"HDR" Look - Slightly Non Photo Realistic attempt.

[mfured20]

Studio/Institution: YJR Inc.
Client: undisclosed, personal tweaks
Genre: Retail Exterior
Software: 3ds Max, vRay, Photoshop, Photomatix
Description:

Hey Gang!

 

I haven't posted up much in months and months, but I wanted to get your opinions on something that I have been thinking about. I had an older model of a waterfront development that I was improving for a big portfolio piece. The job was huge, and a little rushed, so the finished product that we gave to the clients was less than stellar. I mean, it was OK, but it was no where near as nice as I wanted it to be. They were happy tho, and actually paid us, so I didnt complain.

 

Anyway, back to the situation at hand. I got to thinking about NPR images and my total inability to produce a decent one as I was tweaking the lighting. Then I remembered that craze a little bit ago, and maybe its still going strong, of people taking HDR photographs and filtering them into this hyper-realistic image that looked awesome. It was pretty far from photo-real, but still awesome. Here is one of the more realistic ones that I could find:

 

 

I wanted to try and mimic that look while not making it look like I was ripping frames out of 300. So I snagged some tutorials, got some software with the last of my eating money, and tried some things out. First off, this was about how my image was looking straight out of vRay with only some light tweaks to the color:

 

 

And this was the version that we sent off to the client. You can see that we did some photoshopping to get the sky right, and a few other things:

 

 

Finally, this is how my image running through the HDR process has come out at this time:

 

 

 

Sooooo, my question to you guys is this: Is this a good idea? Or am I just wasting my time on something that is only a passing thing and won't be of any use to me? Your feedback is [obviously] important to me. Thanks in advance!

 

- matt

[mfured20]

I tried another image to see how it worked out. I still get the feeling that its sort of gimmicky, but I guess I should try and see if the clients like it.

 

Original:

 

 

Tonemapped:

 

[D_Burpee]

Pretty cool idea, and I think you have a pretty decent start. It is definitely going to be a tough task I would think, since renders typically attempt to appear as realistic as possible in many ways, so to intentionally make things look a little different while still retaining some realism would be a nice challenge. I really dig that interior render, but I think if you pushed that wood ceiling material it would really help the scene out. I also think it could have even a higher contrast, like some other hdrs I have scene, but thats just my opinion. nice work!

[kankan]

I love it. Beautiful! Very painterly!

[mfured20]

Thanks guys, I have been working with the 'look' for a few days now and decided its something that I want to incorporate into my new website. I think I will put a few of the images up in the Finished Work section for grins. Thanks!

 

- matt