High dynamic range (HDR) images enable photographers to record a greater range of tonal detail than a given camera could capture in a single photo. This opens up a whole new set of lighting possibilities which one might have previously avoided—for purely technical reasons. The new "merge to HDR" feature of Photoshop CS2 allows the photographer to combine a series of bracketed exposures into a single image which encompasses the tonal detail of the entire series.
Most people out there love using their camera. It’s great fun to snap away regardless of where you are or what’s in front of you. If you are ‘most people’ though then you probably just leave your camera on auto mode. 90% of the time this is the easiest way to photograph. However, you’re missing out on a huge range of features on your camera, and, even if you don’t think you’ll need or use them, simply understanding them will make taking a photo a much better experience.