From the desert to the forest

[Hannes]

Wow, that's really an improvement! I saw your first try a few days ago, and now I just had a look at your latest one. The lighting is fantastic, and the soft shadows are a must! I hope you can get rid of the banding.
Great image!!

[DocCharly65]

Thanks Hannes, and of course to all who have assisted me... and in fact I got rid of the banding

Here the (expected) final "Puppy in the forest"

[attach=1]

Now you may guess, why my project file folder is still called "speeders in the forest"... and belongs to the "animation plan"   
Already very busy again

[choronr]

This is sooo nice. 'Image of the Year'!!!

[bobbystahr]

Well done and I echo Bob's  comment. I love watching stuff grow in these threads. It's where I learn most and most often get inspiration.

[Kadri]

Nice image Doc

[Dune]

It looks really good now, Nils! One thing that struck me is the tyre-flattened area of the tracks; they're kind of shifted to the sides and not centrally located in the tracks, or is that on purpose? Especially noticable further away.
This will be awesome as an animation, can't wait (I know I have to 

[DocCharly65]

Thanks Ulco.

Mhh... I MUST say now, they are intentionally not centered

I saw it already on the direct precursor (desert slope) but it never really bothered me, because it is assumed that the type of usage of this road remains unclear.

Maybe it's used by 100s of R2D2s, maybe it was asphalted before. I specially liked the thought from Oshyan about dried mud on the sides. Then you even could see old rests of asphalt between the mud and the middle part...

Lack too deep TG3 knowledge I like to play a little with imagination... E.g. even though it's not really there, you perhaps can see that there seems to be decayed foliage around the woodpile...

[otakar]

Whoa, that is incredible! It looks VERY natural, and I love how the trees came out. Now possibly the sole indicator that this is not a photo is the dog. Somehow the fur does not appear too realistic. But as for the rest, it's top notch!

[DocCharly65]

Sorry for two weeks absence... business and family matters...
Nevertheless here come some (i hope so) improvements in the detail work...

I replaced the Puppy by "Apollo", gave him some society and most of the time I experimented with the puddles... I promise: none of the puddles is from the rottweiler 

[attach=1]

With the 3D- version I have still big trouble: I can do what I want, if I use smooth shadows, the shadows (especially of the fakestones) are not congruent and I get flickering between left and right frame... does anyone know a solution?

In red cyan it's not too bad:

[attach=2]

[archonforest]

YEAH a real dog!!    finally
LOve the details very nice shot.

[choronr]

Realism plus! One of the best images I've seen.

[bobbystahr]

Easily one of the best roads I've seen since Hannes won the NWDA road contest and those puddles rock. The lil bird bottom right adds just enough.....

[Luc]

Very nice !

[Dune]

Terrific!

[Kadri]

Looks great.