Chimping is Good, Except When It's Not!

Telluride, Colorado, USA

My portfolios and galleries of photographs can be found here.

Many photography teachers will tell you not to chimp.  I don't disagree completely with that philosophy as I think chimping under the right circumstances and for the right reasons can help you become a much better photographer much more quickly than when we shot film.

Here are some reasons to chimp or check your image and exposure after, at least, a preliminary shot:

a) See your overall exposure
b) See your composition and assess if is what you want in two dimensions rather than three
c) Assess image sharpness by using the magnify function
d) Assess your depth of field to see if it is adequate or the way you want it
e) Determine if shutter speed is adequate?
f) Determine if your aperture is adequate?
g) Your histogram is the best light meter so check it for "exposé to the right"
h) Check your overexposure blinkies

Here are some reasons why you should not chimp:

a) If you have a low battery with no spare
b) If it causes you to take time so that you miss opportunities to make a fleeting photograph
c) Excess chimping can cause your to obsess over your images

Looking at your LCD on the back of your camera can be an asset for making better and more successful images, but should not be a distraction or get in the way of your vision and concentration.

Thanks for looking.  Enjoy!

Dennis Mook


All content on this blog is © Dennis A. Mook.  All Rights Reserved.  Feel free to point to this blog from your website with full attribution.  Permission may be granted for commercial use.  Please contact Mr. Mook to discuss permission to reproduce the blog posts and/or images.