HDR
Combining bright, middle, and dark exposures so one image keeps detail in both the sunlit window and the room around it.
See it
What it is
HDR, or high dynamic range imaging, combines differently exposed frames so the final image can retain detail beyond what one capture could hold. One frame protects the bright window, another opens the dark furniture, and software aligns and merges their useful parts before mapping them back into a viewable image.
Reach for it with still scenes that exceed the camera's range: real estate interiors, sunset landscapes, architecture, and backlit product sets. Automatic exposure bracketing at two-stop intervals is a practical starting point. Google's HDR+ on Pixel phones does a quieter computational version, combining frames before you ever see the result.
Gotcha: HDR is a capture method, not the crunchy Photomatix tone-mapped look that made it famous in the 2000s. Heavy tone mapping produces halos, gray shadows, and color that feels radioactive. Moving leaves, water, or people can also ghost between frames, so use deghosting carefully or keep the subject still.
Ask AI for it
Build a natural HDR interior with Adobe Lightroom Classic HDR Photo Merge. Align three tripod exposures bracketed at -2 EV, 0 EV, and +2 EV; use low deghosting, keep the window view below clipping, and retain believable shadow depth inside. Avoid edge halos, gray blacks, excessive clarity, and oversaturated color.