Help for reaching photorealism

[el_torero]

Studio/Institution: Arquitecnica
Genre: Residential Exterior
Software: 3d max + vray + photoshop
Description:

Hi guys!

 

Im new in this wonderful forum and this is my first post. It´s about a still of a residential building designed by Arquitecnica, but they weren't my clients, i have just done it for training.

 

I modeled it on 3dmax and used vray as render engine, and make some postwork on Photoshop. I think the image is not bad, but i would like to get to the most photorealistic result posible, so I ask you for your advice! Thanks you all!

Edited December 19, 2012 by el_torero

[Chris MacDonald]

I think you're almost there. One thing I would say is work on getting the perspectives on the background correct; it can be difficult and these are a long, long way from being the worst I've seen. Also, generally speaking when things are off in the distance they tend to be slightly desaturated and when in the extreme distance also have a blue hue. Also the background buildings are lit with quite bright sunlight, but your building & foreground is in a really soft light - if they matched it would work a lot better.

 

As for composition, I think i'd tilt the camera up to catch slightly less foreground, and more sky.

[Ismael]

This is great already.

[el_torero]

Thanks Chris, i will work on it and hope to upload the result as soon as posible!

 

Ismael, thank you a lot. I think my work goes on the right way, but my aim is to make images so real that you dont know if it is a render or a photo, so that is why I ask for advice.

Edited December 19, 2012 by el_torero

[hockley91]

I think it's looking pretty good! You have a lot of detail in that shot. The lighting scheme makes it looks very dreary, like a cloudy day. I think this type of shot needs some life in it with a bright sun and reflections. A much nicer sky also. The right hand of the image looks excessively bright and burnt vs. the left side/front of the image.

[Ismael]

May be useful http://www.sketchupartists.org/tutorials/sketchup-and-photoshop/sketchup-v-ray-image-post-processing-in-photoshop/

 

http://www.cgarchitect.com/2012/04/making-of-the-bergman-werntoft-house

Edited December 20, 2012 by Ismael
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[Umesh Raut]

Adam has pointed out what I also thought of, to me it looks like you've done too much in Photoshop for that imbalance. If you use v Ray Sun as real world Sun is (placed high above and covering the entire model), the image shall get good depth and definition by shadows alone. This looks like some smaller area refraction of a bright light source on top right rapidly diminishing in the image plane itself, which is not a real world scene generally photographed.

Secondly, photographers tend to place the camera between (in plan/top view) the light source and the subject, to utilize optimum illumination. Its very common to have light coming from top right, unless it is absolutely needed to go otherwise. The sky would come next and other background has to be blurry, desaturated and tinted as Chris has advised. Carefully studying architectural stills, both photo-real and NPR, would give many such clues.

And as for the larger foreground, you may use the 'guess vert.' for vray camera at the very last, after all other adjustments, to tilt it upwards and still give you 2 point perspective.

Edited December 25, 2012 by umeshraut

[el_torero]

Hi guys! First of all i would like to thank you all for your advice! I apreciate ypur help a lot. I´ve work a little on this scene, but i don´t know if I have improved it... I think i´m stuck. I´ve changed the lighting and reduced the post work. Comments are welcomed!

 

Umesh, if i don´t use vertical shift, the image gets too much deformed...maybe i´m not setting the camera in the right position and direction.

 

See you all!

 

[Ismael]

I liked the first one and also the last one. You want your image to be as 'photorealistic' as possible? Once someone posted a photo and opened a discussion on its realism. Guess what? There were a lot of comments as to how to make it more real. It wasn't a bad photo either. Nevertheless, photographic realism may be far away from the reality it is aiming to represent. After fill lights, strobes, etc; the end result may fulfill the need to portray in a 'best light' an object or objects and space; but that may be well different than the reality of the space and objects reality to begin with.

 

Do more work (images), keep seeking, look at the "Visualization Pro of the Week" section and picture the reason they were selected. Look at 'The Making Of ..." sections which abound here and everywhere, seek post-work skills if lacking. Lastly, I rather recommend you take your own image references whenever possible which you can crossreference to the space captured in realtime. Best wishes and like I said, I like your images- keep up the good work.

[Umesh Raut]

Yes, there is a marked change from the earlier one. But now the outline of your subject is eaten out by the similarly hued/saturated background. A different sky with cleaner hue shift would certainly make the subject stand out a little; see below. I just put what I had locally available, searching the net could surely give a better option. But nonetheless, masking this small fragment out too was a little challenge due to similar tones.

And vertical camera shift is de facto for arch viz, so you are right there; only thing you should be careful of is composing the shot, which is good in this case but for a tiny tilt up to reduce the road.

 

Edited December 28, 2012 by umeshraut

[wergwergerg]

It looks as realistic as it can be! I like the last render a lot. Thanks for the eye-opener!

[deC9r]

nice render, but i think you have to improve your postproduction skills. Most common mistakes are to over saturate the colors, a too low contrast and no unity off all picture elements. For example the red is to much saturated. Also you got a blue sky but the color temperature of the building is more warm with a magenta pass. Also it is clearly visible that your sky has much more noise than the actuall render. You have to pay more attention on little details who narrate one experienced eye if it's real or not

 

i took 3mins to show u what i meant, btw i didnt fix the noise in the sky.

 

[bartjole]

Wow your render is great! How did you get that dirt on the concrete and what tile material is it on the ground?

[el_torero]

Thanks you all for your replies! I don't have currently enough time to work on this image. Bart, the concrete material is a vrayblend material and the dirt is achieved with a leak mask.