hi , not sure if this is where this post should be .
but i want to improve the lighting of the render (more towards the realistic side). i am looking at the tutorial, reading articles but nothing seems to be helping. although i am applying the same concept that i have learnt from them . i believe this topic has been asked many times but still would like some feedback on improving my artwork.
some of the information regarding the render:
complete created in blender
textures from Poliigon
blender 2.79 Cycles
using bevel for everything
for imperfections i have included a dust and some wiping texture
for the lighting:
using 1 HDRi map from HDRi Haven . since i wanted to light the table i selected the hdr map with noon timing (sun around at 12). it seems good as far as the lighting goes but still feels like there is something missing to enhance the lighting for the render.
any feedback would be valuable.
thank you.
for the ref photo it is taken from andrew price pinterest page . i wanted to go for that kind of lighting and this is as far as i can reach :
Look at what the light is doing in the reference shot. There’s a warm light source off-camera that is accounting for most of the actual illumination in the room. Yes, there is a skylight, but it is contributing a minimal amount of illumination – and I suspect darkroom trickery when I closely examine the closest plastic chair. The “sunlight” that is coming through the skylight is not consistent with the “sunlight” that is coming through the far window.
You obviously put a light source over the skylight and expected this to be the illumination for your scene. But it isn’t, and neither is the outside window.
And this sort of thing is pretty typical when you look closely at a “reference shot” that has been put together by a (photographic or as in this case CG) pro. People routinely use the word, “photo-realistic,” when there is really nothing “realistic” about a professional photograph at all.
Grab a few books that discuss interior photography – as in, "on film." When you happen upon a “photo shoot” on a nice spring or fall day, look closely at the setup: all the stuff that you don’t see in the frame. Learn about spot light-meters and the “histogram” display, and how to use these things to measure your shots.
hi , that was quite a in depth explanation of the reference photo and the lighting technique used, i would really like to learn the lighting used in these photos so if there are any books that you might refer that would be great.
secondly, i have read a lot regarding lighting the scene naturally that is using the HDRi images… so would that possible to light this kind of setup or any other using just a HDRi images or i would still need include other techniques inside .
What do you mean? Realism suck - as far as ambient only goes. The reference shot is probably metered for the background (would make interior severely underexposed) and then artificial lights to balance the interior to match the exterior. You can’t have properly exposed exterior and interior as the exterior will always be much brighter (in daylight/sunlight).
It’s probably beneficiary to have a look at interior/real-estate photography tutorials as well.
Actually your lighting is already quite nice (not that it cannot improve)
But the light is not just the lightsource but also the reflection, refraction and absorbtion.
What I mean is I would focus also on the shader side of the scene if you aim for realism.
This might make the most difference.
Right now when I compare your render and the reference I see some things at once:
the lamp over the picture is shiny metallic on the reference - yours is kinda diffuse
there is reflection on the picture frame - missing iun your render.
I know you are not trying to make a copy - byt some small details like this can make a difference.
As for the lighting i see on the reference the table gets some reflected light from behind the camera (a white wall maybe)
Your’s is pretty dark in the shadows.
Good job anyway, keep it up it’s definitely going somewhere…
Honestly, both web-sites and on-line bookstores are stuffed with excellent references on the subject of photographic lighting. Even if the item is years old and concerns only film, the principles are the same. Likewise, look up Ansel Adams and his “Zone System.™” Although once again he is dealing with photographic film, his concepts of relative lighting within a shot are directly applicable.
The human eye scans a scene to assemble our perception on the visual cortex of the brain, and it can perceive over 20 f-stops of brightness. Video or film, less than 8.
