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Chapter 12: Taking Great Pictures
Microsoft Digital Image Standard User’s Manual
7. Bracket
The term bracket means to create exposures that are both lighter and darker
than the camera or light meter indicates. The idea is to second guess the purely
mechanical exposure meter, so that you get the right exposure.
If you’re taking photos of a sunset, a scenic vista, or a plant, you have the time
to bracket. With these subjects, you’re also likely to have a wider range of tones
to record than your camera can handle, especially if your subject is brightly lit.
So how do you bracket with an automatic camera? Most digital cameras, and
many automatic cameras, have an exposure compensation feature, sometimes
called the EV setting. If you set the exposure compensation for -1, the shot is
one stop underexposed (darker than normal). If you set the camera for +1, the
shot is one stop overexposed (lighter than normal). So you can bracket by tak
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ing three pictures, one each at the -1, 0, and +1 settings.
Some cameras offer an automatic feature, which takes a range of photos, each
with a different exposure setting.
Even if your camera doesn’t permit you that much control (or if you don’t want
to take the time to change the exposure settings), another technique will give
you results similar to bracketing. To get a lighter exposure, aim your camera at
a darker portion of the subject, and then press the shutter button partway down
(until you begin to feel a little resistance). Next, without releasing pressure on
the shutter button, reframe your photo to include what you want, and then push
the shutter button all the way down to take the photo.
This technique will only work if pressing the shutter button halfway down
locks in the exposure, so you might want to check your camera’s manual to
be sure. You will also need to set the exposure on an object that is roughly the
same distance away from the camera as the subject. Otherwise, your subject
will not be in focus when you take the picture.