Portrait Photography How To

Mistakes are a part of life. And they're certainly a part of a photographer's life as well. But if you're a smart person (or a smart photographer), mistakes can be a gift since they give you an opportunity to learn and grow.

In the below video, photographer and educator Karl Taylor shares eight common portrait photography mistakes you should learn to avoid in order to become a better photographer. Some are simple, some will surprise you, but if you're guilty of any of them now, you should seriously consider changing your process in the future.

"When it comes to portrait photography, knowing what you should be doing is great, but knowing what to avoid can be incredibly useful too," Taylor says. "In this video I'm going to show you eight common portrait photography mistakes that you can easily avoid."

Here are the eight mistakes that Taylor discusses and demonstrates in the below video along with ways to fix them.

#1 The Background

#2 Take Notice of the Little Details

#3 Posing & Positioning Your Subject

#4 Separating the Subject

#5 Consider the Lighting

#6 Think Carefully About the Narrative & Purpose

#7 Guide the Viewer's Eye

#8 Retouching

Check out Taylor's enlightening tutorial below and then go visit his channel for more great videos. If you think you're making a lot of mistakes as a photographer, check out this video with three mistakes that nearly all beginner photographers make, and how to fix them.