It’s easy to be by possibility when you’re starting out in photography. And, we’ll level with you, there is a lot that can go wrong. But fear not: by reading this, we hope you’ll know how to avoid the five most common mistakes that beginner photographers make when starting out.
1. Shooting in JPEG

Let’s be clear: whilst some photographers will tell you otherwise, it is ok to shoot in JPEG. The files sizes are smaller, cameras usually allow for a faster burst mode in JPEG, the whole process is quicker, and sometimes all you need is to take a few quick snapshots and be done. However, there are a few of reasons why it might not be the best bet.
Basically, when your camera is shooting in JPEG, between you taking the image and seeing it on the screen, the camera does the processing and voila: your photo is ‘finished’. Shooting in RAW, on the other hand, gives you many more tools for a much wider range of creativity and often this is key in developing your own signature style. So, for greater freedom beyond your shoot, give RAW a shot.
2. Blown Highlights

One of the most common issues facing a new photographer is the blowing or ‘clipping’ of highlights. This means that your highlights are overexposed to the extent that the camera sensor can’t record any information from that part of the image. If your highlights are blown, literally no amount of post-processing can bring them back. The data simply isn’t there. Ouch.
So, what can you do if you’re shooting on a sunny day or in another high contrast situation? Here’s where we ‘expose for the highlights.’ What this means is, when you take a photograph, make sure the exposure is adjusted for the highlights in the image. Naturally, this will result in a darker image. But don’t worry: if you’ve shot in RAW, you’ll be able to bring back the detail from the shadows in post-production.
3. Over-Reliance On Post-Production

The RAW mindset can lead to a problematic ‘I’ll fix it later’ mentality. You may well wonder what the point in nailing your exposure is, when you can easily adjust exposure by up to five stops either way at your computer screen. And why bother getting the white balance correct in-camera when you can just fix it later on?
With Photoshop at your disposal, you may increasingly hear yourself saying, “I’ll fix it later”. Be warned. If you start taking shortcuts in one area of photography, other areas are likely to suffer too. Remember: processing is intended to enhance your work, not rescue poor photos.
4. Overshooting

Whilst you should absolutely try to shoot day, less can be more! Back in photography’s analogue era, you were fixed to either 12, 24 or 36 exposures per roll of film – and it didn’t come cheap! This meant that thought was required before you pressed the shutter.
Whilst digital photography opens up the possibility of vast quantities, it also increases the risk of overshooting. Be careful not to merely ‘spray and pray’ – the quality will suffer. One recommended exercise is to go out for the day and limit yourself to no more than 12 photos. You might just find that you end up putting much more thought into what you are capturing and develop better shooting habits as a result.
5. Conspicuous Editing

