High Dynamic Range Images

HDRI Image "Junk Car"
Nikon D80, Tamron 28-80
3 Exposures: -2.0, 0.0, +2.0

A cool technology is "High Dynamic Range Images", or HDR/HDRI. Basically it's taking multiple exposures of a subject at various exposure settings. Software is then used to combine the different exposures into a single image.

Photoshop CS3 (possibly CS2) and later has an HDRI tool, and there are dedicated HDRI software packages such as Photomatix. Each of them takes the visible range from each image and combines them effectively. The result is that shadows have clear detail, and highlights aren't blown out. That process gives the image a similar exposure range to what the human eye can see naturally.

Non-HDRI Image, "Junk Car"
This is the 0.0 exposure.
Nikon D80, Tamron 28-80
f3.5, 1/800"

The image at the top of this article was created from three exposures: One two stops below metered, one at metered, and one two stops above metered. The second image is the unprocessed image at metered. You can see that the highlights are pretty blown, and the shadows are impenetrably dark. 

Comparing the two images shows just what you can do with HDRI techniques. If you have a newer version of Photoshop, check out the tools built in. If not, or if you want to play with the more advanced features, check out Photomatix at http://www.hdrsoft.com.