User ID wrote:
Bracketing is just culling. You keep the least flawed (aka the most acceptable) frame and discard the rest.
HDR is compositing. The software finds the least flawed (aka best rendered) elements or sections from every frame and builds a final single image using those elements.
To your taste, for the images that youve made, 2 stops works best. Thaz "medium steep" but if the shot needs it, it needs it. The example below is that type of scene:
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Many people bracket for HDR. The difference is with bracketing you can shoot raw and merge the images in whatever software you’re using. You can also choose which frames to use. I think the OP is talking about that rather than just bracketing for one best exposed shot. The difference with in camera HDR is that the merge is done in camera and you end up with a JPEG.