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Contrast, shadows, exposure, highlights, vibrance, saturation, vignettes – the list is pretty endless. However, this can often make it easy to lose track of where an image started out! Moderation is key and subtlety is the name of the game. Quick tip: keep a copy of the original image side-by-side with your working edit, so that you can constantly see how far you have come.
We hope these five easy tips will put you on the path to greatness.
Bradley Allen is a freelance photographer and writer for Fat Lama.
A BIG SUCCESS – DPS Thursday Talk ‘Using Photography As A Means Of Communication’
/0 Comments/in Blog, Documentary Photography, DPS Thursday Talks, dublin photography school, Photography Lectures Dublin, photography podcast, photography podcast ireland, photography tips /by DPS_AdminA BIG THANK YOU TO DAMIEN DEMOLDER AND PANANSONIC IRELAND FOR A FANTASTIC EVENING OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
The November 29th Thursday Talk at DPS HQ was a full house with over 50 people in attendance. Because of Damien’s usual good humour and fascinating insights into his photography, the night was a fantastic success and we would like to thank all who attended. See you back at the school again very soon.
FREE THURSDAY TALK WITH DPS – IN ASSOCIATION WITH PANASONIC IRELAND
We are delighted to bring you an evening of Street Photography ‘Using photography as a means of Communication’, presented by the returning Damien Demolder, who gave an absolute fabulous talk in DPS during the summer.
In this heavily Illustrated talk, Damien will explain his approach to street photography and how he uses light and exposure to grab the attention of the viewer. The talk is instructive as well as fun, and you will come away with new concepts to think about and a new way of looking at street photography.
Time: 7 pm
Date: November 29th 2018
Venue: The Carmelite Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2.
Damien is a photographer, journalist and photographic equipment expert, speaker, judge and educator. He has worked in the photographic publishing industry since 1997, including 15 years at the world’s only weekly photo magazine, Amateur Photographer, where he was editor.He writes for regularly for DP Review, & British Journal of Photography magazine as well as occasionally for other UK & international photographic magazines and websites. Take a browse through his work at www.damiendemolder.com
R.S.V.P by emailing info@dublinphotographyschool.ie to secure your place. Please book early as places are limited & will fill up fast.
DPS Thursday Talk ‘Light & Life on the Streets’, Damien Demolder Returning To DPS
/0 Comments/in Blog, Documentary Photography, DPS Thursday Talks, dublin photography school, Photography Lectures Dublin, photography podcast, photography podcast ireland, photography tips /by DPS_AdminWe are delighted to bring you an evening of Street Photography ‘Using photography as a means of Communication’, presented by the returning Damien Demolder, who gave an absolute fabulous talk in DPS during the summer.
In this heavily Illustrated talk, Damien will explain his approach to street photography and how he uses light and exposure to grab the attention of the viewer. The talk is instructive as well as fun, and you will come away with new concepts to think about and a new way of looking at street photography.
Time: 7 pm
Date: November 29th 2018
Venue: The Carmelite Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2.
Damien is a photographer, journalist and photographic equipment expert, speaker, judge and educator. He has worked in the photographic publishing industry since 1997, including 15 years at the world’s only weekly photo magazine, Amateur Photographer, where he was editor.He writes for regularly for DP Review, & British Journal of Photography magazine as well as occasionally for other UK & international photographic magazines and websites. Take a browse through his work at www.damiendemolder.com
R.S.V.P by emailing info@dublinphotographyschool.ie to secure your place. Please book early as places are limited & will fill up fast.
NEW DATE ADDED! DPS & TDactive Holidays Trip To Transylvania September 2019
/0 Comments/in Blog, photography holidays, Romania Photography Holidays, Uncategorized /by DPS_AdminSo, if you are looking for an unforgettable photographic adventure, with on location tuition from two DPS trainers, stunning vistas and all the reportage and landscape photography you can shake a stick at, then why not join us, with full details here.
If Romania and Transylvania is not far flung and exotic enough, then why not take a look at our fantastic nine night holiday to amazing India which will be lead by DPS trainers Stewart Kenny & Steven Maybury in February 2019. Full details can be found here.
DPS & TDactive Returning to Romania & Transylvania Sept 16th 2018
/0 Comments/in Blog, Documentary Photography, dublin photography school, dublin photography tuition, photography holidays, Romania Photography Holidays, transylvania photography holidays, travel photography /by DPS_AdminThis time we are taking a band of 15 photography enthusiasts of all levels from complete beginner to advanced, and helping them hone their photography skills in this stunning location that can only be described as photographers playground. The trip will include everything from composition, camera techniques, to street portraits, reportage, documentary, landscape, night and dusk photography.
If you missed this trip fear not as dublin photography school have announced a new date for 2019.
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Don’t Miss Out!
Transylvania Holiday September 12th 2019
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Pro Foto Ireland – Come See Dublin Photography School
/0 Comments/in Blog, Buying A Camera, DPS Thursday Talks, dublin photography school, exhibitions, got a question, how to, photograph talks ireland, photography talks dublin, photography tips, pro foto dublin /by DPS_AdminDublin Photography School are delighted to be taking part in Pro Foto Ireland this autumn. PRO FOTO IRELAND is Ireland’s first and longest running Photography & Imaging Trade Show. It has had many changes over the years, including in more recent years, new and international Trade Exhibitors who have been invited to participate.
As part of this fantastic event, DPS will be running a ,seminar short’ on using DSLR for video, presented by DPS tutor Tadhg Conway. There will be four other seminar shorts throughout the day.
Also exhibiting at Pro Foto this year
DPS Thursday Talk In Association With Panasonic Ireland – A Fantastic Success
/0 Comments/in Blog, Documentary Photography, DPS Thursday Talks, dublin photography school, mirrorless cameras ireland, panansonic ireland, panasonic camera courses dublin, panasonic cameras ireland, Photography Lectures Dublin, photography podcast, photography podcast ireland, photography tips /by DPS_AdminDamien Demolder’s ‘Light and Life on the Streets’ DPS Thursday Talk – A Fantastic Success
DPS were delighted to bring you an evening of Street Photography ‘Light and Life on the Streets’, presented by Damien Demolder.
The talk was standing room only, full of photographers of all levels from to beginner to semi pro and beyond. The talk was brought in association with Panasonic Ireland. who were present on the night with a stunning array of there latest equipment offerings – from compact point and shoots all the way up to full frame Mirrorless.
In his heavily Illustrated talk, Damien explained his approach to street photography and how he uses light and exposure to grab the attention of the viewer. The talk was instructive as well as fun, and everyone came away with new concepts to think about and a new way of looking at street photography.
We recorded Damien’s fantastic talk and will be releasing it as a podcast soon, so keep an eye on our Snapshot Podcast Page.
We would like to thank Damien and Panasonic Ireland for such and informative and fun night, We would also love to thank all the guys who took the time to attend, from our own students and members, to the guys from various camera clubs around Dublin and everyone in between.
DPS Thursday Talk ‘Light & Life on the Streets’, by Damien Demolder
/0 Comments/in Blog, Documentary Photography, DPS Thursday Talks, dublin photography school, Photography Lectures Dublin, photography podcast, photography podcast ireland, photography tips /by DPS_AdminWe are delighted to bring you an evening of Street Photography ‘Light and Life on the Streets’, presented by Damien Demolder.
In this heavily Illustrated talk, Damien will explain his approach to street photography and how he uses light and exposure to grab the attention of the viewer. The talk is instructive as well as fun, and you will come away with new concepts to think about and a new way of looking at street photography.
Time: 7.30pm
Date: July 5th 2018
Venue: The Carmelite Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2.
Damien is a photographer, journalist and photographic equipment expert, speaker, judge and educator. He has worked in the photographic publishing industry since 1997, including 15 years at the world’s only weekly photo magazine, Amateur Photographer, where he was editor.He writes for regularly for DP Review, & British Journal of Photography magazine as well as occasionally for other UK & international photographic magazines and websites. Take a browse through his work at www.damiendemolder.com
R.S.V.P by emailing info@dublinphotographyschool.ie to secure your place. Please book early as places are limited & will fill up fast.
Guest Blog by Fat Lama: 5 Mistakes For Beginner Photographers To Watch Out For
/0 Comments/in Blog, dublin photography tuition, Photography Courses, photography courses dublin 2018, photography tips, travel photography /by DPS_AdminIt’s easy to be by possibility when you’re starting out in photography. And, we’ll level with you, there is a lot that can go wrong. But fear not: by reading this, we hope you’ll know how to avoid the five most common mistakes that beginner photographers make when starting out.
1. Shooting in JPEG

