Although high dynamic range (HDR) imaging has gained great popularity and acceptance in both the scientific and commercial domains, the relationship between perceptually accurate, content-independent dynamic range and objective measures has not been fully explored. We proposed a new methodology for perceived dynamic range evaluation of complex stimuli in HDR conditions. We conducted a subjective study with 24 participants and analyzed correlations between mean opinion scores (MOS) and three image features. Strong Spearman correlations between MOS and objective DR measure and between MOS and image key were found. An exploratory analysis revealed that additional image characteristics should be considered when modeling perceptually-based dynamic range metrics. Finally, one of the outcomes of the study is the perceptually annotated HDR image dataset with MOS values, that can be used for HDR imaging algorithms and metric validation, content selection and analysis of aesthetic image attributes.