I’ve been a big fan of HDR photography since I first discovered it three years ago.  While it can be overdone, or applied without motivation, it can produce some amazing results under the right circumstances.  Capturing detail in the highest of highs and lowest of lows results in an effect that I like to think of as “hyper-real.”

As a videographer, I scrambled to apply the technique to video.  The obvious approach (considering my lack of a degree in optical engineering) was to apply HDR technology to timelapse videography.  There are some great creatives out there that have been perfecting the craft, with lots of great advice, but here is my personal approach:

1. Choose your subject wisely -  you’ll be combining bracketed exposures, so no (or very little) movement can be in the shot.  Unfortunately, that means no people, traffic, etc.  You’ll also want a subject with a wide range of luminance, in order to maximize the exposure latitude HDR will give you.
2. A camera with automatic bracketing is necessary, as you’ll be manipulating exposure by bracketing shutter speed.  I use a Nikon D200 (until I get my 5D MKII, that is), which allows for 5 stops in either direction (more than enough range).
3. Set the intervalometer accordingly (there is no magic formula that I’m aware of… this really depends on the situation).  Luckily, the D200 has a built-in intervalometer.
4. I use Photomatix Pro to batch-process the series of shots into HDR images.
5. If needed, you can further tweak the HDR set via Lightroom or Photoshop.
6. Open an image sequence in Quicktime and export the movie.  I like waiting until I pull the clip into FCP before I crop to the correct dimensions, but you can easily do this in step 5 as well.

I’ve been waiting for someone unleash full HDR video, though I honestly thought it would be a few more years before a feasible arrangement was discovered.  Soviet Montage Productions solved the problem by using a beam splitter and two 5D Mark IIs.  I have yet to find a detailed explanation of the technique, but am eager to see the rig.  You can view the video above.  Engadget has a brief review, as does the caption in the original Vimeo post.  Wow.