Bracketing Explained

Bracketing Explained

Bracketing is the technique of taking multiple shots of the same scene at different exposure levels. The most common type is exposure bracketing, where you take one shot at the metered exposure, one or two stops underexposed, and one or two stops overexposed. The goal is to ensure you have a usable image in challenging lighting, or to combine the exposures later for a result that captures more dynamic range than any single shot.

The simplest use of bracketing is insurance. In high-contrast situations where you are not sure if the metered exposure is correct, bracketing gives you alternatives. You might find that the overexposed version has better shadow detail while the underexposed version preserves highlights that were clipped in the normal shot. Having the bracket means you can choose the best exposure later on a proper monitor instead of guessing on the camera screen.

Bracketing is also used for focus stacking. Instead of varying exposure, you vary the focus point. Take one shot focused on the foreground, one on the midground, and one on the background. Later you blend them together in software to get an image that is sharp from front to back. This is essential in macro photography where depth of field is extremely shallow, and useful in landscape photography for maximum sharpness.

White balance bracketing takes the same shot at different white balance settings. This was more useful in the JPEG era when adjusting white balance in post was difficult. With raw files, you can adjust white balance freely, so white balance bracketing is less common today. But it can still be useful if you shoot JPEG and encounter mixed lighting where the correct white balance is uncertain.

Most cameras have an auto bracketing mode. You set the number of shots and the exposure increment, and the camera fires them in sequence with one press of the shutter. A typical bracket is three shots at plus and minus one stop, but you can go wider with five or seven shots at plus and minus two stops for extreme dynamic range scenes. A tripod is recommended for brackets that will be blended, as even slight alignment differences cause problems in the merged result.