The high-contrast scene to the left represents what the human eye perceives in terms of dynamic range: detail in both shadow and highlight. However, this image is not representative of what a typical camera can record under these conditions, as it required compositing of about 6 different exposures of the same shot.

This lesson examines the limitations of a camera with respect to capturing tonal ranges and discusses alternative methods (a combination of camera and digital techniques) in creating a closer rendering of that the human eye actually sees.

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