Let’s be clear: whilst some photographers will tell you otherwise, it is ok to shoot in JPEG. The files sizes are smaller, cameras usually allow for a faster burst mode in JPEG, the whole process is quicker, and sometimes all you need is to take a few quick snapshots and be done. However, there are a few of reasons why it might not be the best bet.
Basically, when your camera is shooting in JPEG, between you taking the image and seeing it on the screen, the camera does the processing and voila: your photo is ‘finished’. Shooting in RAW, on the other hand, gives you many more tools for a much wider range of creativity and often this is key in developing your own signature style. So, for greater freedom beyond your shoot, give RAW a shot.
2. Blown Highlights
One of the most common issues facing a new photographer is the blowing or ‘clipping’ of highlights. This means that your highlights are overexposed to the extent that the camera sensor can’t record any information from that part of the image. If your highlights are blown, literally no amount of post-processing can bring them back. The data simply isn’t there. Ouch.
So, what can you do if you’re shooting on a sunny day or in another high contrast situation? Here’s where we ‘expose for the highlights.’ What this means is, when you take a photograph, make sure the exposure is adjusted for the highlights in the image. Naturally, this will result in a darker image. But don’t worry: if you’ve shot in RAW, you’ll be able to bring back the detail from the shadows in post-production.
3. Over-Reliance On Post-Production

The RAW mindset can lead to a problematic ‘I’ll fix it later’ mentality. You may well wonder what the point in nailing your exposure is, when you can easily adjust exposure by up to five stops either way at your computer screen. And why bother getting the white balance correct in-camera when you can just fix it later on?
With Photoshop at your disposal, you may increasingly hear yourself saying, “I’ll fix it later”. Be warned. If you start taking shortcuts in one area of photography, other areas are likely to suffer too. Remember: processing is intended to enhance your work, not rescue poor photos.
4. Overshooting

