Exposure Stacking
- The Magazine For Photographers
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
What Is Exposure Stacking?
Exposure stacking, sometimes called exposure blending, is when you take several photos of the same scene at different exposure levels (one brighter, one darker, one in between) and then you merge them into a single photo and you keep detail everywhere. Basically, instead of picking one “correct” exposure, you take a few and get the best parts from each. It is a very close cousin of HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, which I have covered before, but exposure stacking usually gives a more natural look because you are manually blending the exposures rather than letting the camera or software do it automatically.
How It Works
It is actually pretty simple, you lock your camera on a tripod and take a series of shots, all 100% identical except for exposure. For example:
One underexposed (for highlights, like the sky),
One correctly exposed (for midtones),
One overexposed (for shadows and darker details).
Then, you combine them later in post using layer masks in Photoshop (or Lightroom, Photomatix, or Luminar etc.). The final image blends those exposures together so nothing is too dark or too bright.
What You Need
A camera that shoots in manual mode or exposure bracketing
A tripod, so your shots align perfectly
Photo editing software that supports layers or HDR merging
Optional but helpful, a remote shutter or timer, just to avoid shaking the camera between shots.
How to Shoot
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