That old timer who told me to stop bracketing my shots was dead wrong

I was shooting a sunrise at Horseshoe Bend in Arizona a few years back. This guy with a beat up Pentax walks up and says just meter for the highlights and forget bracketing, film is too expensive. I listened to him and my highlights were fine but the canyon shadows came out completely black and muddy. Has anyone else had bad luck following advice from experienced shooters who act like their way is the only way?

2 comments

2 Comments

palmer.ryan6d ago

Went back to bracketing after losing a few shadow details that way myself.

lee.cole6d ago

Remembered a similar thing @palmer.ryan, some old gearhead told me to only spot meter off the sky during golden hour... lost all the texture in some red rock formations and ended up with these flat, lifeless shots.