Auto Exposure Bracketing - What Is It? How Can It Help You? Hi and welcome to Episode 113 of the Photography Explained podcast.
I’m your host Rick, and in each episode I will try to explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 10 minutes (ish) without the irrelevant details. What I tell you is based on my lifetime of photographic experience. And not Google. No Google required but I did need my camera which was nice.
Before I go on I need your help. I need your questions to answer. More on this at the end but please have a think while you listen to this.
Here is the answery bit.
Auto exposure bracketing is taking more than one photo at the same time, with different exposures. The first photo is taken using the correct exposure, using the camera settings set by the camera or the photographer. Subsequent photos are taken automatically by the camera with different exposures, by changing the aperture or shutter speed by an amount set by the photographer.
Why would I want to do this?
If you are not sure what the correct exposure is you can use this technique.
If you want more than one photo, a light one and a dark one, so you can choose later which you prefer, you can use this technique.
And for certain genres of photography, where you are trying to capture a range of lights and darks beyond the capabilities of your camera, then you can also use this technique.
Genres of photography that use auto exposure bracketing are
Architectural, real estate and construction photography – these are what I do. And auto bracketing helps me as I can get three different exposures and merge them together – see my camera cannot record what I can see with my eyes. Well not all the time anyway.
With bracketing it still doesn’t, but it’s getting a bit closer.
Landscape photography – this technique has been used by landscape photographers for years to get all the details in the sky, the shadows and everything in between.
And this is the way to do HDR. Check out the last episode, where I told you what HDR photography is.
It is not that complicated, well it isn’t as long as we don’t over think it and complicate it.
How do I do auto exposure bracketing?
These are the camera settings that I use on my Canon 6D.
First, in the menu tabs, I go to tab 3 where I select Expo Com/ AEB. Then using the scrolly thing on the top I can set the increments from +/- 1/3rd stop to +/- 3 stops. Press set and that is that done.
I use +/- 2 stops – it works for me.
I use AV Mode for most of my photography. In AV Mode the camera keeps the aperture the same, and changes the shutter speed. So, the underexposed and over exposed photos have the same aperture but the shutter speed has been changed by the camera.
What about other modes then?
In Manual Mode the same happens.
In TV Mode the camera changes the aperture but keeps the shutter speed the same.
In Program Mode it can change both.
Very important that you remember this. This could have a major impact on the three photos, depth of field, camera shake, that kind of thing
Next select the right drive mode.
If you are in Single Shooting Drive Mode then each time you take press the shutter a photo is taken. I don’t recommend that you do that.
Instead, select Continuous shooting, and keep the shutter release pressed down until all three photos are taken. You want them to be taken at the same time after all.
Tripods
Put your camera on a tripod and you will get better results. Think about it – you are going to be merging three photos together, so you want them to all be the same photo. And perfectly aligned and as sharp as you can.
Not sure what a difference this makes with in camera HDR.
Try handheld, try on a tripod, see how you get on. And of course let me know. We are in this together after all!
And for even better results use the self-timer.
That is what I do.
What is the difference between HDR and Auto Exposure Bracketing?
Nothing. They are one and the same. They both use photos taken of the same thing with different exposures merged either in camera or in post processing to create an image with more lights and more darks, as well as all the bits in the middle.
Say you use HDR and the pitchforks are out. Say you use auto bracketing and everyone thinks that that is just fine. How clever of you. Auto exposure bracketing creates photos with different exposures that you can use to create HDR images.
The talky bit
There is a reason I talked about HDR in the last episode. That was what HDR is. This episode is how to create HDR photos, well more accurately how to take photos that allow you to create HDR photos.
And you still have the original, single, correctly exposed photo that you would have taken if you only took one photo rather than three right?
So nothing to lose.
There really is nothing wrong with doing this. There really is not.
And let me tell you a secret – it gives you a bit of latitude, a bit of slack, a bit of comfort and less chance of the exposure being wrong.
And it gives you the opportunity to create a different look, a look that you can make your own.
And every camera manufacturer has this feature, so it must be ok right?
On my Canon 6D when you set the amount of bracketing the camera actually refers to Darker on the left and Lighter on the right.
This is all that this is. All we are doing is recording more dark stuff, and more light stuff, and adding it to the original photo.
Can anyone tell that you have done this? Not if you have done it properly no.
What do I do?
I do this all the time. I take three photos, one the correct exposure, one two stops underexposed, one two stops overexposed. I merge them together in Lightroom. When I merge the photos together in Lightroom I get a new file, which is a new RAW file. The original three photos remain there, and I do all the work on the new HDR file.
And my photos look great. They do not look fake, artificial, grungy.
So why not give this a go and see how you get on? And if you do then why not let me know?
Big takeaway
Auto exposure bracketing helps you to capture more lights and darks in a photo than you can capture in a single image capture.
Related episodes
Well episode 112 led to me writing this episode – that was called Photography Explained Podcast Episode 112 - Is HDR Photography Bad? Is It Ok To Use It? Or Is It Cheating?
And also check out the episode page on the podcast website to find out what I have spoken about so far.
Next episode
Photography Explained Podcast Episode 114 – What Is A Histogram And How Can It Help Us When We Shoot?
Yep, I am going to explain this in less than 10 minutes. Good luck Rick!
Get your question answered.
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions. So please get in touch with your question, and not only will I answer your question, but I will give you a shout out on that episode, which is nice. Just head over to photographyexplainedpodcast.com/start.
OK - I’m done
Thanks for listening to my small but perfectly formed podcast. To find out more about my podcast and do stuff to help me check out the podcast website, which is photographyexplainedpodcast.com/.
This episode was brought to you by a cheese and pickle sandwich.
I’ve been Rick McEvoy, thanks again very much for listening to me and for giving 10 (ish) minutes of your valuable time, and I will see you on the next episode.
Cheers from me Rick