Exposure bracketing is a powerful technique that allows you to capture a wider range of tones in your images, particularly in scenes with high-contrast lighting. By taking multiple shots of the same scene at different exposure levels and blending them together, exposure bracketing ensures that both the highlights and shadows are properly exposed, resulting in a more balanced and dynamic final image. In this blog, I'll delve into what exposure bracketing is, why it's beneficial, and how to use it effectively in Lightroom, using a photo from my recent trip to Yosemite National Park as an example.
Understanding Exposure Bracketing:
Exposure bracketing involves taking a series of photos of the same scene, each with varying exposure settings. Typically, this includes capturing one image with the exposure set for the highlights to ensure they are properly exposed, another for the shadows to prevent them from being too dark, and a third to balance out the overall exposure. By blending these images together, photographers can create a final composite image that retains detail in both the brightest and darkest areas of the scene.
Why Use Exposure Bracketing:
Exposure bracketing is particularly useful in situations where the dynamic range of the scene exceeds the capabilities of the camera sensor. For example, scenes with high contrast lighting, such as landscapes at sunrise or sunset, often have bright skies and shadowed foregrounds. By bracketing exposures, photographers can ensure that both the sky and foreground are properly exposed, resulting in a more natural and balanced image.
Implementing Exposure Bracketing in Lightroom:
During my recent trip to Yosemite National Park, I encountered such a scenario while shooting at sunset. With the foreground in shadow and the sky ablaze with color, I knew exposure bracketing would be essential to capture the full dynamic range of the scene.
Capture Bracketed Exposures: On location, I adjusted my camera settings to capture three separate exposures of the same scene: one exposed for the foreground to capture detail in the shadows, one for the sky to retain highlight detail, and one to balance the overall exposure. If your camera doesn't have an automatic bracketing shooting mode, you can manually adjust the shutter speed to achieve the desired exposure variations.
Import and Select Images in Lightroom: Back at home, I imported all three images into Lightroom and selected them in the Library module.
Merge to HDR: With the images selected, I right-clicked and navigated to "Photo Merge" > "HDR" to initiate the HDR merging process.
Adjust HDR Settings: In the HDR merge dialog box, I fine-tuned the settings to my liking, including adjustments for ghosting reduction, alignment, and deghost amount.
Merge and Edit: Once satisfied with the settings, I clicked "Merge" to combine the bracketed exposures into a single HDR image. From there, I proceeded to edit the merged HDR image further, applying adjustments to contrast, color balance, masks, and other parameters to achieve my desired final result.
Exposure bracketing is a powerful technique that enables you to overcome the limitations of your camera sensors and capture scenes with high dynamic range more effectively. By blending multiple exposures in post-processing, you can create stunning images with detail retained in both highlights and shadows. With the step-by-step guide provided, mastering exposure bracketing in Lightroom is within reach, allowing you to elevate your photography and unlock new creative possibilities.
Hi Jalen, would this method work if you were using ND filters or polariser? Best regards Paul