they just look like the contrast is all fuckedup
(,
Thu 3 Jul 2008, 14:09,
archived)
they allow you to store more information in the picture, specifically in the very high and very low brightness regions, so that you don't lose information when editing the pic. it's supposed to reflect how the human eye is able to dynamically change how much light is able to enter, thus being able to see in bright and low light conditions.
(,
Thu 3 Jul 2008, 14:17,
archived)