Dynamic Rangetechnical
The span of brightness, from darkest shadow to brightest highlight, a sensor can capture in one shot.
Scenes with bright sky and dark foreground can exceed what the sensor records, blowing out highlights or crushing shadows. Expose to protect highlights, shoot RAW for more recovery latitude, and bracket when the range is extreme.
Use this when
- Bright sky + dark land: expose for highlights, lift shadows in RAW
- Extreme contrast: bracket and blend
Common mistake: Blowing out the sky to white — those highlights can't be recovered.