They say that wedding photography is among the hardest genres. Beginners are especially worried about their shots of the first kiss, because this moment flashes by so quickly, and also because it’s unrepeatable. Luckily the situation isn’t as complicated as it might at first sight seem, even though there’s a lot that can happen.

Intermediate photographers often complain about their equipment, and they can really pour a lot of money into it. They’re also always chasing after better photos and mumbling something about “good light”. Photographers are a community and they have their quirks, but are they all the same?

People are among the most common subjects in photography. People in motion, people in poses, people on the street. And people are important in pictures even when they’re not the subject, by enlivening the picture or showing scale. But do you know what not to do when photographing people?

Almost every photographer’s artistic development goes like this: first they take a camera and photograph everything without being aware that there are any rules, and so they break them with a clean conscience (and unconsciously). Then they dive into studying photography, start applying and following its rules, and finally reach the point where they once again start breaking them—but this time knowledgeably, and on purpose.

Beginners’ mistakes are free. (Well, psychologically at least.) But you should still learn from them—even more than from your successes. And sometimes you can learn about them before they happen. So let’s take a look at photographers’ most common mistakes.