Is Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) The Same As HDR?

AEB is auto exposure bracketing, an image capture technique in which more than one photo is taken of the same thing using different exposures.

HDR is High Dynamic Range. High Dynamic Range is the range of tones in an image.

So, whilst the two are not the same, you can use AEB to create HDR images. However, you can also create HDR images in a single image capture using software without AEB.

AEB and HDR are not the same thing, and people can easily get confused about them. In this post, I will explain this.

And here is the video for this blog post if you would prefer.

What is dynamic range in photography?

Dynamic range is the range of tones from light to dark. Dynamic range can be measured in stops.

Let me put this in terms that we can all understand.

The average human can see a dynamic range of 20-18 stops.

My Canon 6D can capture a dynamic range of somewhere between 8 and 12 stops. I say somewhere as it depends on the quality. If we go with the highest quality, that will be somewhere near eight stops.

Dynamic range is a range of light. I can see more than double what my Canon 6D can capture in a single image. Now, the numbers that I will be quoting are subject to a load of variables, but the principles apply.

Ok – so that is the problem.

The range of lights and darks the human eye can see is quite frankly remarkable. The range of lights and darks we can capture with cameras is less than the human eye can see—not as remarkable.

So there is a problem: we cannot photograph what we can see with our eyes. We can see a greater dynamic range, the range of lights and darks than we can capture in a single image.

We will be able to one day, just not yet. So we have to overcome this problem. And this is how.

What is auto-bracketing in photography?

Auto-bracketing is a technique where the camera takes more than one photo when the shutter button is pressed. This usually is three images or five images.

The camera is set to take the first image at the correct exposure, with the second exposure overexposed by a number of stops set by the photographer and a third image taken underexposed by the same number of stops set by the photographer.

I have included an extract from the Canon 6D manual, which says this, in the blog post, which you can read at rickmcevoyphotography.com.

Canon Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB)

Using AEB on my Canon 6D, I can take three photos with different exposures when I press the shutter release button once.

I can set the different exposures in increments of 1/3^rd of a stop, from +1/3^rd of a stop to +3 stops, and from -1/3^rd of a stop to -3 stops.

The sequence works like this.

First photo – the correct exposure.
Second photo – underexposed by X stops

Third photo – overexposed by X stops

That is AEB, auto exposure bracketing, or bracketing.

Whatever camera model you have will have this. DSLR cameras and mirrorless cameras will have lots of different options. The more modern the camera model, the more funkiness there will be.

But let’s remember, all we are doing is getting more of the lights and more of the darks. We are still taking a single exposure, which we would do anyway, but we are adding two more exposures to give us more light.

How does AEB actually work?

Well, it depends on how you take the photos.

Automatic exposure bracketing—It’s actually not that complicated. We only have three different exposure settings anyway: aperture, shutter, and ISO.

In AV Mode, Aperture Priority mode, the camera changes the shutter speed to adjust the exposure.

In TV Mode, Shutter Priority Mode, the camera adjusts the aperture.

The mode you use will depend on what you are taking photos of.

Can I do the bracketing myself?

You can bracket manually using any combination of exposures. Just head over to manual mode, take one photo with the suggested camera settings, then take another with whatever settings you need to get more of the lights (overexposing), and then a third photo to get more of the darks (underexposing). With manual bracketing, you can decide how many stop adjustments you apply, giving you greater control.

Manual exposure bracketing has been a virtual lifesaver for me—okay, that’s a dramatic term, but you know what I mean—in very challenging lighting conditions.

A word of caution: using manual mode

Now, I think you should know about this. If you take the photos using manual mode, you will definitely need your camera on a tripod.

If you are taking photos using auto-bracketing, hold your camera nice and tight so the photos can be merged together later. Or just your camera on a tripod, and that is that sorted.

But if you are using in camera HDR, you might find that the camera does all this for you, and even serves you up one file that is the HDR file, with the photos already put together in camera.

It’s marvellous what cameras can do these days.

If I use AEB are my photos HDR?

Yes, they are. You have extended the dynamic range in a photo, so they are HDR photos.

What is high dynamic range in photography?

Dynamic range is the range of lights and darks you capture in an image. High Dynamic Range, HDR, is simply a wider range of tones from light to dark, with more at the light end and more at the dark end. If we called it extended dynamic range, that would not be wrong.

Going back to my Canon 6D. If my Canon 6D captures an 8-stop range of tones with a single image capture, if I take two additional photos with +2 stops and -2 stops, that is an extra four stops, right? Making 12 stops.

Now, I cannot categorically state that using +2 stops and -2 stops gives exactly 12 stops when added to the original 8—if only life were that simple. And there are many other variables.

But I am happy to state that this gives more than eight and possibly 12 stops.

But certainly more than eight stops.

And certainly not 18-20 stops.

Can I create HDR images without using auto bracketing?

