hi,
i’m doing an experiment by trying to create the most Photo-realistic image possible, without of course, taking a picture. I do not think i am the going to make the most photo-realistic image by myself, so I have posted it here for advice.
this is the theory behind which i have created this image:
keep it simple- the more there is in the scene the more there is to go wrong, the more details people will pick up on.
use as many textures as possible- textures have been taken by a camera, and therefore are already more photo-realistic than a render
post processing- if you do lots of post processing to an image in a way similar to how you would process a real image, then the small things will be masked by the colours etc.
make it interesting- although my render is not very interesting at all, if you have an interestig story line in a film, the special effects look better, because you spend less time thinking about them
That’s looking pretty good, what I think would probably make it easiest for you would be to set your scene up in real life and take a photo of it for comparrison. I personally don’t really get the point of trying to perfectly copy a photograph when it’s quicker, easier and more accurate to just use a camera which is probably why painters gave up on the idea shortly after photography came about, but I think you’re doing a great job, you’re showing a good understanding of reality, I don’t really have any critiques on it except for the colour underneath the floorboards seems strange, it might look more realistic if it was much darker.
About the only thing I would suggest with regard to this image is that the “keys” need to have more surface-treatment. They will have some roughness, maybe a scratch or two (or maybe not), and there will be some specular action to bring out those textures. You can reasonably assume that the photographer would be using a soft-box so that there would not be ‘bright spots’ on the metal … which could result in overexposure. I’m talking about slight changes to those keys, and nothing else.
great advice, obviously from someone who knows about cameras (unlike myself), and photography
thanks, ill make the changes when i next update the image.
Well the advantage to this is really about flexibility… you can change lighting setups and swap out/modify items as you go. I think you have a great idea there, keeping it simple is a great way to learn how to focus on composition, lighting, and texturing.
One of the most helpful things to add realism in my experience is to use HDR images into your world settings (also called lightprobes) for reflections and even as environmental lighting. I’m not sure how luxrender deals with these but Blender Internal come give some amazing results using this technique.
ok here’s what ive got:
main changes are lighting and texturing on the keys…
im still looking for a HDRI map that’s going to fit the scene. plus the keys aren’t that shiny anyway.
I used the kitchen for this image in Blender internal… 1 second render.
Obviously like you said you wouldn’t want your keys that shiny, but you could add a cloud/noise texture to the reflection channel and turn down the mirror.
thanks for the link, i used the one that i thought most looked like the interior of whatever this is in (in terms of window placement etc.).
in lux you just turn up the rough value to make it less shiny.
ill work out how to use them then ill post it here
until then:
It’s great to see the development of this idea, now it looks like you’re starting to move closer towards a highly realistic 3D scene rather than a photographic copy. Keep up the good work
CASIO 23 in my opinion that’s a nice render but the proportions of the key is huge when you compare it with the size of the wood on the floor . thats 4x2 lumber you got there .
A important (perhaps more than textures) thing to keep in mind when trying to make something that seems a photo is proportions. Our eye knows if something is real or not because the proportions. The wood is wrong or the keys are superlarge. I think you need also correct the void space between the wood, too much. I like more the lighting on first picture. Another thing to keep in mind is the blurred that can’t be much or little, because it has a just amount, it is a proportion issue too. If the blur is too much the impression is that we are looking to something very little.
Great texturing and great modeling. The keys are strange but I like them. My feel is that are keys for a toy or something like that, not for a door or something real. That is because it seems easy to bend that material with your fingers. That is also proportion issue.
Very good. However I think I like the first lighting more. It seems much more interesting since so can see a distinct light source over on the left and you kind of think of a lamp or something which one would have in their room, on their desk, etc.
hi guys,
thanks for the feedback and support.
firstly, your all right about the floorboards, ill change them in the next update.
i think i will decrease the size of the gap, but not too much as i think it makes the room look old.
i dont think i can use HDRI map in my version of luxblend, but ill add a sphere with a room texture to do the job.
the keys are modelled as accuratley as possible from my windows keys, i also threw them onto my desk to see how they landed. @bao2 - i know what you mean about the lighting, i think the lighting is better in the second two, but it’s too dark, ill play about with the colours.
ill do some more experimenting with a real camera.
thanks
derek
I really like the wood in the first shot. Very realistic. The keys are quite unintereting though. Beef them up and re render please tink the point of photo-realism in CG would be more for compositing into live action footage etc - hence the realism. Take, for example, spiderman (fighting) v trex in Jurrasic park. Which one looks more realistic in the heat of the moment?
That looks amazing! My only crit (which is a small one) is maybe brighten up the dark edges at the top. I think they’re distracting, drawing the viewer away from the keys.
Luxblend and luxrender can handle HDRI in exr format easily, and also combine the HDRI with ‘real’ lights, so you can get the extra realism without necessarily losing the composition that you started with.
The only points I would make about the newest image are:
The material settings on the key are giving it too rough a surface. It looks like cast lead, rather than a plated steel, which is what that type of key would be made of.
The edges of the planks need a little bit of rounding or bevelling,- they look too sharp for a floor that has had that degree of wear.
but i have brightened it up a bit, and its rendered for longer, so less noise 
