[Freddy]

I've been experimenting with HDR lighting. This is lighting that is generated with a high definition image - imagine a 360 panorama. So yeah the light in the image is used to calculate how the scene is lit.

So if you have an HDR image of a setting sunset, you could expect to see things in your scene with a red hue or something like that.

I found a few freebies, I'm still working out how to judge what an image will render like. So I'm just practising so far. I have to say though, I am very pleased with how the light plays - it seems quite natural to me.

See what you all think. Click to see full size...

[Freddy]

Because the model is lit by the environment she looks more at home in the scene. This next one demonstrates this...

[DemonRaven]

I checked out your other site nice work very pretty. You do good work with daz.

[Freddy]

Thanks very much

That close up of the girl above is my best render I think. Practice, practice and practice !

[Data]

The HDR lighting is definitely making the renders appear more realistic, which I like 

I think we have mentioned it before, lighting and shadows are important to give that last little bit of realism.

[Freddy]

Thank you

I'm getting there. The HDR lights will generate shadows, this one where she is in the woods, the light is pretty even all the way around, so not much in the way of shadows. I'll post one in a bit that I was experimenting with that shows shadows.

I'm wondering how much cameras cost that take these HDRs, I bet they are expensive.

[ivan.moony]

for a while now there are specialized programs that automatically stitch several photos taken at different angles to a big panorama image. I just googled now (hehe, not that now) and I saw even  Photoshop plugins that do these things.

[Freddy]

Yes I went off and found the same thing. Still fiddling with things though, nothing to show yet.

[Freddy]

Got diverted from my experiments on lighting a little.

Just coming back to what we were saying about the HDR and stitching. Google have this Android app called Photosphere and it will make the 360 x 180 degree images that Daz needs.

Here's a short article on it :

http://geojournalism.org/2015/02/create-immersive-photo-experiences-with-google-photo-sphere/

I needed a new mobile so I got one with a good camera and came up with this :

http://widdershinsstudio.uk/stuff/

It's my garden. It's a bit choppy but it was my first attempt and the weather has been crap since and I've been too busy with other things. But it has potential. You could go out and make a sphere then take that into Daz Studio, plop in your model and bingo they're on your lawn 

[Art]

I also like the girls skin and the way her leather garment actually Looked like leather.
HDR imaging has been around for quite a number of years as I used to use it in some of my early Max renderings and some Rhino ones.
Lights and shadows...where would we be without them? In Grayworld? Heh!

Very nice work Freddy!

[claude2]

Woow !! It's a beautiful lady!

[Freddy]

Thank you Claude.

Been a while since I posted anything in this thread, but as some of you know lately I have been working on Daz things and other projects.

Anyway I got interested in Non Photorealistic Renders (NPR).

So I am playing with things like this.

[Carl2]

Aerodynamics says she'll never fly but great work, lets take the obj file and put it in a haptek character.
Carl2

[Art]

I was going to mention it earlier but they almost look like pencil sketches! Nicely done BTW!

[Freddy]

Thanks Carl and Art

Yes it's a pencil sketch algorithm/filter that did the effect. I'm getting into more comic book and graphic novel stuff at the moment.