After six years of professional shooting, I'm convinced that computational photography is making traditional camera skills less relevant. My smartphone now captures images in low light that would have required a full studio setup a decade ago, yet I still see photographers clinging to manual mode as if it's a moral obligation. The real question is whether mastering light, composition, and timing still matters when software can fix exposure and even recompose shots after the fact. I've watched clients choose phone shots over my DSLR work when the phone's HDR and night mode deliver 'good enough' results, and that trend isn't slowing down.