NWDA Entry Candidate v.2

[domdib]

@Hetzen - thanks for your advice. However, I'm going to take this scene forward, for two main reasons: I don't think I have time to progress another version between now and the end of the contest; and second, I rather like this POV and lighting.

@deepdish - it's true there is overexposure on the tops of the clouds - however, this is a perennial challenge for landscape photography, as I'm exposing for the ground, not the clouds. I'm dialing down the sun in the next version, which should help.

[domdib]

Here is a new version with the sun toned down, so the clouds are less contrasty.

[FrankB]

the clouds are great now! I love them!

[Hetzen]

Fair enough. Just two observations then

I'd be tempted to put the camera lower to the ground looking through some grass, possibly going portrait on the aspect ratio. Then I'd also want to put some yellow'er less saturated greens on your mountain grass texture.

Clouds still look great.

[domdib]

Thanks gentlemen. Now that the clouds are working, I can focus on the terrain. I was already contemplating mixing in another population of grass that was a bit yellower - although perhaps Hetzen you are referring to the colour of the underlying texture? Mmm - and the light on the terrain isn't quite as bright as I'd like it now - would an extra EL with AO fit the bill? Or maybe I just do some Photomatix postwork massage? Questions, questions...

[Hetzen]

Get it right in full light first, sort out the lighting later. Your surface layer for the grass seems to be two hard colours of green and brown, however you've mixed them, there doesn't seem to be shades, rather just shadows. I'd be tempted to try and get patches of difference in the greens. Something I picked up on these forums, which I've got to say is quite brilliant, and I forget who suggested it, sorry, is to get a reference image of the terrain you're basing your scene on, then convert it to a gif, with a very limited colour pallete, something like twenty shades. A bit like posterising, so that you can colour pick key colours in the spectrum of your reference image.

[domdib]

Here is a crop, at final render size, of the terrain. I'd appreciate any C + C, and especially any technical advice on how to increase realism. Thanks!

[littlecannon]

Nice POV.... Have you adjusted the clouds as they now seem to glow/bleached out (in the V of the mountains)? The colour of the grass doesn't look quite right. In reality it would have some yellowish textures and a few interspersed dead bits. The displacement is great. I think a bit of realism could be added after in Photomatix or Photoshop... i.e. fine tuning the lighting and contrast. Keep at it.

[domdib]

Thanks for the comments. I wouldn't worry about the clouds - they will be dealt with in postwork (in Lightzone, efflux's favourite prog). There are some yellower patches of grass but perhaps the effect is too subtle - might add a few patches here and there.

[domdib]

I think this is pretty near the final version, unless anyone has any thoughts...

[Henry Blewer]

Are you going to use any grass objects? If not, I would make a color node tree to shade the grass. Mix some browns and yellows, but have the greens dominate. It is coming along quite well.

[domdib]

Hmmm... There are five populations of grass, plus a double layered grass shader underneath. How much more grass do you want? 

[littlecannon]

Those clouds are looking pretty damn nice now.... the grass looks much better with the dry patches, it breaks it up a bit. I really like the little outcrops in the displacements near the top.

[Henry Blewer]

Sorry, it's my crappy monitor.

[domdib]

Pretty much the final final...