[UncleVanya]

• 1/Focal Length shutter speed - went out the door with the K100D Super for me.
• f/8 and be there - I am more specific in what I want DOF to be than that now.
• Filters - I used a ton of them on film - virtually none in Digital since most of the effects can be added in post.
• Bellows - film required more direct manipulation of image in camera. So I got into bellows and macro shots were blown up via extension. These days I have a dedicated macro but beyond that I can crop to enhance the subject size if needed.
• Bracketing - as I have moved into raw processing I found that I rarely need to bracket - the image lattitude is so large I just shoot and if it looks close I am good.
• High ISO avoidance - Noise reduction and newer sensors has made my fear of > ISO 100 a thing of the past.
• Lens Bigotry - I try to be open minded because I think nearly any lens can produce better images in the hands of a master than I can with the best lens made.
• Pan and Tilt - I am trying to get used to ball heads after many years of being a pan/tilt guy. While my main heads are all ball heads now, I still struggle with this one.
• Shooting strangers with permission. I have gone back and forth on this - I have shot many strangers without their knowledge over the years in various candids. Recently I have tried to just ask when I see someone interesting I want to make a portrait of rather than just wanting to capture them doing what they are doing. The two are distinctly different and I find their responses enlightening.

[monochrome]

I don't think that's necessarily a falsehood mono.

It is a Rule of Thumb that I no longer Follow, since I now have a K-1 and a K-3

[derelict]

- "Golden hour" everything. No thank you. My "Golden hour" is sitting at the table, eating breakfast with my wife while we try watch the hilariousness that is an 18 month old eating oatmeal with a spoon.

- Do not shoot at noon. Sorry, but that is when I can be outside. I will adapt and black and white can save me. Thank you.

[Kerrowdown]

What photography Rule-Of-Thumb have you quit (or you are trying to quit) following?

Mine is quit using "F/8.0 and Be There"... from years of working in that type of industry.

My "Ladies" gain an extra couple of steps in speed by using F4.0 and F5.6, while still maintaining an acceptable level of both sharpness and depth of field.

[Madaboutpix]

"Never shoot into the sun" springs to mind. Actually, never completely subscribed to it in the first place. Not even back in the film days. When I hear it reiterated today, depending on my mood, it makes me either chuckle inwardly or cringe.

Granted, you can turn almost anything into a tired cliché or some sort of mannerism, and reducing photography to a deliberate flare orgy is certainly no exception.

That said, however, I have found that, particularly with modern coatings and high DR, intense backlight can make for highly satisfying photographs.

[dsmithhfx]

"Keep your thumb off the lens"

The thumb is an important creative tool that can offer many surprising pictures. Repeated applications of the thumb enhances the prized, retro 'soft focus' effect on lenses that do not have "art" in their name. And, if you wear glasses, you can enjoy this creamy bokeh when not taking pictures, as I do all day long. Try it with sunblock or hotdog condiments, for added punch.

[ChatMechant]

For me its been trying to break the habit of having everything in an image exposed properly. Like leave a little darkness or blow some highlights once in a while. The dr of the k1 is a bit of an enabler in that regard.

[Murfy]

photograph it in the fall...winter or spring...you dont have to get up early...although I have an allergy to winter...cold you know...

I forgot to mention I think 9am is too early. I'd have to move to Alaska for the winter to get a sunrise shot...but then it would be cold. Yup definitely no sunrise shots in my future.

[Des]

"Always compose and focus carefully before shooting". By then often the bird has flown (literally or metaphorically). Cropping can often fix composition. With focusing, close is better than nothing. New rule: do your best, but just shoot. And keep shooting. Chimp and delete later.

[Tanzer]

I used to think that if "the best camera is the one that you have with you," then "I'll just carry the best DLSR (K-3) that I have, everywhere."

But I have come to realize how uncomfortable people can get when they see a big camera. So I am trying to force myself to carry one of my smaller cameras (Q, MX-1, etc), and put up with the loss of IQ in favor of a more relaxed shooting environment.

In other words, "the best pictures happen when people (subjects, bystanders, or security guards) are not annoyed by a big scary camera." I have absolutely no interest in becoming a street photographer, but sometimes, it helps to think like one. It's not about what I'm willing to carry, it's about what I can get away with carrying.

[jpzk]

1. Rule of third: I don't really pay attention to that anymore. If the picture please ME, it's fine.
2. SR: since I turned it "off" on my K3 .... I am getting better results.
3. Sunny 16 .... what?
And I'm sure I am always pissing off people who say "you should do this/that" !

[officiousbystander]

I don't worry about noise so much anymore. Noise rarely ruins an inherently good image, but an artificially smooth smeared look can.

[normhead]

I'm trying to think of a rule of thumb that has become irrelevant. Crank your film advance a quarter turn to make sure the film is secure on the sockets and loading onto the take-up spool, comes to mind.

[wissink]

- "Golden hour" everything. No thank you. My "Golden hour" is sitting at the table, eating breakfast with my wife while we try watch the hilariousness that is an 18 month old eating oatmeal with a spoon.

- Do not shoot at noon. Sorry, but that is when I can be outside. I will adapt and black and white can save me. Thank you.

Amen sir! Family doesnt' allow the advertised necessity for shooting at certain times or even in certain exotic places. I simply can't go out many times.

[rod_grant]

Golden hour stuff can be really good.
But to make images in a harsh climate sometimes harsh light is best.


And when travelling, one can't be at every significant scenic view during the golden hour!