Dry Cacti Canyon

[RArcher]

When bored I always seem to drift back to making canyons, not sure why that is...  Anyway, here is a new one using Walli's dry grasses and some Xfrog cacti.  This is just a random point of view but I think there should be more interesting things to see along the canyon so there may be additional renders eventually.  Perhaps a non-dry version during some rains or something.

[TheBadger]

The light on the left most rocks is AMAZING!!! <--- Do my "!" make the point?

Everything looks pretty darn good though.

I challenge your brain to make this:
http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5742262/il_570xN.245180802.jpg
http://www.lik.com/thework/canyons-arches.html

Because it looks like you could do it!


Edit (I meant Right most rock)

[Tangled-Universe]

Nice work Ryan

Funny GI solution for this image. I keep wondering about the differences in GI over distance. In some layers of depth of the image the reflected light is a lot dark, then lighter, then darker again...weird.

I love the displacements here, cool work You may consider better soft shadows and AA next time for those grasses.

Cheers,
Martin

[FrankB]

Hi Ryan, I agree that the rock formations are "da bomb", well done!

It looks the image has undergone some photoshopping for colors and levels, right? Actually it looks like one of the paint.net filters (forgot its name).

Martin, I think Ryan hasn't used "receive shadows from surface", so the glowing atmosphere lights up the rock texture in some parts (close to the sun) more than it does further away from it.

Regards,
Frank

[RArcher]

It is perhaps a little over processed in some areas to be sure.  Here is the flat render output (no modifications in terms of contrast or gamma aside from the default 0.25 contrast 2.2 gamma set in TG)

From what i recall I did a couple of curves edits in Photoshop for contrast and colour.  Added a soft light layer with a little blur.  Then selectively sharpened the nearest cliff walls to get them to stand out a bit more.

The GI was set to 2/4/8 - Detail 1, AA 6, Atmosphere samples were at 4 i think with ray traced atmosphere active.  I did not use "receive shadows from surface" as in this case I like the bit of extra bleed through light you get at the back of the canyon.

[masonspappy]

Perhaps I'm the odd man out, but I rather like this version

[TheBadger]

Perhaps I'm the odd man out, but I rather like this version

I like them both. They look like the same place shot at two different times. 3 more frames and you could use them for some motion design.