What is exposure bracketing?

Exposure bracketing is a technique in photography where a series of photographs are captured at different exposure settings. This practice allows a photographer to ensure that at least one image will be properly exposed, especially in challenging lighting situations. By varying the exposure (through adjustments to shutter speed, aperture, or ISO), the photographer creates images that can range from underexposed to overexposed.

This is particularly useful in high-contrast scenes where details may be lost in the highlights or shadows. Photographers can then select the best exposed image during post-processing or use the different exposures to create high dynamic range (HDR) images.

Taking multiple shots at the same exposure level would not fulfill the purpose of bracketing since it lacks variability in exposure. Simply shooting in varied light conditions does not necessarily involve adjusting exposure settings, nor does capturing images with different white balances relate to exposure settings directly. Therefore, the practice of adjusting exposures is key to effective exposure bracketing.