Man, I used to be all in on chasing every cheap part first, no question. Then I burned a whole afternoon on a Samsung chasing a bad wire in a harness when the board was the real culprit, and the customer was mad at me for the bill anyway. These days it comes down to age and access. If the unit is under 10 years old and I can get to the thermistor or relay in a few minutes, I test it and swap the cheap part every time. Once you're pushing 15 years and the plastic is brittle and the harness looks like spaghetti, a board swap is the smarter call for both of us, and it stops the callback cycle. The relay job feeling better on the drive home is real though, that never goes away.

That cracked curb advice is real. Spent two years shooting bands in dim clubs and wondering why my shots felt flat until someone told me the singer's shadow on the back wall was better than the singer. Started walking lots before shows, just looking down. Weird thing is the edges teach you light faster than the subject does, because nothing there is trying to look good. Try this next time you are out: turn your phone upside down and frame the ground first, then bring the main thing in last. Nine times out of ten the frame gets better and you stop caring about the obvious shot. Your parking lot picture sounds like the real deal, that stretched light is the kind of thing nobody plans.