What Is Dynamic Range and Why Do Photographers Care About It?

Dynamic range is one of the most fundamental properties of a camera sensor and one of the leading specs photographers are concerned about these days. What is it, though, and why is it so important? This great video tutorial will introduce you to the concept and show you its practical consequences on your images. 

Coming to you from Apalapse, this helpful video will show you the ins and outs of dynamic range and why it matters to photographers. Simply put, dynamic range defines just how wide the gap is between the darkest and lightest parts of a scene. In the context of a camera sensor, it defines how wide a gap that sensor can capture in a single exposure. The reason this is so important is because a lot of scenes you will encounter (particularly landscape scenes) will have a dynamic range that exceeds that of even the most modern cameras, and you will have to employ a number of techniques to get around that or simply accept the limitations it will impose on the image. As such, having a functional understanding of how it works and how it affects your photos is quite important. Check out the video above for the full rundown.