Richard Fraser Cliff Challenge WIP

bobbystahr · February 27, 2018, 08:07:26 PM

Quote from: cyphyr on February 27, 2018, 07:43:24 PM
The exposure is at 3 already but upping the exposure any more will blow out the sky too much. Once I get it good enough I'll render it all out as layers and do a balanced comp from that.
Actually that reminds me ... I know using render layers is allowed how about using two renders (ie one with GI and one with AO) and blend them together for increased "tonal depth"? Would that be allowed? I suspect not ...

Cool, it's a lovely effect you got going...was it a looooong render? Y know as it's all done internally it might well be O K.

days later I checked the rules and as long as the layers are created within TG then assembly in PhSh is allowed it seems like.

luvsmuzik · February 27, 2018, 08:35:47 PM

Allow or not, bet it would be spiffy! Great progress!

Dune · February 28, 2018, 01:52:18 AM

Why do two renders with GI and AO separately. You can add an AO light.

cyphyr · February 28, 2018, 03:51:06 AM

Quote from: Dune on February 28, 2018, 01:52:18 AM
Why do two renders with GI and AO separately. You can add an AO light.

Because I found it astonishingly hard to control in the renderer. I've not tried it for an age but it was a trick I was fond of using early on. I think I would layer them in Photoshop with the AO at 50% screen (but I can't really remember).

Dune · February 28, 2018, 08:52:21 AM

Ah, I see.

Jo Kariboo · March 03, 2018, 08:26:33 AM

The last one is beautifull!!!

cyphyr · March 04, 2018, 04:27:26 AM

Slowly progressing.

I need to start optimising, renders are taking way too long now, this was five and a half hours at 0.5 and 3AA and I want the final to be High res and high settings ...
A lot still to do.
I'm not happy about the cliff wall on the left, multiple issues:
The low ledge to the left of the tree needs to be softened, it just looks wrong.
The cliff face is to uniform in it's strata and roughness. And their are some strange broken overlapping polys that need to go.
Not sure about the foreground pool. Needs something there, maybe just a bush ...
Quite happy about the sky, I'll probably run a few over night tests to see if it can be improved with different cloud settings.
Forest/jungle needs subtle more variety, maybe some clearings closer to the foreground.
Lastly I'm not too sure about the camera vp. Position is good but the horizon line at 50% is kinda uninspiring. I'll try a few options with it at the 33% mark.
Cheers for looking and crits always helpful

mhaze · March 04, 2018, 05:25:33 AM

Gorgeous!

luvsmuzik · March 04, 2018, 06:32:03 AM

Love it overall, especially the lighting. Don't be too critical...it's a great render!

cyphyr · March 04, 2018, 08:59:11 AM

Ok so I did a simple comparison and Grey scaled the output to ovoid distraction.
First one is the same as above, the second is the "rule of thirds" new pov.
I think it sits better but I may have to move the islands as I have lost one in the new pov.

EDIT: added New_Cliff_12compTest.jpg

AndyWelder · March 04, 2018, 09:08:49 AM

Why not tilt the camera the other way so the horizon is at 2/3? You'd lose some sky but that is not the main focus of the render, is it? And I think that if you move the camera a bit backwards and upwards you also wouldn't lose too much of the left cliff...
And it's a great moody render you have here, almost forgot to say.

cyphyr · March 04, 2018, 09:26:07 AM

I am trying a render as you suggest but I did want some very close foreground detail to add some DOF to which a higher vp won't give me. It would accentuate the height though and I might be able to add something else as foreground detail. Put the camera in the branches of a tree maybe.

Hetzen · March 04, 2018, 10:01:33 AM

I prefer the first one Richard. I think its better framed. I don't think you need to do a thirds on this. Your eye is drawn along the river in the first. I'm looking at the sky in the second.

Dune · March 04, 2018, 11:51:55 AM

I like the first one too, but the third has something too; it's kind of 'enclosed', which feels good. I do think you should try moving the cam slightly left, so you get a better reflection of the side of the cliff (so the right side of the reflection is sky, left is rock), if you get my point.
Also, I actually prefer the B&W, as the others are very uniformly warm. Too much, IMHO. If you can tone the shadowy parts more towards grey, cool tones, I think it's more balanced maybe.

DannyG · March 04, 2018, 12:10:15 PM

Agree with Hetzen and Dune, 1st has more going on with nice subtle details to catch the eye