With HDR (High Dynamic Range) being all the rage for the past couple years, I am always amazed at the surreal rendering of a photograph using this method. HDR is essentially capturing the entire range of lightness values in a composition by taking multiple exposures. The easiest method is to set your camera in auto bracket mode to over and underexpose by 1 stop. Three exposures should be sufficient, but to achieve a higher range of highlight, midtone and shadow detail, bracket as many as 4 to 5 exposures each over and under. It is important that you bracket shutter speed only, as you do not want to affect depth of field by bracketing f/stops.

The second process is to stitch the exposures into one image using the Merge to HDR feature in Photoshop ,or in Photomatix, a stand-alone HDR application (highly recommended). After the exposures are rendered into one file, it is just a matter of applying adjustments in the tone mapping interface of Photomatix, and then opening the image in Photoshop for a final tweak. You are only limited in the scope of your creativity.

Below are examples that captivated me:







Here's one of mine taken at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse:


Here are some helpful links:




Where is Ben?: Acclaimed author, lecturer and photographer Ben Wilmore's blog devoted to Photoshop and HDR. His photos are amazing!