What common bad photography habits are worth breaking?

Several recurring habits can hold photographers back:

• Using settings by habit instead of intent, such as always shooting wide open or forgetting to reset ISO or JPEG/RAW after a session.
• Shooting too quickly without reviewing the frame carefully for angle, aperture, light, framing, or distractions.
• Ignoring the histogram and relying only on the rear screen.
• Focusing so much on the subject that the background gets overlooked.
• Trying to include too much in the frame instead of simplifying the composition.
• Not learning the camera well enough, which leads to fiddling with controls and spending mental energy on technical issues instead of creativity.
• Over-planning or perfectionism that delays actually taking photos.
• Inconsistent gear habits, like bringing a tripod when it isn’t needed and forgetting it when it is.

A good way to break these habits is to slow down and build a short pre-shot checklist: exposure settings, file format, histogram, edges/background, and whether the composition is simple and intentional. Practice and review help turn that into routine.