Ekusupouja Buraaketto

The first thing we're going to talk about is exposure bracketing (just bracketing from here on out). Bracketing is probably the most annoying thing to do while shooting, but you'll love yourself for it in post-production.

What is Bracketing?

Bracketing is when you take several photographs of the exact same image, each with a set shutter speed and a changing aperture. To start, you check the light meter to find what seems to be the "perfect" image. After that, you shoot one stop below, two stops below, one stop above, and two stops above. You can shoot however many stops above and below, but doing two stops is common.

What is a Stop?

A stop, or f-stop, is the aperture setting (e.g. f/1.8, f/3.5, f/20, etc). With most DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras, you change stops by holding a specified button down and turning the wheel. F-stop and aperture affect how much light your lens takes in, and the depth of field (what is in focus).

Why Bracket?

Because you're a masochist. No, but actually... it's because what seems like a perfect photo according to the light meter may not always be perfect when you go to edit or print.

Examples of Bracketing

The photos below show bracketing.

-2 stops







-1 stop


 

0

+1 stop

+2 stops






In the situation above, I wound up liking and going with the +1 stop, and not the one that appeared to be perfect in the light meter.