Shot with a 70mm lens on the drone to compress the distance from the property to I-75—a key selling point for logistics and distribution companies.
When I’m out shooting with my drone—or capturing commercial real estate on the ground—one of my go-to techniques is bracketing exposures. I typically shoot 3 to 5 bracketed exposures, giving me a range of brightness values from shadows to highlights. This approach ensures I can capture all the details in a scene, even when the lighting is challenging.
For drone photography, this is especially helpful because the sky and ground often have drastically different exposures. On commercial real estate shoots, it’s equally valid for interiors with windows or bright exterior light spilling in.
Showing the Range
Here’s how it works: I take multiple exposures of the same scene—one slightly underexposed, one at the correct exposure, and one overexposed somewhat (sometimes adding more for extreme lighting conditions). When I show clients the raw images, it’s easy to see how each exposure captures different details—shadows, midtones, or highlights.
Processing in Lightroom
Once I’ve captured the bracketed exposures, I bring them into Lightroom. The software automatically aligns the images, compensating for any slight movement from wind, the drone, or handheld shooting. Lightroom then merges the images into an HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo, combining the best parts of each exposure. This automated process significantly reduces noise, especially in shadow areas, and helps retain maximum resolution.
After Lightroom’s HDR processing, I usually tweak the image slightly—adjusting contrast, vibrance, or fine-tuning exposure—to create the final look before delivering it to the client. These subtle adjustments can elevate the image from good to stunning without overprocessing.
Going the Extra Mile with Photoshop
Occasionally, I take things a step further. If I feel I can get a better result than Lightroom’s automatic process, I’ll open the bracketed exposures as layers in Photoshop and blend them manually. This method gives me complete control over how shadows, highlights, and textures interact. It’s more time-consuming but can be worth it for challenging lighting or premium commercial projects.
Using a Tripod
For ground-based commercial real estate shots, I almost always use a tripod. This ensures that each exposure lines up perfectly, making both automatic and manual blending much easier. For drones, stability comes from the aircraft itself, but the principle remains the same: the more consistent your framing, the cleaner your HDR result.
The Benefits
Bracketing and HDR processing not only give you better dynamic range but also reduce noise, preserve resolution, and allow you to deliver images that genuinely reflect the scene as the eye sees it. Whether you’re photographing a cityscape from above or a high-end office space on the ground, this technique ensures your work looks polished and professional.