Bracketing in Photography – Same Subject Photos with Various Camera Settings

1. Bracketing in Photography – Same Subject Photos with Various Camera Settings Bracketing in photography is a technique where in the photographer takes several shots of a subject using various camera settings. This technique is recommended (and useful) in photographic situations that make it hard to obtain or shoot a satisfactory image in one shot. This is especially true when a small adjustment in exposure can have a significant effect on the end result. Some modern cameras have an autobracketing feature, which automatically takes several bracketed shots to save a photographer’s time, manually altering settings between shots. Exposure bracketing is the most common and widely used type of bracketing in photography. As a matter of fact, the term bracketing, absent of any further qualifications, generally refers to exposure bracketing, where in a photographer takes the same picture at various exposure levels in an effort to get the most satisfactory results. In technical terms, bracketing is accomplished by adjusting either the aperture or the shutter speed, or with more modern digital cameras, the ISO speed, and/or combinations of these settings. Exposure can likewise be altered by changing the light level, using filters, or perhaps changing the amount of illumination the subject has (such as using flash or artificial light). Today,bracketing in photography can instantly be achieved with the help of modern cameras that are designed to shoot bracketed series of photographs, automatically. However, many photographers still find the manual adjustment of exposure, shutter speed, and aperture a more enjoyable and customizable way to achieve bracketing. In post-processing, images produced as a result of exposure bracketing are also often combined, resulting in a high-dynamic range image, exposing various portions of the photograph by differing amounts. There is also flash bracketing, which makes use of electronic flash (usually fill flash) to achieve the bracketing effect. This alters the appearance of existing light, all the while maintaining the amount of exposure, overall. This is done in order to achieve the most pleasing mixture of fill flash and ambient light. Another type of bracketing in photography is known as depth of field bracketing. This technique allows the photographer to take a series of pictures using various stepped apertures (f-stops). Other types of bracketing can likewise be achieved by altering focus, white balance, and ISO settings.