Most Nikons come with the ability to bracket anywhere from 3-7 frames. Entry level Nikons like the one I use, D3200, has the ability to bracket but you have to do so manually. With a tripod this isn’t much to complain about. I used it all the time with sunsets and my results were equal to that of an automatic.

Last July I upgraded to a D7000 and it can bracket 3 frames. I start with evenly exposed photo. Then the camera takes three photos, one at my setting, then 1 stop down, and finally 1 stop up. However there is more you can do with this. During the day when lighting is more direct HDR is handy but not necessary. This is why I use HDR to create a look that makes it look like a long exposure. This photo is from a couple years back…

I went back to the same location and used my new camera. Since this camera does bracketing I didn’t need a tripod. I held it to my eye and snapped three in a row. There are a couple photos I experimented with, the first is a simple 3 frame shot which only shows the range of each exposure rather than motion. The next is 6 frames at similar brackets . 6 is always better than 3, you get a much higher range and it makes the photos more dynamic, hence HDR. In the middle of the day with lots of movement, 6 frames will make it look like a long exposure.

There are obviously a number of ways to show movement in the middle of the day. This is just an easy way to do so without over exposing your whites.