[shaunt]

Wikipedia says

In image processing, computer graphics and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of exposures (the range of values between light and dark areas) than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDRI is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to shadows.

High Dynamic Range Imaging was originally developed in the 1930s and 1940s by Charles Wyckoff. Wyckoff's detailed pictures of nuclear explosions appeared on the cover of Life magazine in the mid 1940s. The process of tone mapping together with bracketed exposures of normal digital images, giving the end result a high, often exaggerated dynamic range, was first reported in 1993[1], and resulted in a mathematical theory of differently exposed pictures of the same subject matter that was published in 1995[2]. In 1997 this technique of combining several differently exposed images to produce a single HDR image was presented to the computer graphics community by Paul Debevec.

This method was developed to produce a high dynamic range image from a set of photographs taken with a range of exposures. With the rising popularity of digital cameras and easy-to-use desktop software, the term "HDR" is now popularly used[3] to refer to this process. This composite technique is different from (and may be of lesser or greater quality than) the production of an image from a single exposure of a sensor that has a native high dynamic range. Tone mapping is also used to display HDR images on devices with a low native dynamic range, such as a computer screen.

Looking over the Photo/Media board, I've noticed that HDR has become prevalent in many car threads.

What is your best advice for creating the "best" HDR image?

Every time I try to create a surreal image in CS3, I just manage to screw things up. Feel free to add any HDR images to this thread.

[bmwturbopower]

First and for most. Re size those pics man....

What you need.
1.Tripod
2.Camera
3.PhotoMatrix

If you want to get really good at shooting a HDR, you have to know your camera settings.
If you have a DSLR, which I recommend, Then you can go to your settings. you should have "Exposure Bracketing Setting" in your Settings menu. Just select 2|0|2 and you will take 3 different exposures at once.
This can be look at in this video here:
HDR Steps

Now, Once you have your exposures you can upload them onto PhotoMatrix and it gives you a step by step to achieve the HDR image.

then you come out with something like this Depending on how drastic you use Photomatrix

[- Paul -]

Or you can do it straight off the RAW file.

A recent example of mine