This is three different exposures combined in Photomatix to produce an image with detail throughout its dynamic range. (I’m using the software in the demo mode, hence the watermarks.) The effect is analogous to a zone-system contraction, but here the camera and computer do all the calculations, not the photographer, and it works for color. You can perform similar stunts with recent editions of Photoshop (see the pictures of the cathedral from Wednesday), but the full version of Photoshop is expensive, and I’m considering Photomatix for use at home.
One of the three originals is below the fold for comparison. It’s the middle of the three exposures.
