singleexposure

Single exposure is a photography term referring to capturing a scene with one continuous exposure, using a single combination of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. This approach contrasts with multi-exposure techniques such as exposure bracketing or pixel-shift methods that combine several frames to extend dynamic range or create special effects. In practice, single exposures are the default mode for most cameras and applications.

In single exposure, the camera relies on one set of exposure settings chosen by the photographer or determined automatically by the camera’s metering system. The resulting image reflects the scene’s luminance at that moment and may be processed in-camera or later in post-processing. RAW capture allows later adjustments of exposure and white balance without degrading the data. Quality depends on the scene’s dynamic range, the chosen ISO and its noise behavior, any motion in the scene, and the photographer’s accuracy in setting exposure.

Single exposure works well for scenes with moderate dynamic range and little movement, such as portraits, street scenes, and still lifes. It is less effective for scenes with extreme highlights and shadows; in such cases bracketing and HDR, graduated neutral density filters, or post-processing techniques are used to preserve detail in both extremes. Some workflows use exposure compensation or ETTR (expose to the right) to push exposure toward certain tonal regions, but care is needed to avoid clipping or color cast.

In film photography or older cameras, a single exposure also refers to capturing a frame once per press. In digital workflows, shooting in RAW provides substantial latitude from a single exposure, while histogram checking and exposure aids help ensure correct exposure.