I’ve been working in Aurora HDR software, and had the chance to actually shoot some images specifically for practice. I think most High Dynamic Range photographs are overdone, but HDR does address a common issue. Cameras and people see things differently.
My perception of today was a bright, sunshine-filled day with brilliant green trees, bright blue sky and all of the colors of spring, both subtle and dynamic. What the camera “sees” is something different. Exposing for the trees on the far bank leaves the sky washed out. Exposing for the foreground darkens the trees on the other side.
HDR addresses those issues. The image above is a blend of three different exposures which better captures the way the lake felt. I’m still learning how to put this together, there are a lot of options in the Aurora HDR software, but I’ve been pretty pleased with the results so far.