Photographer Marc Muench took a compelling photo while out in Death Valley National Park. The sun is setting and it appears as if the night is rolling in at hyper speed, allowing the stars and clouds to shine through the still-bright sky. This image is, indeed, a composite but not so much a composite of completely different images–it is more of a composite of time. This simple technique is what Muench likes to call “Time Bracketing”.

Take a picture from 1 position at 2 different times of day for a great effect. ©Marc Muench

Capturing different exposures of the same scene and merging them together later is the basic concept behind High Dynamic Range photography. What makes Time Bracketing a little different is that it is allowing the time of day, rather than just in-camera settings, to dictate the exposure and scene for blending later.

This is how Muench was able to get bright stars in the same frame as a bright setting sun and it is a nice way to get a very unique look in a nature photo while still staying true to the environment of the scene you are capturing. Check out his behind-the-scenes video to see just how he got this shot:

Time Bracketing

Thanks goes out to Marc Muench for letting us share this tip with our audience!

Just getting started in landscape photography? Take the guesswork out of what to rent and try one of BorrowLenses.com’s Landscape Essentials packages, in both Canon and Nikon.