That’s Why BRACKETING is Ruining Your EXPOSURE

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

🌟 QUICK QUESTION: How often do you Exposure Bracket?

[@ddki9094]

I would say I bracket maybe 30 percent of the time.

[@echoauxgen]

Most always for sunrise/set, with the sun above the horizon you get a small sun ball instead of a blown out sun over taking a cloud full sky. Not many have this available but I like also to do on a driftwood beach during blue hour this way the dark side of driftwood is lit and sharp while the first light on the horizon is only visible to the camera and a sky full of stars makes for a great blended image.

[@noscamiam]

Nearly always especially since I am using my Samsung S24 Ultra. Walking the dogs, beautiful sunset, go to Expert raw mode, set the ISO, and usually get by with two exposures. It is unreal how well Lightroom can align those pictures even when taken handheld.

[@terrycoker1798]

I'm starting to use it more often due to the tremendous highlight or backlit issues both indoor and outdoor.

[@RichardLarssen]

Not much but I always underexpose 0.7 stops on my land/seascapes. Nothing the Sony A7RV cant handle with it's outstanding IQ and DR. Sometimes I use 2 shot bracketing, one -0.7 and one +0.7 . I used to take 5 photo exposure bracketing but I always ended up deleting the darkest and the light exposures. Waste of space doing multiple shots image bracketing. The great camera sensor these days makes bracketing less and less irrelevant but it is a nice option to have and It cant be totally replaced.

[@sjedouglas]

HDR has changed so much over the last 15 years I've been taking photos. When I first started, photo editing software gave horrific results and HDR was something I avoided as much as possible, I'm sure you know the kind of edits I'm talking about. I photograph a lot of abandoned tunnels and one day I was capturing a scene by a portal where I had no choice but to bracket (I've always done it manually so I can review what I'm seeing) and the end result was spot on. It's amazing how much editing technology has moved on to provide results which look lifelike as opposed to the ugly HDR scenes of the early 2010s.

[@Teewinot2]

With the incredible dynamic range available in most modern digital sensors, I almost never need to exposure bracket. As long as the highlights aren't blown, its easy to pull amazing amounts of detail out of the shadows.

[@sounderdavis5446]

I felt the same way until recently, but experimenting this fall in the Smokies with shooting landscapes normally, and the same scene bracketed, when the sky was bright and there were deep shadows and minimal clipping, the single shot was often very good edited and sometimes indistinguishable from the HDR Merge, but other times, HDR Merge captured detail and color the single shot missed.

[@MFP_Photography]

Thanks for the reminder about bracketing. I had started down that path of not evaluating the scene and making adjustments to my bracketing pattern. Little reminders like this go a long way in making better photographs. Thanks Mark!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Great to hear it was helpful!

[@richhughes2225]

Thanks, Mark. This is not a complex topic, but this video provides some simple information which I had not considered.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Great to hear it was helpful!

[@JohnDoranski]

FYI - I did learn that if the ISO is high, make sure to De-noise each photo before the HDR process as LR will not de-noise HDR (or at least my system won’t).

[@lucasperrin7049]

Very good video and excellent advice. I must admit that I've always bracketed at +1 / -1 without asking myself any questions. Now I'm going to analyse the scene more. Thank you so much! !

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Lucas!

[@HR-wd6cw]

