The book kicks off with a couple of very technical chapters looking at the background to HDRI, a comparison of the various image formats together with a very comprehensive look at a wide range of HDRI software currently available, from freeware up to the top of the line packages, comparing features of each. This takes up the first third of the book, and I did feel a bit like I was being overloaded with technical info.
However, then the book does it get onto the interesting bit - how to take HDRI images, and what to do with them when you've got them. Suddenly all the dry tech stuff up front makes sense, and you can see where all the bits go, and why. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 look at taking HDRI images, tone mapping and HDR image processing, and cover the subject extremely well, with huge amounts of useful information and clear step-by-step instructions.
The last two chapters cover panoramic HDR images and an interesting (but again quite technical) chapter on HDR in computer-generated imaging.
So, the first couple of chapters could put off a novice photographer, but dig a little further and there is a wealth of information here. If you're interested in HDR images and what you can do with them, then this is a fantastic resource. And it comes with an accompanying DVD packed with software, sample HDR images and tutorial files.
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