Lighting - Step 2?
tkz
Posts: 149
So... I think I've gotten my basic bearings down with choosing HDRI files for the dome... and adjusting their intestity and orientiation... have downloaded quite a few huge ones to experiment with... and enjoying it... Not having much trouble getting the dome to give me what I want from it....
With the basics of that down, I'm trying to develop a little skill with adding placed lights... especially to bring out some hightlights and kill certain ground shadows, but seems everything I do either does nothing, or just ruins the lighting that the dome was giving me.... (I'm rendering in iray)
Is there a recommended approach to figuring this out / learning it? Any great youtube tutorials? (I've already tried to intake almost everything i could find on YT...)
I was thinking that I should pick up one of the Colm Jackson HDR sets.... along with his Hi Studio Kit set.... (Hi studio with just a little shadow on the ground is almost the ideal look for the set I'm currently working on)... though the next set of renders needs something more like his regular hdr sets...). I was thinking that having a starting point like that would help jump start the learning curve... but lighting outside of the basics i metioned is still almost a complete mystery to me.
Any direction would be greatly appreciated!
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Comments
Most people would claim that you should let the HDRI do its thing without adding any other lights. But I do understand that you sometimes can't get the lightiing right for some scenes.
When I can't, I usually go for an Iray sky dome like this one which includes a sun which you can move and adjust. Hope this helps, cheers.
HDRI lighting will often be inadquate, just as, in the real world, available-light is not always what's needed. Ever see a pro photo shoot on a beach or something? They still add lights or reflectors to get it just right.
There are two Yosemite HRDI sets too in the DAZ Store for only $1.99 if you are PC+ member. Also these freebies to get a feel what a good HRDI should create as far as light goes in your scene.
https://hdrihaven.com/bundle.php?b=free_bundle ;