What I've gotten in the habit of doing is while I'm trying to find my composition, I usually will also take a second and put the camera into spot meter mode (or center weighted, but usually spot) and meter the entire scene (the lightest and darkest areas and figure out my exposure bracketing strategy from there, and that I suggest people do each time you are going to shoot bracketed shots. Find your composition, then figure out what the brightest part of your scene is and note the exposure -- shutter speed, and the same for the darkest area that you care about and not the shutter speed, and then calculate how many stops that is and set up your camera accordingly). Also realize that most camera will take the normal exposure first, and then take the under and over exposed shots, so make sure your starting shot is set up correctly (correct exposure settings) for how your camera is set up to bracket. I think on NIkons you can tell them to bracket from Normal, then under and then over, OR you can tell them to start under exposed, then normal, and then over (which is what I prefer to do so when I look at the images in LR, I can see the entire sequence in proper order). But regardless of that, you should set your bracketing up for each scene and not just get in the habit of using pre-set settings, UNLESS you set up a wide bracket by default, say like 5 shots at 1-stop apart, then that might work 80-90% of the time, you may just end up with a lot of extra shots you don't need. But usually checking the exposure range with spot metering only takes a few seconds to figure out. Also by doing the exposure check before shooting, you may find in some situation,s you may not need to bracket at all, and may be able to get away with other faster techniques like ETTR. My general rule for myself is if it's more than about 3-stops difference, I am probably going to bracket (Even though modern cameras can do more like 10-stops in a single frame if exposed properly, meaning you get the maximum amount of data by using ETTR for example). But when in doubt, bracket your shots.

[@Niteskate1]

Thanks Mark, I must admit this is a subject I am a little weak on and sometimes in too much of a rush to use. This made it easier to grasp, time to get out and get more shots.

[@Deg99]

When required which is probly 20% of the time....but I'm always thinking of the available light....great video!

[@Wklambert]

Mark, I've been watching your videos for years. For that matter, I've been watching photo tutorial videos for at least the last 5 years. This video is the first one ever - that I remember - that says what the "telltale sign" of when we should consider bracketing. Being 100% self-taught, it's little nuggets like that one, that could quite possibly transform someone's (Including mine...) photography. I've often wondered if there was a trigger. Now I know there is. Thank you sir!!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Great to hear this - thank you!

[@JohnDoranski]

Full moon photography. Because of the changing light as the moon rises, for the Beaver Moon I decided to do a 7 shot bracket to ensure one or two pics was good. So, bracketing can be used to capture a variety of settings with one push of the button. I may HDR one or two to see if anything improves, but rarely. Again, I like to use bracketing for full moon rise once a month to merely capture a wider variety of exposures. Thanks for the great video.

[@womenhealers]

Great video Mark! I've definitely been guilty of "set it and forget it", and have been disappointed with the result. Lots of really great tips here... one that will stick with me is seeing the U-shaped histogram, suggesting the need for bracketing. Don't know why I didn't think of that myself 🤔

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much!

[@pamreynolds2518]

Thank you. This is a detail I hadn’t learned yet. I defaulted to 3 exposures at 1 stop all the time. Look forward to trying this!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad it was helpful Pam!

[@chrishall6364]

Enjoyed the video, thanks Mark; my own approach is to take two images, one exposed for the sky and one for the land, then blend them in Photoshop; seems to work!

[@RaySweeting]

Also you should try ISO bracketing, particularly with waterfalls. No changes to apiture (depth of field) or shutter speed.

[@jurajzimanyi2307]

not really useful. The main purpose of bracketing is to let more/less light hitting the sensor with each bracket. With ISO bracketing, the amount of light hitting the sensor is equal for each bracket and the only difference is the output signal amplification what especially with ISO invariant sensor results in same pictures as if the exposure was corrected during RAW development.

[@echoauxgen]

Thanks for the info on +/-EV between, like you said many just do the same like 3 or 5 at +/-2EV. You are most great to point out if you get a really dark and bright in the first and last you need to reduce to +/- 1. Most cameras will also let you do 9 at +/- 1. I got into the bracketing to capture a moon sharp and in focus but also with a bright foreground. The setting ISO/SS 125 and f/8 to 11 for focusing and .5 SS at +/- 3EV as center, the moon moves so you get ghosting of the moon so to reduce it just keep ISO/SS equal as you increase SS making a faster SS as center vs the .5 it is really hard to find a program that will control ghosting and process 5 at +/- 3EV. More info the moon no matter the lens will never be as big as you see it even zooming in. For those who still have a mirrored camera and limited to the 3 at +/- 2EV there is the Promote Control device that will hold the mirror up for all exposures and you can select what ever amount of shots and whatever +/-EV. When I had the CanonT2i I used it back in 2010 and learned a lot then.