Yes, you can. Many cameras have HDR picture-taking modes that do this stuff for you. My Canon 6D has this, but it takes the photos in JPEG and not in RAW, so I don’t use it, which is a shame. If my Canon 6D did this in camera to RAW files, that would save me a ton of time.

What is the difference between in-camera HDR and auto exposure bracketing?

This is where it gets interesting. The two are the same thing, described in different ways. So yes, you could say that HDR and AEB are the same. Let’s not get too hung up on the terminology, though. This is all about capturing more light to get better photos. That is what matters here.

Is HDR a bad thing?

No. Call it bracketing, and everyone is fine with it. Say that you do HDR photography, and the pitchforks will be out. Just send people my way if they do, and I will sort them out, okay?

No, HDR is not. bad thing. It is a technique where you capture more of the light that you can see. How can that be bad?

HDR used to be all overprocessed, grungy-looking photos. I have been there myself. Thankfully, those days are behind us.

Why would I need to use auto-bracketing?

Here are some practical examples.

In your home, look at a room on a bright sunny day. Look at the window. Everything looks ok. Sure, what is in the window is brighter than the inside of the room, but you would expect that, right?

Look around the room; you can see in the shadows, too. And this looks completely normal to you; this is how we are used to seeing the world.

If only your camera were as good as you are.

You photograph that room with a window on a sunny day. The room has a general light level, and there are shadows. The brightest part of the photo is the part in the window.

Take a photo metering for all the light in the room, and the general areas of the room will be correctly exposed. The window will be underexposed (too dark), and the shadows will be overexposed (too light) or lacking in detail. The underexposed bits, the dark areas—you will not capture all the data, and you cannot undo this, so there will always be a problem. The same is true for the overexposed, light areas.

Take a photo metering of the window, and the window will be correctly exposed. However, everything else will be underexposed, and you will not capture all the details in the shadows.

Take a photo metering for the shadows; the shadows will be correctly exposed, but everything else will be overexposed. You will not capture all the detail in the highlights.

So, what do you think the answer is? Take the three correctly exposed bits and merge them together. 2 stops under and two stops over work nicely for most photos I take of building interiors.

This uses auto exposure bracketing to capture all the light in a composition. You can call it HDR. But you don’t have to!

Now for another example.

If you are taking a photo with the sun, and if you are careful with your eyes looking straight into the sun, then the sun is very bright, so the chances are that the shadows will be underexposed, and you will not capture all the detail in the shadows.

What do I do with the three photos?

If you have done in camera HDR you might have the option for the camera to do all the work for you.

But if you have taken a bracketed set, you will need to merge the photos together. I do this in Lightroom, which is a straightforward process. It creates a new file to work with—a new photo with all that lovely data, more at the light end of things, more at the dark end.

How utterly splendid.

Is this the same as HDR on a TV?

Great question, Rick. This is Google’s answer to the question, “What Does HDR Mean On A TV?”

“HDR (High Dynamic Range) improves the contrast between very dark and very light colours on a TV screen. HDR technology means seeing everything happening on screen as intended, with true-to-life colours, shadows and detail – giving the ultimate viewing experience.”

OK, yes, it’s the same thing but in a different context. But the words are interesting, aren’t they?

“See everything.. the way it was intended” – hold that thought.

Is exposure compensation the same as AEB and HDR?

No, it is not. Exposure compensation is adjusting the exposure manually, consciously overexposing and underexposing. In theory, you could use exposure compensation to bracket photos, but in practice, you would not do this—there are better ways. No, exposure compensation is a different adjustment to the exposure, usually when taking a single shot.

Who am I?

I am Rick McEvoy, an architectural, construction, and real estate photographer based in the UK. I specialise in taking photos of buildings and always use HDR/ bracketing.

And I am the creator and all things at the most splendid Photography Explained Podcast.

I am professionally qualified in photography and construction, so I know this stuff,

Oh yes, I forgot. I explain photography stuff in plain English without the irrelevant detail – I tell you what you need to know and no more to help and me with our photography. What is not to love, eh?

What do I do?

I use auto exposure bracketing with the camera set in AV Mode. I use AV Mode because I want the aperture fixed to give me consistent quality and depth of field. I take three bracketed exposures: the first with the correct exposure, a two-stop underexposed photo, and a two-stop overexposed photo.

I merge the three bracketed shots together in Lightroom using the HDR Merge tool and work on the newly created HDR image. The white balance is set to auto-white balance, so I don’t need to worry about that.

I use this technique for my photographs of buildings and my landscape photography and travel photography work.

I use AEB to capture as much light as possible to get the best final image. That is what I am all about.

I use AEB to get me over complex lighting conditions and correctly capture high contrast scenes.

Photography is drawing with light, so I want to get as much light as possible. And why wouldn’t I? What could possibly be wrong with that?

That is what I do. And it works a treat.

Related viewing

I have created a video for this post, which you can watch on my YouTube Channel.

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