Chances are, if you’re just starting out your photography journey, you’ve already asked family and friends if they want any family photos. It’s not a bad place to start, given that you have more leeway in comparison with a paying client you don’t know.

I’m a part of several photography groups on social media, and I often see beginner photographers post their work and asking for CC (constructive criticism).

Pro tip: this is the right mindset for any art form, as it is the way we grow as artists.

One of the most common mistakes I see is them standing over a baby and pointing the camera down at a 45° angle.

And then I write to them…get on their level.

Aside from the fact that it’s unflattering, it makes for a poor composition. Instead of a nice and blurred background with depth and colors, you just get in-focus grass and dirt behind them.

Your friends and family might give you a pass, but a full-on paying client is probably gonna express that they aren’t impressed. Or, best case, they won’t rehire you, refer you, or even give you any feedback. So…you may go into the next shoot repeating the same mistake.

Having nice gear is only a small part of the equation as a photographer. You also have to an eye for composition and storytelling through your lens. That’s what they’re paying you for…not for how much you spent on your gear.

And I’d wager it doesn’t even only apply to portrait sessions. Even during events when I sneak candids of people at their tables, I crouch down.

You want the camera to be at their eye level and pointing straight. Not from several feet above them pointing down.

Remember this tip and keep on shooting.