You’ve heard it all: “Shoot manual,” “Golden hour is king,” “Always follow the rule of thirds.” But what if those trusted tips aren’t always right?
Whether warranted or not, receiving advice from other photographers is not uncommon. You may not have even asked for it, but someone felt it was necessary to give you that advice. I often find that the advice given to me early on should have been taken with a grain of salt as mere opinion, rather than taken as advice. Many tips that photographers give each other have become established over the years, and many act as if they are the gospel and cannot and should not be challenged. Recently, I came across a post by a photographer that challenged some commonly held photography tips and questioned whether they might be bad advice. It made me think about what common advice is considered rhetorical gospel and shouldn’t be challenged. Here are a few misleading photography tips, along with the truth behind them.
Always Shoot in Manual Mode
I don’t know when this advice will die off. You have heard it before: you're not a photographer if you're not shooting in manual mode. This is the number one thing mentoring students brings to me. They want to learn manual mode right out of the gate and skip over everything else because their friend or they read that manual mode is the only mode you shoot in. This is very misleading! It is essential to learn manual mode, as it can be a lifesaver. There are situations where manual mode is necessary. It is not the only mode you can or should be shooting in.
There is more than just manual mode on the camera’s mode dial. Options such as aperture and shutter priority modes are very effective in many situations. I can achieve the same level of exposure in these modes as in manual mode. The only difference is the speed at which I can reach my desired exposure. I will say, ninety percent of the time, I shoot in manual mode. Why? I am most comfortable with it, and my brain gets confused in the other modes because I am so used to shooting in manual mode. I can control my ISO and shutter speed when I shoot in shutter priority mode. However, if I decide to change the aperture, I can't in this mode. Since I need to control each variable of the exposure triangle, I need to be in manual mode.
Remember, manual mode is another tool for creating images. It's not the only way to shoot, as some believe. If you prefer to shoot in manual mode 100% of the time, great! Just remember that not every photographer needs to or wants to shoot in manual mode. Manual shooting is not the gospel, and many ways exist to achieve the same goal in creating images!
Full Frame Is Always Better
This was the truth in my book for a long time; now it is a thing of the past. The claim that “full frame is always better” is a persistent myth in photography and continues to circulate online. Often, this is fulfilled by marketing and a massive misunderstanding of what truly is “better.” Camera manufacturers use marketing buzzwords to capture your attention and convince you that a full frame camera is the best. Words like “rise above,” “powerhouse,” and “go beyond” have all been used to advertise full frame cameras. Do full frame sensors offer better quality? Yes, they do, and I won’t argue they don't. They offer advantages in image quality, low-light performance, and dynamic range, but are not always inherently superior for every photographer and situation.
In reality, APS-C and Micro Four Thirds have their place in the world of photography. They offer several benefits over full frame!
Portability and Practicality: Full frame cameras are typically heavier and larger, especially when considering the addition of a lens. Some prefer smaller systems if you're traveling, hiking, or a street photographer and prioritize being discreet. These days, there are full frame systems that meet these demands, but they are not as affordable for the casual user.
Effective Focal Length for Wildlife and Sports: A smaller camera sensor multiplies the effective focal length, which is often referred to as the crop factor. This will allow you to have a greater focal length. Remember, the crop factor differs slightly between a few manufacturers, and I have the info below.
Deeper Depth of Field for Macro and Product Photography: Smaller sensors inherently provide a deeper depth of field at the same aperture and framing. This is a significant advantage in macro photography or product work where maintaining sharpness across the subject is crucial.
You Need the Latest Gear to Take Great Images
False. This is more of a beginner mindset problem, but it still affects many. The most remarkable example I’ve ever known is a person who spent $12,000 on gear to photograph sports and was frustrated that, despite having the best gear, his images were poor. I also knew a high school student with a mid-range DSLR and a 70–200mm f/2.8 lens, who spent a few thousand dollars, was awarded for their sports photography, and produced great images. The difference, you ask? One took the time to research and understand their gear, while the other thought that the more money I spent, the better the images would be. What I am trying to say is that you don’t have to have a ton of expensive gear; you need to have the knowledge and know the limits of your gear to create great images.
Always Shoot During Golden Hour
Golden hour is beautiful but limiting. Depending on the intent of your photograph, there are many other times to be out shooting: cloudy, misty mornings, nighttime, and even artificial light. I am a firm believer that if you understand light, its quality, and direction, you can create powerful images at any time of day. It’s key to understand light and how to control it. While golden hour is lovely, almost any light can have a short life when you’re out shooting. You won’t have a lot of time to photograph, and let’s face it, you’re not going to have the most beautiful golden hour every day!
Raw is Always Better Than JPEG
“Raw is always better than JPEG” is one of photography's most persistent mantras. Undeniably, raw does have significant advantages over JPEG. Raw files contain all the unprocessed data captured by the camera’s sensor, allowing for greater control over your exposure, white balance, highlight recovery, and shadow recovery. This is a huge advantage for most photographers, but all that flexibility comes with a cost: larger file sizes, slower write speeds, and the need for post-processing. If you don't have software to read and process the raw files, you’re stuck until you do.
There are times when JPEG may be a smarter option. Sports, documentary, and event photography are a few examples.
Sports Photography: When shooting high-speed action, raw files can slow down your camera's buffer, hindering your burst rate. JPEG files allow you to capture more frames without any issues. This means you're less likely to miss the peak action.
Documentary: Speed and efficiency matter in another fast-moving environment, and larger files will slow down the camera again. Most of the time, you cannot or are not allowed to edit the photo beyond basic adjustments. A well-exposed JPEG is all you'll need.
Event Photography: It involves taking hundreds, if not thousands, of photographs. Shooting raw files will require hours of unnecessary image editing. Shooting JPEG files with dialed-in settings will allow for a faster project turnaround and happier customers. Often, I find that clients wanting their events photographed are not overly concerned about the images—it’s not like a large commercial shoot for their project.
The bottom line is that raw is a powerful tool! However, it is not always the right tool for the job, and the best format depends on your priorities.
In the End
I mentioned in the beginning that tips and advice are not always the gospel, like many things. Rules in photography can be broken, and there are ten ways to achieve results—no one way is the correct or best way! There is no such thing as the photography gospel; everyone has tips. It is just another way of doing it. I am curious: What have you heard other photographers say and act as if it's gospel? Please comment below, as I would love to hear from you!
I agree with all of this if I look at my print sales and I do keep stats on it on what type of images that sell rarely do I sell the beautiful golden hour photos for prints on the wall and I often say to my customers that an hour before sunset before you reach Golden hour it's just starting to turn a little bit orange is the best time you've still got a bit of the blue from the daytime mixed with a little bit of yellow and orange coming in is actually the best time it's not blue hour which is after but it's actually the hour before sunset and this is actually the best and softest light as you've still got some nice bright light but it's soft enough that you can work with it.