3 Photography Tips You Can Ignore

Issue 171 – Everybody has a tip...

The world of photography is full of advice—some valuable, some outdated, and some just plain unnecessary. While it’s always good to learn and understand the basics, there are a few commonly cited photography tips that might not be as universal as they seem. In this article, I’ll explore three such tips that you can safely ignore under the right circumstances, with insights into when and why they might not apply to your photography.

1. Always Shoot in Manual Mode

The Clown Fish kept darting in and out of the Sea Anemone. I wanted to freeze his movements, so I shot in Shutter Priority Mode.

The idea that you should always shoot in manual mode is often presented as a badge of honor for serious photographers. The underlying notion is that manual mode gives you complete control over your camera, allowing you to precisely craft your images. While that’s true in theory, insisting on manual mode for every situation can be impractical, if not counterproductive.

In fast-paced environments, such as sports, wildlife, or street photography, the time it takes to manually adjust settings can mean missing a critical shot. For example, if you’re photographing a bird in flight and it suddenly shifts from bright sunlight to shadow, fiddling with your shutter speed and aperture might cost you the moment. In these cases, semi-automatic modes like aperture priority (Av) or shutter priority (Tv) can be lifesavers.

Aperture priority allows you to control depth of field while letting the camera adjust the shutter speed for proper exposure, and shutter priority ensures you can freeze motion or create intentional blur without worrying about the rest. These modes are not "cheats"—they’re tools designed to enhance your efficiency and creativity.

Manual mode has its place, especially for studio work, long exposures, or situations where you have the time to meticulously craft each setting. But don’t let anyone convince you you’re less of a photographer for letting the camera lend a hand when needed.

2. Always Use the Rule of Thirds

I walked around a corner and startled this Egret. Since my focus point was in the middle, I composed the shot with the Egret in the center of the frame. The shot still works despite not using the rule-of-thirds.

The rule of thirds is one of the first compositional guidelines photographers learn. It’s simple: divide your frame into nine equal parts with two horizontal and two vertical lines, and place your subject along these lines or at their intersections. While this can create balanced, visually pleasing images, treating it as an unbreakable rule can stifle your creativity.