Ron Leach

What happens when you pack your gear, head out for a portrait session, and your model is a no-show? Well, if you’re a quick thinking photographer and willing to step out of your comfort zone, you find a willing stranger and make some stunning images. And if the stranger happens to be beautiful, consider that a bonus!

One sure way to ruin an otherwise great photo is to miss the exposure and end up with ugly blown-out highlights. The problem typically occurs with landscape images when the sun peaks out from behind the clouds. But this unsightly mistake also happens with other types of images—both indoors and out—and doesn’t necessarily mean you have to blow off the shot.

The tips we post typically involves practical techniques you can employ to achieve better photographs. The tutorial below is a bit different, as it reveals a handful of common mistakes to avoid if you want to capture images that truly impress.

One way to simplify the photographic process and get the best results possible is to configure your camera properly for the type of images you shoot. That's because the camera settings you choose for portraiture or still life photography can be inconvenient or worse the next time you go out to shoot landscape, sports or other types of images.