Dynamic range in photography refers to the range of light intensities from the shadows to the highlights that can be captured in a single exposure. It is the ratio between the brightest and darkest parts of an image, from pure black to brightest white. Essentially, dynamic range is how far the brightest spots in your image can vary from the darkest spots in your image and still maintain proper details in a single exposure. The wider the range in stops, the greater the range.

Dynamic range is important in photography because it allows photographers to capture scenes with a great contrast between lights and darks. In high contrast lighting, photographers often have to choose between exposing for the highlights or exposing for the shadows, which can result in lost detail in the image. A camera with a higher dynamic range can capture more detail in both the highlights and shadows, resulting in a more balanced and detailed image.

One way to increase the dynamic range is with High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography. HDR photography requires several identical images to be recorded at different exposure value levels, which are then combined into a single image. Another way to stretch your cameras dynamic range is by shooting in RAW format, which captures more information and allows for more flexibility in post-processing.

In summary, dynamic range in photography refers to the range of light intensities that can be captured in a single exposure. It is important because it allows photographers to capture scenes with a great contrast between lights and darks, resulting in more balanced and detailed images.