High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging is a very active area of research today. It uses the advances of digital image processing as its foundation. It is used in camera design, software image processing, digital graphic arts and making movies. Everywhere we turn we see that HDR imaging is replacing conventional photography. If we want to understand HDR imaging we need an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates the many ways of making images. Further, we need to understand exactly what we mean by conventional photography. This text starts with the history of painting and presents an integrated view of the arts, image science, and technology leading to today's HDR. It ends with a discussion of possibilities for the future.
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