[@simonpayne7994]

The way I go is to automatically take at least 5 shots 2 stops apart. If I do not need the outer ones I simply throw them away prior to the merge. Another option I have on my RX10iv is to take 9 shots. I usually set the niner to 1 stop apart. Sometimes I just pick one of the shots out of the middle and decide not to merge at all. Deep black shadows usually look better than a peculiar reduced contrast HDR merge look. Merged HDR always tesds to look more like a painting than like a photo. (Although. at least local contrast can be bumped up again using what is usually called "clarity".)

[@MiscellanyTop]

Hi Mark. I love your channel and thank you now for all your videos. You have a great presentational style; are a great photographer and cover some brill topics. Again, thank you so much. Here's the "however" (sorry!). I did not understand this video. It might well be my stupidity, ignorance or brain-fade but I didn't. My situation is that I take many photographs (10-30 thousand per month, depending). But that figure is divisible by three because I always bracket - usually +1/1/-1, sometimes +2/1/-2 stops. This is set automatically in my camera (Canon 80D DSLR, which I've had for eight years an, hitherto, keeps clicking). As I have an idiopathic (and painful) neck problem, I have given-up using my tripod. Thus, my settings are usually (on average): 1/900 Second and Auto-ISO - going very high if necessary (128,000 on an APS-C camera!). If needsbe, I do change shutter-speeds to be open a tad longer. This combination, plus post-processing with "Topaz-Photo AI" - which vastly reduces noise caused by the high ISO - and then "ACDSee Ultimate 2024" seems to work. For me, the advantages of bracketing are three: (1) I can merge two or three into an HDR image (which I rarely do but if I do it is in ACDSee). (2) I can choose one of the images - not necessarily the "correct" exposure - ie I make a post-shoot exposure compensation decision and (3) If I do accidentally shake too much (because of the no tripod shooting), I have two alternative frames to fall back on. The disadvantages are: (1) Sorting time and (2) Storage pressure - I can delete unneeded photographs but that takes even longer. So, sorry again, I did not understand what your recommendations meant for me. The ones I thought I understood seemed more for tripod shooters but I'm unsure? Cheers and thank you again. (from the UK)

[@BernardBonG-r3z]

Have you ever gone to the Dupont State Park just outside of Henderson, NC. It has five waterfalls in the park one of which was used during the filming of The Last of the Mohicans. They also have a covered bridge (people, horses, and small maintenance vehicles) over one streams (the largest falls) and I think 1200 plus acres. How about Pearson's Falls just outside of Saludia, NC. The access road from the falls to Saludia has a tunnel on it and I think a full-size pickup can get through but I don't think a van can. It is a very scenic road in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. At the tunnel to enter and leave it you have sharp 90 degree turns and whoever gets there first has the right of way. If I remember right the speed limit through the tunnel 5 mph max and the rest of the road to Saludia is probably a 25-30 but i a great drive especially in the Fall.

[@sounderdavis5446]

This NC resident and cascades and waterfall fan hasn't visited Dupont but based on your tip will check this out next time I'm out that way (Thank You!). Any tips about which compass direction the five falls face and best or worst times of day to shoot, if it's not a cloudy day when these falls are in the shade?

[@hansdjong]

Thanks, Mark. In what situations do you prefer to use a gradient filter instead of bracketing?

[@liverpoolpictorial]

Great video Mark. I'm constantly bracketing my shots for sunrises, while paying attention to the histogram and quite often my base exposure is adjusted to a + or - setting. Other times, I bracket three shots and find the +3 shot is all I need. It's all about trial and error on my part. Thank goodness for digital, though £££$$$ LOL!

[@jamesbarnes3063]

Thank you for the tips, always appreciate and learn while listening in

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks James!

[@FelixProPhotography1]

Great said, and easy to understand too. Thank you Mark! 😃

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Felix!

[@paulboskerphotography]

Another consideration is to look at compensation of middle exposure and adjust, then shoot the +/- brackets from that.

[@RichardBO9]

Interesting video. I usually manually bracket with my ISO. Keeping the shutter speed fast and constant gives me a sharper photo. I live in a windy area.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Richard!

