When I first saw digital photographs, like the sample below, produced using High Dynamic Range imaging (HDRI), I was blown away. I immediately assumed this technique is so highly esoteric that only a true Photoshop geek could master it.
In my research on HDR, I found Photomatix Pro and downloaded a trial. The sample photo above (from the Photomatix website) demonstrates tone mapping applied to an HDR image created from three separate exposures.
I've begun featuring some examples of my own HDR experiments on my photoblog, Lanora Mueller Photography.
Here is a pseudo-HDR image produced from a single raw file, a shot I took of the Arkansas State Capitol on an overcast, rainy day:
One more example, an iris from the Arkansas State Capitol gardens. Here, two images were combined and tonemapped to enhance detail.
