Do I need to bracket a sunset if the histogram shows no clipping?
Asked 3/9/2018
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When shooting a sunset in RAW using live view, if the histogram shows no clipping in either the shadows or highlights, is there any benefit to exposure bracketing? My goal is to reproduce what the scene looked like to my eye in post-processing. For example, if the sky was a very saturated orange, do I need an extra frame exposed specifically for the sky, or should a single RAW file be enough as long as the highlights are not clipped?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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I always attempt to bring the image to what the scene looked like with the naked eye when I was there. Basically, I’m wondering if I am capturing all the necessary data to achieve this in post processing when the histogram shows there is no clipping at either end. For example if the sky was a very saturated orange, is it necessary to add a shot that is exposed for the sky, or can I recover that color from my single shot in post processing since there was no clipping of the highlights?
Because of the way digital sensors work, if your main concern is preserving the highlights and your histogram shows no clipping there you are probably fairly safe that you don't need to bracket.
If, on the other hand, there are extensive dark areas in the image as well that you wish to boost in post, then bracketing for the shadows could be helpful. When we "see a scene with our eyes" our brains do a lot of compensation for different brightness levels in the scene and we perceive the darker areas to be brighter than they really are compared to the brightest parts of the scene.
Even when the histogram does not show clipping in the shadows, boosting the shadows in post will also boost noise, which is also above the clipping threshold. By taking bracketed shots that expose brighter to place the shadows closer to the mid-range tones, you will blow out the highlights but will preserve the details of the shadows with much less noise in them.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
8y ago
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Usually, no. If your histogram shows no highlight clipping, a single RAW exposure is often enough for a sunset, especially if the scene is relatively low contrast.
A few points:
- Protecting highlights is the main concern with sunsets. If they aren’t clipped, you’re generally safe.
- The camera histogram is based on the JPEG preview and current picture settings, even when shooting RAW, so the RAW file often has a bit more recoverable headroom.
- Bracketing is more useful when you also need to lift very dark shadow areas a lot in post, or when the scene’s dynamic range exceeds what one exposure can handle.
- You might also bracket for creative flexibility, but it usually isn’t necessary just to preserve sunset color if the highlights are intact.
So: if the highlights aren’t clipping and you’re not trying to recover deep shadows heavily, there’s usually no real need to bracket.
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