[@MatthewUseda]

I have found that just masking in, in photoshop and painting things in is the best way. Opening up each individual and checking the levels out was different than the levels of the DNG version. I'm not sure why the HDR selection has been acting up in LR. But I am able to recover/save more details that way. And LAB Color and save the day and get color back when normal PS/LR ways can't.

[@MrMartin246]

An explanation on when to pick a three shots far apart or five shots closer. Say 3x +/- 3f steps vs 5x +/- 2f steps for example

[@Henry_Churches]

I was hoping he would explain this also! @MarkDenneyPhoto Would love to hear from you on this!

[@Kayahdog]

With all the camera settings and options to consider, I recently shot intentionally thinking about using exposure bracketing this Fall given the light and colors. Doing it with intent at the start of my shooting slowed me down, helped me consider my composition better and thoughtfully took several combinations of bracketing. Typically I would fall into the rut of don’t overexpose and fix it in post processing...only to be disappointed in my results.

[@ColtCapperrune]

I’m curious if you experience temperature shifts when bracketing exposure? Regardless of what my camera is set at, creating the HDR merge always makes things way too warm. Is this normal?

[@johnmarten4184]

My default is 5 exposures with a two stop steps. I've never used use all of them. I end up just making them layers is GIMP, select a middle one as a base and use masks to dodge and burn from the under and over exposure layers. The in camera HDR is nice too.

[@videovuer]

This was helpful. Thank you!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad to hear it!

[@railgap]

Do people not have spot metering in their cameras? I thought that was standard now. On my (dated now) Canon T2i, a half press of the shutter button captures the exposure measurement of whatever your meter spot is aimed at, and it captures focus depth, then you can recompose the shot all you want and those things will stay "correct" if you're using them right. When I got into photography in the 1970s, a "spot meter" was an outboard hand-held device that cost as much as a camera body. Having such power and flexibility (the ability to use different metering modes or zones in one camera) is like a dream come true for me.

[@DarioSolera]

I find that with my Lumix G9M2 (micro 4/3!) shadows are easily recovered with very little noise. That is the primary reason why I upgraded to this camera: previously I exposure-bracketed all the time, now almost never. I simply pay attention to the highlights and underexpose more often than not and I get excellent results. I guess that with a larger sensor this approach is even more successful.

[@BerndLaukotter]

Hello Mark, i rarely use bracketing (during this year less than 5 times). Why? There´s a wonderful instrument to check if bracketing is necessary: the histogram! Even is there´s a peak on the right or left side, bracketing is not necessary. The histogram is based on the jpeg, not on the raw file! If i notice some problems, i over- or underexpose the image. There´s one disadvantage in this process: noise will increase during photo editing. But this can easily be fixed in Lightroom. Greetings from Bernd from Germany

[@markjarrett9400]

Thank you for posting. I have just had a thought (never tried this). What would happen if you 'correctly' exposed your first picture and then used your histogram, rather than some arbitrary number, to expose to the left to the point before you blow out your shadows and then did the same method to expose to the right. Then combined the three pictures. Would this create the best HDR picture? That way you could cover the whole dynamic range.

[@bluevoodooiv7072]

I used to use this approach, but then I bought Canon R8. Now I set my AEB to 7 shots with 1/3 f-stop difference. It works in 90% of the scenes I shoot.

[@RyanTsou-t4v]

If you look at Lightroom documentation, you only need 5 photos for -6 to +6 ev, so even for 12 stops difference it only needs 5 photos. 7 for 1/3 stop each is a complete waste of time and space.

[@robertking893]

Great information Mark.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Robert!

[@brianbolling318]

When bracketing, can you still use a CPL?

[@lookforbeauty1964]

Hi Mark, Have you ever thought of making a processing course?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

I have many available on my website

[@jamesv.wilkerson30]

Love the hoodie. Where's it from?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

It was a gift from Luminar a couple years ago

[@vacayshawn]

I was going to ask this too, sweet hoodie!

