We’ve been producing high quality images for over 25 years and we’ve learnt that what’s deemed a good or bad image is often subjective. However, there are some basic artistic and technical skills which are essential.
Throughout this year our attention has been distracted by a bad image which has been regularly published in the press. It’s a very bad image. Such a bad image that we wonder why it was ever released to the press AND chosen for publication. It lacks the most basic artistic and technical qualities.
Sometimes it’s not until you see a bad image that you really appreciate what makes a good image. Through this series of 24 images we will show some key stages of the image production process.
The bad image will remain anonymous out of respect to those involved in its production. Even though it’s a poor image, we don’t know what led to the image being released to the press. It could have been released against the wishes of the 3D artist. It might be a sketch or a work in progress image that has found its way into the public domain. Maybe other project team members should have withheld the image or commissioned a better one? We just don’t know the time and budget pressures involved so it’s probably unfair to judge the image too harshly.
As 3D artists we can’t caveat our images with excuses or explanations of the pressures we experienced whilst producing an image. We are governed by budgets, deadlines, client requirements, technology challenges and real life pressures. For example, our computer only crashed once during this image production process but this was whilst saving a 2 hour render – the render was lost and had to be re-rendered. We only had one occasion when family life interrupted our working day with the subsequent working into the night to meet the next day’s deadline. You do your best until the deadline arrives and we maintain our professional restraint and respect when we judge other images.
Examples of Good Image Decisions
Perspective Control - Look at the best architectural photography to see straight, parallel verticals - two point perspective. You can occasionally break this rule for dramatic effect.
Controlled Composition - Controlled and balanced composition. Direct camera and viewers’ attention towards subject. Give viewer opportunity to explore the scene. Level the camera, step backwards or raise the camera. Choose a real world lens.
Creative Lighting - Use lighting to set a mood which suits both the character of the project and aims of the image. Sunlight and shadows help to highlight design features – recesses and projections. Balance light and shade, softer shadows, ambient overcast daylight, backlight, dawn or dusk, all help to set the atmosphere. Use the default 3D Sun/Daylight tools to test sun positions and mood before switching to image based HDRI lighting.
Environment Sky - Use sky to help create or enhance mood of image. Careful choice. Does not have to shout. Calm. Image based HDRI lighting (not a free low resolution HDRI - buy the high resolution version).
Materials – Glass - Background reflections and environment lighting visible. Glass reflection is view dependent. Real world glass versus rendered glass can look darker or more/less reflective than we imagine due to the angle of incidence of the viewing direction. The amount of transmitted light increases when the angle of incidence decreases. The amount of reflected light increases when the angle of incidence increases. Reflectance, refraction, Fresnel effect, translucency and glass colour settings can all be tweaked. Therefore, the look of rendered glass material is often a balanced simulation between realism, perception and artistic license.
Materials – Glass - Reflections of surrounding streetscape help to blend 3D building models into their environment. Use site specific reflection maps. Balanced reflections. Curved glass and metallic objects often look more realistic as they reflect more background.
Textures - Placement & Scale - Understand architecture, construction and materials. Research. Reference images. Apply real world dimensions to texture maps to match 3D model units.
Textures – Repeating & Flat - Add realism with Displacement, Normal, Bump, Reflection and Randomise maps. Adjust exposure of image to suit change from clay model to fully textured model.
3D Modelling - Understand architectural construction and detailing. Add everyday detail, chamfered edges and subtle irregularity.
People - Scale and Perspective - Rendered people markers help scale and placement. Carefully choose cutout people assets. If the assets have been photographed close up, position them close to the virtual camera. Longer lens people in distance.
People – Placement - Vary placement - Natural positions, activity, sense of purpose, help create a story. Avoid too many smiley happy stock image people - natural expressions, pose, clothing and lighting. Do not use the same character more than once.
People – Seasons - Clothing of people assets should match season and time of day of image. Internal people - 3D people a good option when positioned behind glass to incorporate reflections, lighting and shadows within the rendered image.
People – Shadows, Highlights & Blending - Choose 2D cutout people assets with shadows and highlights to match environment lighting and their position within scene. Take time to add shadows, highlights and colour grading. Shadow direction to match direction of sun. Defringe.
Bicycles - Choose 2D cutout assets carefully. 3D cyclist models are a good option.
Cars - Choose 2D cutout car assets carefully - real-life vehicles help the image narrative. Vehicle colours can attract attention (if appropriate). 3D vehicles a good option to incorporate realistic lighting, shadows and reflections.
Plants – Grass - 3D grass models – Realistic. Incorporate rendered lighting and shadows. Randomise with 3D Scatter tool.
Plants – Trees - Vary 2D cutout images - do not repeat endlessly. Keep tree seasons and lighting consistent with image narrative. 3D trees a good option.
Plants – Bushes & Flowers - Vary 2D cutout images - do not repeat endlessly. Natural randomness and realism. 3D planting a good option to incorporate realistic lighting, shadows and reflections.
Entourage & Assets - Use entourage to reinforce image narrative and give viewers more visual interest. 3D Assets will receive light, shadow and colour from environment lighting. Make it believable.
Post Production – Atmosphere - Add your own personal post production artistic character. Create a sense of atmosphere and depth – highlights, shadow, dirt, noise, sharpening, vignette, distance blur, haze and desaturation.
Post Production – Colour Correction & Grading - Subtle use to enhance the atmosphere or slightly shift the lighting set up from 3D model. Colour correct 2D cutout assets to match the rendered image lighting so when colour grading is applied a consistent look is achieved. Avoid pure white areas.
Light Effects - Lens Flare - Make it believable. Side light, flare behind tree branch, bloom. Bright spots can attract attention towards focal points but please don’t burn my eyes!
Light Effects - Second Lens Flare - No.
