Let me do a confession: for quite a while, I was thinking that HDR was no longer useful to me. I had bought a pretty good camera, and with the raw-files coming out of that machine and the miracles that the latest version of Photoshop can do with these files, why use HDR any longer? Moreover, I often had the impression that the HDR’s were not as sharp as they should be. So one starts thinking, reading and most of all trying and experimenting. My conclusion of this journey is that HDR-photos can be as sharp as „normal” jpegs or raw, but it doesn’t come naturally. There is only one element that is really crucial: precision. How to get the precision needed? Well, don’t be lazy. Don’t think you can take three pictures out of hand. When using these four steps, you’ll get crispy pictures , whether you combine three of five images:

1. Use a tripod. Period. Don’t try to shoot three images out of your hand.
2. Put your camera on AV-priority.
3. Focus manually. If your camera has a live view function, use it.
4. Use the timer on your camera. Don’t touch it!

If you go along these steps, you’ll be precise and your images will be sharp.
Mark Johnson just published a complete eBook on HDR. In the free excerpt you can read how he organizes his HDR-workflow.