HW #9- HDR Imaging

So for awhile now my dad has been bugging to bracket my images and merge them into HDR (High Dynamic Range) images. I found this process somewhat time consuming and for a lazy person such as myself, I would much prefer just shooting, uploading, et voila! My own computer does not include a Photoshop of any kind, let alone any kind of software to make HDR images.
I thought I'd please my old man, and give the new technique a shot.
So I uploaded a new program called HDR Expose, I had no idea what to expect and was actually reluctant to do any kind of HDRI. Lo and behold, my first attempt to make an HDR image was a DISASTER. I sepent a good 40 minutes attempting to correctly merge three images of different exposure fstops. The buttons and controlls were confusing and very frustrating. I eventually looked up the step-by-step video tutorials. Of course the video resolution and sound was aweful so I could hardly see the buttons the guys was clicking or even what he was saying. Lets just say I was a very unpleasant person for the rest of the day.

After a good sleep and weekend sailing trip, I desided to give the HDR thing another shot, with a new peace of mind. While hanging out at the marina, I proped my camera on the railings and bracked my images. Once home I quickly uploaded my images and once again gave the HDR Expose a shot, not expecting much. I played with every button, key, number, setting, Mr. Tuturial can go F himself, his advise was just confusing, I decided to to this my own way. I ended up with some pretty interesting results, and touched them up again in Adobe Lightroom(a VERY useful application, easy to use too). Here are my results from today:

(this one's my personal favorite)