Six Common Mistakes and Remedies
Let’s start with a list of the six common mistakes before we make a deep dive.
• Inclined horizon
• Leaning buildings
• Wrong use of flash
• Forgetting previously set parameters
• Ignoring exposure meter is calibrated to a medium tone
• Blurred images due to camera shake
Inclined
horizon
Who does not like to photograph landscapes? Unfortunately, most look bad due to one very common error, which is the inclined horizon. Also called the ‘crooked’ or ‘misaligned’ horizon, the inclined horizon simply means that the horizon is not level, or in other words that it is not perfectly horizontal. This happens when you don’t hold the camera’s base parallel to the ground (Picture 1). The effect will be obvious even if the horizon is tilted less than a degree! An inclined horizon is worse if there’s a water body, as water maintains (Picture 2) its own level. In the case of ‘land shots’, one could argue that the land was inclined. Still it’s best to keep the horizon level.
Avoiding this is a matter of taking care. Check carefully if the camera is level or not before you press the shutter release. Also, many cameras (even P&S cameras) show a grid on the monitor or in the viewfinder as a visual aid. If this feature is available on your camera switch it on, and use it as a guide to help you keep the camera level. You can also buy an inexpensive bubble level (Picture 4) that you can insert in the accessory shoe of your camera.
