File this one under: Another Attempt at Defending HDR Processing.
The above photograph was taken at the Indiana Dunes State Park on a cloudy day and under very poor lighting conditions. The composition of the wood along with the texture contrasts are what really caught my eye. Unfortunately the lighting was so bad that it didn't really allow the subject matter or the mood of the scene stand out much. Just as I was about to give up on the image I used Aperture's HDR plug-in (Photomatix)
BAM!
I got exactly what I was looking for. The lighting of the scene was improved dramatically. The shadows were deeper and the highlights were brighter. The grain in the wood became more apparent and the sand become more tactile. HDR processing is usually used to capture a full range of light in dramatic lighting conditions, i.e. sunsets, sunrises, interior spaces, etc. I also like to use it on photographs that aren't lit well at all. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. In this case I was very pleased with the outcome.
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