Whilst you should absolutely try to shoot day, less can be more! Back in photography’s analogue era, you were fixed to either 12, 24 or 36 exposures per roll of film – and it didn’t come cheap! This meant that thought was required before you pressed the shutter.
Whilst digital photography opens up the possibility of vast quantities, it also increases the risk of overshooting. Be careful not to merely ‘spray and pray’ – the quality will suffer. One recommended exercise is to go out for the day and limit yourself to no more than 12 photos. You might just find that you end up putting much more thought into what you are capturing and develop better shooting habits as a result.
5. Conspicuous Editing
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Contrast, shadows, exposure, highlights, vibrance, saturation, vignettes – the list is pretty endless. However, this can often make it easy to lose track of where an image started out! Moderation is key and subtlety is the name of the game. Quick tip: keep a copy of the original image side-by-side with your working edit, so that you can constantly see how far you have come.
We hope these five easy tips will put you on the path to greatness.
Bradley Allen is a freelance photographer and writer for Fat Lama.
Montenegro Photography Holiday Highlights with TDactive holidays
/0 Comments/in Blog, Documentary Photography, dublin photography school, dublin photography tuition, photography holidays, Romania Photography Holidays, transylvania photography holidays, travel photography /by DPS_AdminIn April 2018, the DPS team set out with 16 fellow photographers of all levels to one of the most rugged, untouched and unique areas of Europe, Montenegro. We landed in Dubrovnik, Croatia as the sun was blazing in all it’s glory offering us a balmy 21 degrees with clear skies. It was so refreshing after such a cold and dreary Irish winter that seemed to refuse to leave! We quickly grab our luggage, meet our guide and board a bus to one of the most beautiful places in the world. After just over a 20 minutes coach ride we are whisked to our destination, where we will spend our first evening at leisure exploring the amazing city of Dubrovnik, where the commanding views from it’s walls hint at the amazing scenes to come.
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Don’t Miss Out!
Transylvania Holiday September 13th- 17th 2018
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We wake to a stunning sunrise where the weather is fantastic for April in Croatia @22 degrees. Our day starts with a short drive across the border into Montenegro, but not before we stop to take in the viewing point of Dubrovnik. Moving accross the hard boarder of the E.U is no hassle as Montenegro has a fantastic relationship with Europe and is hoping to join the E.U in the coming years. We then move onto our first destination Perast, a truly picturesque old town on the Bay of Kotor. Despite having only one main street, the tiny town of Perast boasts 16 churches and 17 formerly grand palazzos. Here,on the streets of Perast, we meet our amazing guide Miro. The DPS team teach everything from semi automatic modes to composition, EV Comp and getting everybody up to speed with basics for the next few days.
After a lunch stop we enjoy a guided boat cruise from Perast to the island of Our Lady of The Rocks for a photo shoot in two locations, looking out over Our Lady of the Rocks as well as ample time to photograph the nearby St George’s Island. Regrouping after our boatride from the Island, we rebroad our bus and head to our next desitination, a beuatiful old town called Kotor. We plan to photograph Kotor from above so as we climb the steep pathway to our destination, we are treated to commanding vistas of the souroudding hills and bay, before stoping for a sunset shoot and filter demostration. The sun begins to set as we make the trip down to the centre of Kotor and head to our hotel for the evening, which is located in the stunning oldtown of Budva.
In the early morning, we set out to Lovcen National Park, located in rocky region of Dinara Alps. Here we journey via the impressive Serpentine Road that winds through the landscape with numerous stops to photograph the Bay of Kotor, also known as BokaBay, before continuing on to Skadar Lake. Lake Skadar lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro and is the largest lake in Southern Europe. You will have the chance to shoot iconic images of the lake from an elevated position. Following this we stop for lunch before take a guided boat cruise to the village of Virpazar. On board we are treated to local wines and cheeses and relax and enjoy the stunning views. Here the DPS teach how to photograph and compensate for movement when moving at speed, before stopping at Besac Fortress and photographing the black hills of its namesake Montenegro.
Early next morning we embark on a sunrise photo shoot at the walls of the oldtown of Budva. Following this we regroup for breakfast and board the bus for the Tara River and Black Lake, a glacial lake located on Mount Durmitor at an elevation of 1,416m. Stopping to photograph the Tara River Canyon while shooting from Djurdjevica Tara Bridge. At 1,300m deep the Tara River Canyon is among the deepest river canyons in the world. before stopping at a black lake for some stunning views and photographs that would be not out of place in the the rocky montains.
Morocco Photography Holiday
Oct 18th– 21st 2018