 MISTAKES that TOOK ME YEARS to learn about photography (and how to fix them!) | Simon d’Entremont]

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