mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

Was wondering if exposure bracketing (outside of HDR) is one of those techniques only used by the inexperienced? Does anyone use this for "regular" shooting? If so, why?

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

Not regularly, but at times. Probably with HDR in mind or some really high contrast exposure.

EstherP

I actually got the impression that more experienced photographers use exposure bracketing, although I have not taken a poll. But if I mention that subject to someone who's fairly new at photography, I either get a completely blank look, or a reaction like 'Yea, heard about that, don't understand it, don't use it.'
Personally, I rarely use exposure bracketing, mostly because if I miss correct exposure, it is fairly easy to fix it with Adobe Camera Raw. And if I really, really miss it altogether, neither ACR nor bracketing will salvage that photo.
EstherP

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

I think Esther is right.

Frank47 Loc: West coast Florida

I will bracket occasionally when there is a great disparity between brightness and shadows. My purpose is to post process a layer and bring out the best of the two images.

Musket Loc: ArtBallin'

If the light is tricky, ill shoot 1/3 to 2/3rd brackets. Why? Because Its usually paid work and I like to nail it. I also like to have some what ifs to fall back on.

Its really going to amount to how tricky the light is, and my end goal of the image. My gut tells me when to bracket.

R'laine Loc: Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.

I use it mainly for HDR, am having such fun with that technique, but I have also found other instances where I could have bracketed and got a better result, so it is becoming more a part of my 'regular' repertoire, much as Musket just said.

schuchmn

Bracketing was almost a necessity with film, slide film in particular because of its narrow exposure latitude. It may not be as necessary with digital as long as you check the image review and the histogram.

But even so, bear in mind that if you're shooting raw, the image review and histogram are generated from the embedded JPEG and don't accurately represent the real image. And whether you shoot raw or JPEG, camera LCD screens really don't have the same color respnse or dynamic range as a good color monitor or inkjet printer. So what you see may not be accurate enough to let you be sure that the important parts of the image were well exposed.

So if the lighting is uneven or really contrasty, bracketing helps ensure that you'll get what you want.

MagicMark

Personally, I don't know why more people don't use all kinds of neat "in-camera" techniques to improve their pictures. I guess more people prefer to spend countless hours on a computer trying to correct a picture.

That's just not for me. If I can fix it "in-camera" before uploading it to my computer then I have saved myself some time. Plus, while many will say that the computer does a better job, they are right about more detailed editing. But a lot can be done before then.

Just my opinion here. 8-)

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

So bracketing is good to hedge your bet with exposure when lighting is "tricky" or "uneven"? So is it true that experienced photographers still use bracketing to some extent---even those who presumably 'understand' exposure?

I think many on this forum would agree (perhaps not) that if Ansel Adams were alive today, he would be a big proponent of post processing, but would he ever use bracketing? As EstherP points out, perhaps there wouldn't be a need to bracket if you post process. To that question, I wonder how many stops of light you can rely on in post without the risk of introducing additional noise? Obviously, you'll need to shoot in raw to take full advantage of this, but isn't it better to bracket instead of wait until post?

Sorry... multiple layers of questions here. Just curious. Thanks for your replies so far.

MagicMark

I find the original question interesting.

"Is Exposure Bracketing for Amateurs?"

It shouldn't matter if amateurs use it more or professionals use it more, unless amateurs use it more and you are afraid of being seen by others as an amateur. Don't worry about what others think because if they look down on you they were going to look down on you anyway, regardless of what you actually do or not do. That's just their mental hang up. They will always think they are better than others. Which, of course, isn't true. Everyone excels at something. So no one is better than anyone else.

You are already great just like you are, Mark, whether or not you use bracketing. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: 8-)

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

LOL. Thanks. Did I sound a bit insecure with my thread title? That was not my intention. Although I am an amateur, I've recently been interested in exposure---more specifically how I use or don't use it. I read an article about exposing to the right recently, and it got me thinking. I do tend to expose to the left or center most often, but then there was this pretty technical argument on why you should expose to the right. Of course, this suggestion came from someone who admits he is more of a "high key" photographer anyway.

Then I thought---why not use exposure bracketing and choose the best photo in post? The only time I've used EB is for HDR photos, but maybe I should branch out a little and experiment with this feature. I don't mind PP a photo, but I like to get the exposure as close to the way I want it in camera first. I was never a big fan of "set it to raw, and worry about it later".

Personally, I think experienced photographers probably use bracketing less often or not at all. Of course, I have no data to support this claim, so I thought I'd ask the group. Hence, my title.

Thanks for your reply MagicMark! I agree with you. We all have our own special gifts and excel in something. The only person better than me is my other half. :-)

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

There are many situations and or reasons to bracket. Not just for aperture' If Doing moving subjects shutter speed bracketing for motion blur effects can be valuable. Bracketing is not dead.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

There are many situations and or reasons to bracket. Not just for aperture' If Doing moving subjects shutter speed bracketing for motion blur effects can be valuable. Bracketing is not dead.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

I almost always use bracketing. I do so for a couple of reasons. First, I want a hedge against my own exposure errors. If I am a few thousand miles from home, and will not get a chance to re-shoot the image anytime in the near future, I feel much more comfortable having three exposures to work from later than just one which might be a bit off. Yes, by shooting in RAW, I can make corrections on a shot in post-processing, but I much prefer to start editing with the best exposure I can. Memory is cheap, so bracketing the shots gives me a little less stressing at little cost. Secondly, I occasionally will decide much after the fact that an HDR treatment might improve the overall effect of the final image. By consistently bracketing, I have that option available latter if I decide it might be worth using.

I think the original question seems to play to a misconception that many of us unconsciously have about "professional" photographers. There seems to be a deep down belief that the pros walk up to a scene, scope it out for a few seconds, raise their cameras, snap off a single frame, and walk away thinking, "yep, another winner". My belief is that truly gifted photographers spend a great deal more time and effort "working a scene" than a true amateur. They will put a great deal of effort into approaching the shot from numerous positions, with many differing settings. Bracketing is just one more tool they can use to get that much closer to that perfect shot.