What is bracketing, and why would you use it?
Asked 2/20/2013
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I often see the terms bracketing and auto bracketing in photography. In simple terms, what do they mean? Why would a photographer bracket shots, and when is auto bracketing useful?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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What is bracketing?
According to 'Bracketing' on Wikipedia,
In photography, bracketing is the general technique of taking several shots of the same subject using different camera settings. Bracketing is useful and often recommended in situations that make it difficult to obtain a satisfactory image with a single shot, especially when a small variation in exposure parameters has a comparatively large effect on the resulting image.
Autobracketing is automatic bracketing by using a setting on the camera to take several bracketed shots (in contrast to the photographer altering the settings by hand between each shot). Given the time it takes to accomplish multiple shots, it is typically, but not always, used for static subjects.
There are 6 main kinds of bracketing:
- Exposure Bracketing
- Flash Bracketing
- Depth of Field Bracketing
- Focus Bracketing
- White Balance Bracketing
- ISO Bracketing
When the general term 'bracketing' is used, however, it usually refers to Exposure Bracketing.
What is it for?
The reasoning behind this is to be certain that you have taken the perfect shot; for example, when Exposure Bracketing, you will take three or more photos. At least one photo will be underexposed, at least one overexposed and one will be perfect.
Also: Exposure Fusion
Exposure Fusion is the process of fusing together three or more photos at different exposures. This is a kind of HDR, despite what Mark Evans says in his otherwise good DPS article also linked below (more info - Comparison of HDR effects).
Photo with exposure fusion
Learn more: Digital Photography School
Originally by user14416. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14416
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Bracketing means taking several photos of the same scene while changing one setting between shots. The most common example is exposure bracketing: one shot at the meter reading, one darker, and one brighter.
The idea is to improve your chances of getting a satisfactory result when the “correct” setting is uncertain or when small changes can make a big difference. It’s especially useful in difficult lighting or other situations where you want a safety margin.
Auto bracketing is just the camera doing this sequence for you automatically instead of you changing settings manually between frames. Many enthusiast cameras offer it, and it can save time and make the process more convenient.
Bracketing is often used with static subjects, because taking multiple shots takes time and movement between frames can cause problems.
Types of bracketing can include exposure, flash, white balance, depth of field, and other settings depending on the camera.
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