Regarding HDR photography
I am not a big fan of photography. I find it too static and (usually) somewhat boring. Which is why I prefer video with audio. However, I absolutely love HDR photography. It just wows me. You can take a not-so-great picture and with HDR bring a whole new way of looking at it. Some nice HDR pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
My JBQ (whose main hobby is photography) despises HDR pictures. He finds them unnatural and according to him, they look like they came out from 3D Studio Max or something. While what he says is correct, it is exactly what draws me towards them. I guess it is because of the same reason why I can’t sit tight and watch medical or social drama TV shows. I need to overstimulate my senses with action and otherworldly sets.