Had an opportunity to experiment with a style of photography suited well for landscape . . . most of it's over the top, but its a learning process . . .
HDR - high dynamic range. Film as well as digital sensors have a limited range of light intensity that can be captured. HDR photography attempts to compensate for this by combining multiple shots at different exposures. This allows you to see detail in the bright sky as well as dark shadows. With a single shot, you might end up with a completely white sky in order to capture shadow detail.
After you work with photo and video equipment for awhile, you really appreciate how our own eyes are so much more advanced than any camera.
Bob, correct! As well as a few of the cranberry harvest shots. I use it often. It can bring out tons of detail in a single shot. Not to steal the thread but more examples of HDR -
Actually, if that's your first try at HDR then you are well on your way! It took me years of experimenting to get it to look how I wanted. You're shots looks perfect to me, very well processed and natural. I've seen some HDR's that made my stomach turn!
Good job, I'm looking forward to seeing more in the future, keep it up!
Any digital camera would be fine. I have a very basic Nikon D40 dslr, as long as you have a tripod or can shoot in RAW you can do it. You can create a "tone-mapped" image with a single RAW exposure (great for action shots or instances where you cannot do a multiple exposure). If you're just shooting a landscape with minimal movement, you can set up on a tripod and manually change the exposure for each shot. Just be careful not to move the camera too much or you'll end up with strangely lit areas. More here: http://www.stuckincustoms.com/hdr-tutorial/ http://www.vanilladays.com/hdr-guide/ http://backingwinds.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-to-create-professional-hdr-images.html
It seems to contribute added depth with a touch of surrealism. The finished product has a very distinct look that is quite interesting. I enjoyed the examples that everyone has displayed here. Thanks for the links too!