[@ScottBasu]

So, one ancillary detail I see in this video is one feature that Nikon has that Canon does not - the dedicated Bracketing button. I would make good use of that button, as I hate having to dive into the menu to enable and disable Bracketing on my Canons. Yes, I can set up a Custom Mode for that, but I really would like that dedicated button to bracket out of whichever of my 3 Custom Modes I’m in. Aside from Nikons using Sony sensors, I’ve never seen any substantial reason I’d benefit from using Nikon until I saw that bracketing button. Too late for me to change over, but maybe I could ask Canon for a mappable button function for immediately turning Bracketing on / off with the last used Bracketing settings, for example.

[@Thomasmcse]

Hey Mark. How do you handle movements in the picture while using bracketing? I have too often moving trees which will cause some smearing.

[@LucianoStabel]

Nice and insightful video, Mark! Hey, side but honest question - have you ever thought about shooting with film? I’d love to see how you approach analog photography.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thank you! I have but just haven't moved forward with it just yet.

[@buckybucky8596]

Seems to me, a better ideal option for exposure bracketing would be to decrease the ISO for the 'overexposed' shot, and show the shutter for the 'underexposed' shot. Not sure if any cameras offer this ;split bracketing' option (for lack of a better term) or not.

[@gregsmith6373]

Thats what im doin, always manualy. Cheers from Poland

[@edbarnes4078]

I have it set for 5 shots, +/- 3 EV all the time but before merging, look for extreme over/under exposure and decide if I will merge 3 or 5 shots.

[@matthewsinger]

Do you always bracket, or do you turn bracketing on and off for various scenes? I work with the latter method where I only turn on bracketing when I need it and there's no easy on/off with Canon cameras. I have to turn it on by choosing the exposure spread. I typically leave it at 5 images so that I can then later choose which three (or all 5) to use. Sometimes I'll set it up for 7 images for more finesse.

[@briancarlisle2534]

Curious question, what is a good reasonably inexpensive carbon fiber tripod? I have the z6iii with the 180-600 Z lens being the heaviest I have.

[@TimMer1981]

I'd check out Sirui.

[@bd7495]

TRICER AD… the inverted legs make it super convenient and sturdy for its weight. Love mine. Throw a RRS ball head on it or your preferred head. Mine comes in at under 3lbs with head and it’s plenty sturdier than many other tripods I see others using in the sub 4lb range.

[@davidmccoy1378]

The “photo” is in fact done. There’s been so many mods, it’s now an “image.”

[@soffici1]

Correct. The good thing about it is that we’re now free from the limitations of single exposures. We can express our “art” by manipulating what the sensor records, putting us back in control

[@robryan4272]

Somebody taught this to me in Colorado. Hell of a guy.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Must've been a good dude!

[@BeardedGeezer]

So my nooby question is this: When you are doing exposure bracketing what mode do you put the camera in? The few times I've used bracketing I used Av mode to control depth of field. Was I wrong?

[@antonoat]

Use manual mode and adjust shutter speed to change the exposure!

[@BeardedGeezer]

@@antonoat I'm not confident enough in my photo skills to use manual settings, and I use my camera's bracketing facilities to do the bracketing. The few times I tried manual settings were a complete disaster either completely over or under exposed.

[@antonoat]

@@BeardedGeezer Thats a shame as you will be making your life more difficult by not using manual mode. There are countless tutorials on KZbin about how to use ‘Manual mode, it really isn’t difficult, especially as you can see the results on the rear lcd display, it couldn’t be easier!

[@LenShigemoto]

Thanks!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much!

[@kjellhmyhre2374]

Well, I tend to go for a +/- 2 EV exposure bracket set-up more or less 'by default.' I always shoot in RAW, with the ISO set to 50 or alternatively 100. Analyzing the scene and adjusting the camera from shot to shot is rather time-consuming and to a certain extent challenging. In this case, how wrong can I actually go? After all, I'm not condemned to always using all of my five bracketed images, let's say, in the making of an HDR .. ?

