Rogues Icelandic WIP's

[RogueNZ]

Another issue, I am using a displaceable plane underneath the waters surface to hold some fake stones which I will use as ice chunks, however the reflections are not rendering on the surface of the water, even when I reflection softness is set to 0. Any ideas?

[Dune]

Check visible to other rays.

[RogueNZ]

Here's another iteration, still early days. Visible to other rays is checked, but I'm still not getting the reflections I expect. See the ice chunk in the middle right. Rendering in a portrait orientation isn't the best to show the issue, but I wanted to test how changing the width and height affected the render (I've never done a tall render like this).

[bla bla 2]

is good.

[Kadri]

Have you tried refraction index and-or horizon shift?

[TheBadger]

Very very very very very good. And still time enough to do more. Good job.

[Dune]

It's hard to see. I do get a bit of a wobbly feeling seeing this, especially by the mid horizon low land and the aurora reflection. Wouldn't you rather go for less reflective area?

[RogueNZ]

More progress, the addition of the ice has caused render times to sky rocket. Still plenty of work to be done, thanks for the suggestions

Didn't solve the issue of the water reflecting fake stones, but I intend to have some larger ice chunks in there somewhere so I will need to revisit it.

Should add that this is straight out of terragen, no post work. Still not with %100 happy with the colors in the aurora, and I may think about stretching the curtains vertically a bit more.

[TheBadger]

Really nice man. Love how you are playing with the details now. I see you are open to what to do with the foreground. I like what you have my self, but here are two image I found that you may be able to make use of. Kinda a blend of the ideas from your 1st image, and your last image.

[attach=1]

[attach=2]


In both cases you can still have water, still have ice, and still have those beautiful reflections, while also having more visual interest in the foreground like you tried in your first image.

Having already seen this, and because I am greedy to see even more TG renders, I would be happy to see even more changes like in my example image. But I am not saying make the lake into a river exactly. The thing I like most about the example images are the Marshes, which are common in Iceland, and would help to make your render even more of an Icelandic image. As it is now (last image), apart from this contest, if you told me that the scene was of the Arctic, I would believe that too. Adding in the marches and some still green moss with some winter moss, would help to define the image more as Icelandic, for me. But allow you to keep those refections to a more subtle level.

Just my thoughts. But again, I like what you already have now, a lot. So... Cheers 

[Dune]

I like this new iteration much more, but also agree with Michael and like his samples.

[RogueNZ]

Thanks for the input, they are very pretty photos. It's a shame I have to pick only one scenario

My major dilemma is whether or not I go for a portrait or landscape orientation. The benefit of portrait is I capture more of the aurora, especially the top most curtain which I really like, and more foreground detail close to the camera. Overall I think it feels like a more dramatic image. But with a landscape orientation I can see more of the details on the terrain, and would be easier to incorporate  some vegetation in both the foreground and mid ground.

I agree with the vegetation suggestion, and am waiting to make a decision on the orientation before I go all out on it. My girlfriend is moving into town tomorrow after living away for a long period of time, so I suspect time to work on this image is running out 

[RogueNZ]

No major changes on this one, just moved closer to the shore. I plan to flatten the the mid ground, to give less of an impression of dropping off into the sea and more of a lake feel. That should open the way for some grenery I hope.

This version has had a vignette and chromatic aberration applied, lens distortion, some sharpening and color adjustment. Not sure how far I will push it in my final version, but I'd like some some feedback as to whether these add or detract from the image. 

Many thanks 

[TheBadger]

The problem with that question is that it is dependent entirely on opinion for the answer. IMO I prefer more terrain than sky, so 1/3 sky and the rest the surface. But thats just my preference.

An argument could be made that the sky is not unique to Iceland, and therefore not as relevant. So a comp that includes more sky, whether portrait or landscape, would be less in line with the contest. But then as art, the sky could be everything.

[RogueNZ]

Progress. Comments and feed back still very welcome 

[Dune]

Now your talking!