Photo How To

Yesterday we covered the important topic of ISO, and how to use this simple setting to give images the specific look you desire. Today we’ll explore exposure bracketing, another basic concept, and you’ll see how this easy-to-use tool will help you maximize detail in your photographs.

Photographer Alex Armitage insists that whether you're a novice photographer or a seasoned veteran, “Exposure bracketing is likely the most important tool you’ll use out in the field.” And while Armitage chooses landscape imagery to get you up to speed, the knowledge he provides is equally valuable for virtually any type of photography you do.

Armitage says exposure bracketing “is a technique I use constantly,” and in just 13 minutes he demonstrates everything you need to know. After a brief introduction explaining the theory behind this simple-but important tool, he discusses why you should bracket exposures, how to do it properly, and when using this technique is most important.

Interestingly, he also explains how this technique can be used to breathe new life into older cameras. To illustrate his point, he compares an image captured with an almost decades-old Canon EOS 6D DSLR, with another made using Canon’s new EOS R5 full-frame mirrorless camera.

As a bonus, Armitage also introduces a couple simple ways to edit exposure-bracketed images at the end of the video. Bottom line: you’ll see how much exposure bracketing can change your photography, regardless of the camera you use.

You can find more great advice on Armitage’s YouTube channel. And be sure to look at another piece we posted recently, explaining the basics of using ISO settings to give images the specific look you’re after.