[@lucannon]

I use exposure bracketing very often, but I do it manually. Enough time, no need to rush when using a Tripod.

[@antonoat]

Unless there are trees or foliage, in fact anything moving! 👍😀

[@lylestavast7652]

well explained :)

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thank ya!

[@robertstonephoto]

Seems like you should be able to determine the correct number of stops using a live view histogram on the camera. No need to guess ...

[@Cryr213]

I wish you showed an example with the first photo, if you could get the same result with just one photo, whilst just using the HDR-sliders. I think a lot of photos, where bracketing really has an effect (like the last photo), the result looks unnatural and is really hard to edit to look pleasant again.

[@peterreber7671]

Doesn't the camera reset these settings when you switch off and back on?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

No, mine doesn't but can't speak for all cameras

[@peterreber7671]

@@MarkDenneyPhoto the R10 turn off exposure bracketing and zeros the settings on power off.

[@markallemang7745]

More than I need to. And on location I don't think about subject movement (tree leaves moving) and then I'm not happy with the stack. I made a cheat chart with the questions I should be thinking about and make sure I look it over, especially if I'm at an overwhelmingly stunning location. Bottom line. THINK.

[@scottgreenwell]

seems like a KISS model works here...set up for 5 bracket with 1 stop between...how can you go wrong?

[@matthewsinger]

That still only gives you two stops above and below the mid exposure. 5 brackets with 2 stops between is probably safer.

[@untouchable360x]

In summary. Expose for the foreground, middle ground, and background. The stops don't matter.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

No, that's not correct.

[@hubertcole1645]

Consider the shutter changes for you may need a tripod.

[@temporalpassage]

"high contrast" scene...

[@wcourson11]

I’m guilty. Thank you so much for extracting my cranium….

[@nevvanclarke9225]

Use a GFX 100s ii ...no bracketing required, very rarely ...cant remember the last time i had to bracket as the dynamic range is insane. Plus denoise helps Its one of the the reasons i prefer that camera over my d850 its chalk n cheese

[@ernstfrohlich897]

All Sony Full Frame Sensors of the last 8 years guarantee enough dynamic range, so no exposure bracketing is needed.

[@BobN54]

The problem is the mystery and double talk around exposure. What does 'proper exposure', 'the best exposure' even mean? When is exposure 'ruined'. Then, when you say 'look at the raw file here', you're looking at a processed file, even if the processing was done automatically for you. Why is that sky 'overexposed'? What is your definition of 'overexposed'. Why didn't LR show the sky in red if it was 'overexposed', as you said? And so on. The real problem with most You Tube videos about exposure is that the presenters don't even know what 'exposure' is, confuse it with lightness, don't understand the importance of processing (usually confusing it with post-processing) have not developed or learned systematic exposure management - rather they have some kind of technique that works for them, but can't really rationalise it - so the whole thing descends into a word salad, bandying around 'proper exposure' and such like without explanation, and at a guess, without comprehension. Frankly, if you had developed systematic exposure and processing management you didn't need to bracket that shot at all. There are not so many scenes that have a luminance range that requires bracketing with modern FF cameras. This isn't at all personal, it's mostly a rage about the wave of Web disinformation about photography that propagates on uncurated media like KZbin and is corrupting the knowledge base of our subject.

[@K4man84]

Please enlighten us oh great one. The exposure king that knows all. Please grace us horrible and confused photographers with your profound knowledge and infinite wisdom. You. The knower of all things in light and shadow. With your magnificent frames, perfectly exposed from pixel to pixel in one, and only one, glorious shot. We are not worthy.

[@BobN54]

@@K4man84 'Confused' doesn't mean 'horrible'. People are bound to be confused when the information they are getting is confused. It's up to the people who are trying to teach to get it right. I'm not better than anyone else, I just had the luck to learn my photography before the wave of mostly unintentional disinformation on the internet corrupted the whole knowledge base of the subject.

[@OBODY66]

I was wondering does OM Space work almost the same as Lightroom and can you do the exsposure stops the same on OM Space as Lightroom? Thanks!

[@notasocrates]

Thanks!