Smart Objects: getting to dynamic range

Here, I'm using Smart Objects... I've started with three exposures, 2 stops apart.



I open the first one, and "Open Object" (see previous Smart Objects posts for details...) Then I go to Bridge and select one of the brackets, and go to File>Place>Photoshop. This opens that file, as a Smart Object, into the open file in Photoshop. I do it again, and have all three files there as Smart Object Layers.

Now I can mask them to burn and dodge them... starting off with all the exposure values from my 6-stop exposure bracket range. I have all the control of Layers and Masking, with the ability to go back and edit the RAW source file because of the Smart Object. I can fine-tune the value, the color, the sharpening and the opacity and blending of the Layer, too.