When you shoot photos as a beginner, you might find yourself having a few problems. Don’t become frustrated from these mistakes, as all of us have made them at one time or another in our lives as photographers. Always remember, with photography, experience is key … as long as you learn from your mistakes.

Beginning photographers tend to experience a set of problems that is common to almost every new photographer, regardless of the type of camera they own.

By developing a routine each time you you begin a photographic session, you'll have a better chance of avoiding these common problems that beginning photographers experience.

Check the settings and components listed below each time you start a photographic session to increase the odds of having success!

• Dirty lens. It’s easy to end up with a beginner camera with a dirty lens, as the lenses tend to accumulate smudges and oils from your skin. Such smudges will quickly diminish the quality of your photos. To avoid this problem take care not to touch the lens with your fingers. If your lens already has smudges on it, use a microfiber cloth to clean the lens. If you need to use a few drops of water or lens cleaning fluid to remove the smudges, place it on the microfiber cloth, rather than directly on the lens glass.
• Dirty LCD screen. This is another common problem for beginning photographers, especially if they’re viewing the photos on the LCD screen with small children around, who want to touch the screen as they view the photos. When you’re reviewing your photos, a dirty LCD will make it difficult for you to determine the quality and sharpness of your photos. Again clean the LCD screen with a dry microfiber cloth. If you need liquid to clean the screen, never place the liquid directly on the LCD screen. Instead place a drop or two on the microfiber cloth. Use very little liquid when cleaning an LCD screen.

• LCD screen isn’t bright enough. When shooting outdoors it’s common for a beginner-level camera to have screen glare from the sunlight, meaning you cannot see the screen’s images very well. Look through your camera’s menus and see whether you have the option of increasing the brightness of the screen. Otherwise try shading the LCD screen with your hand to reduce the glare, or try using the camera in an area of shade.
• Dead or low battery. If the battery is almost exhausted of power, the camera may begin functioning poorly. The zoom lens might not work or the camera may turn itself off with no warning. Just be sure to fully charge the battery before you begin a long photography session, or purchase and carry a second battery.
• Camera turns off randomly. Most beginner-level cameras include a power saving feature, where the camera turns itself off or goes into “sleep” mode after a set amount of time or inactivity. Sometimes, the sleep mode can begin after only a couple of minutes of inactivity, which might make the camera appear as though it’s turning off randomly. Look through the camera’s menus to change the power saving feature’s settings. You can increase the amount of time before sleep mode begins or you might be able to turn off the power saving feature.
• Computer connection doesn’t work. This may be the most frustrating aspect of using your beginner-level camera, as no one likes it when technology doesn't work like it's supposed to work. Most of the time, the computer will automatically recognize the camera, once you make the USB connection between the two devices. If it doesn’t though make sure the USB cable is connected tightly to the USB slots. Or you can remove the memory card from the camera and insert it directly in a memory card slot on the computer to recover your photos. If your camera has a Wi-Fi connection available, you can use it to upload photos to your computer.
• Unable to open photos on the computer. To fix this problem you may need to install the software that came with your camera, as some cameras shoot in an odd format that your computer cannot read. Or you may have to upgrade your firmware.