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Knocked this out last night in daz 4.9, trying to adjust the fog, and add more light from below.
Edit-there were two copies attached.Looking forward to seeing what you do with number 2
I have every intention of continuing to use 3delight as well as Iray. So please, don't not contribute!
I second that Teofa I still and will probly always use 3Delight so I am going to still need loads of help with it. So plz continue to teach us newbies we need you and all our community to help us feel our way around in the dark.
Its better not so bright on the bottom.
I stay with you and 3dlight, and there will always be some left, I'm just now trying to read the 3dlight Laboratory thread, which is to large degrees geek to me, but every now and then there is a bit of " oh, that interesting". I believe with the lauch of Iray people forgot that 3delight is used in large programs a Maya and Renderman, so its got a reason to be there. I guess NVIDEA has a reason to promote Iray as they live from selling grafic cards with NVIDEA written on it...
Okay, first, I would like to say well done, Teofa. You obviously know your stuff. Now, on to officially setting The record straight. The bombers in the background are actually B-29's, so good eye on that. The Japanese planes in the image are both Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter planes. The upside down plane on the left is a Zero, as well. The stripes on the wings of the P-51 Mustang (the plane in the foreground, chasing the exploding Zero), are actually an unintentional historical inaccuracy that I hope to correct very soon. It was brought to my attention that the striped markings only appeared on American planes during and directly after the D-Day invasion. If anyone can direct me to an image of the correct markings for the underbelly/underside of the wings on American fighters, I would appreciate it. The other allied plane on the bottom left, chasing the upside down A6M, is actually a Corsair. As for the mix of Land based and Naval planes, the image is meant to depict a dogfight between a bomber escort, and enemy fighters over the Pacific, so such a mix would not, so far as I know, be an impossibility, since many Allied-controlled air bases in the Pacific, combined with American Carriers, formed a network of overlapping Areas of Operation, so that one base or ship could always request aid from nearby islands/vessels, and fighters could be scrambled in a very timely manner. Thanks so much for all the help. Well done, Teofa. I clearly cannot fool such a knowledgeable individual, with a very deep volume of Historical Knowledge. I'll be sure to make some edits to address the historical inaccuracies soon. Thanks again! ~* Phoenix DeFalco *~
This was entirely composed in DAZ3D and rendered with Reality. Only the sunlight rays in the upper left were added using Photoshop. I've only been using DAZ3d for about six weeks and used this shot to work with lighting rather than the default headights I had been using up until then. There are at least 16 different products blended into this setup plus a photograph of my own textured into the frame on the wall.
Makes sense. As I said, I don't know planes especially of that era. Now if it had been Naval ships, maybe, as I've been on quite a few although not of that era. Just a submarine, a couple of aircraft carriers and some battle ships. It was either learn about ships or have nothing talk about with my dad.
I do love seeing images of dogfights, though. I grew up in a time when it was still possible to see expert pilots put on airshows. Amazing what they could do with those old planes. Anyway, we went to visit the Air and Space Museum Annex earlier this year and I took a ton of photos of the planes they had on display from every conceiveable angle because I wanted to be able to recreate some of them in DS. I don't know if I have any photos of a P 51 Mustang or what the placard said about the time of engagement. They had LOTS of planes and stories associated with most of them by the pilots who flew those particular planes. I'll try and dig the photos up on my laptop and see if any of the ones I took happen to be P 51 and let you know. If I have one, I'd be more than happy to set you up with the photos if you could find a use for them. I tried to get multiple angles so most of my shots were front, bottom and back. Some I couldn't get shots of the top because the annex is like a huge warehouse and they literally had planes hanging from the ceiling. I also, try to always take a picture of the large informational placards they have for each display.
I'll let you know what I find after I get back from taking my boys to their karate class later this evening if you're interested.
edit: added a comma for clarity
@PhoenixDeFalco Squadron history of Iwo Jima P 51 Unit with photos http://www.506thfightergroup.org/mustangsofiwo.asp
I just assumed your Mustang hadn't been repainted for some reason.
Iray bloom drives me mad. I prefer to use PS or Gimp for the bloom but that's just me. Iray Bloom, PS Bloom and the third is no bloom. Added another with some additional flare.
I personally like the IRay version as it looks more real I guess you would say, The PS one is kinda good but not really real looking for the sabre. This is just my opinion.
@PhoenixDeFalco I tracked down my photos from the A&S Museum Annex. It doesn't look like I have a picture of the P51 Mustang. At least, I don't think I do. They literally have a ton of planes hanging from the ceilings and I couldn't find placards for most of the hanging planes. Some of the planes I only got wide shots of and some I got in pictures simply because I was taking a close up of another plane. Since I don't know planes, I was taking pictures of planes that interested me and I wasn't that worried about the others as long as I had a few wide shots. I figured I would get the rest on my next visit. I could have spent a couple of days there and still not gotten pictures of every plane.
I was able to identify the following planes:
Curtiss P40E Kittyhawk - very cool plane with a mouth painted on the nose. I'm sure to freak out the enemy.
Corsair
Hawker Hurricane IIC
A couple more shots of other planes I can't identify. Most of the other planes look like around the same era, but I got long shots of them and at least one plane I have pictures of the full plane but in two different shots. I don't seem to have any pictures of the P51. At least, none that look like the google images I tracked down. I had to look because a lot of the planes look similar from underneath and from the back as the main difference in a lot of those older planes seem to be the nose where the propeller and engine are. I don't have pictures of any planes that have that longer nose. I do have some interest pictures of a few bomber jackets from WWII with planes dropped on the back. And lots of pictures of other types of planes. If you want to see any of the pictures I have let me know and I can zip them up and set them up in my dropbox for you to download. Just keep in mind that for most of those that are hanging, I don't have pictures of any placard to itdentify them. I was also have trouble with my camera, too, so, unfortunately, a few shots are a little dark.
So, here is my latest renders. I tried adding some overall diffuse lighting, but I think it added too much as I like the way some of the shadows added to the image so I toned it down a little, but I don't know which I like better. I did try a different water shader and I think I like this one better. It isn't as cloudy as the first one. I have one more water shader to try and I think I'll play with lighting a little more. Let me know what you think. edit: I think I still like the original lighting, but I'm still playing with it.
The Iray bloom is ok for me ... you just have to change some default values ...
Your last is really nice. Mine is Iray bloom with very hight settings for bloom threshold.
Work in progress of this All within daz composition :)
I used this golden rules overlay but i'm not sure that's ok ...
I really like the new water shader, curious which one you used. I agree the original lighting was more dramatic. Also I really enjoy reading your detalied feedback on many of the images and have learned a lot from it. I'm expermenting with LIE, which I previously had not even heard of -- thanks.
@Phoenix DeFalco I really like this image, and love your attention to historical detail. Composition wise I feel like the following planes would benefit by having some shot tracers going toward the planes they are tailing. This would add more drama and connect the pairs visually.
@Teofa Thanks for your kind feedback. Expression is something I struggle with, nice to hear this one is working. Definately keep the 3Delight tips coming, the opacity map example is something I'm definately going to be playing with. I see a place for both rendering methods depending on what "feel" your going for in the final image.
For an image you put togethor so quickly this has a lot going on, nice. I don't think the bottom needs to be brighter, except right next to the glowing grate/symbol. I think it would be more real if it interacted with the mans foot and leg like it does higher on his thigh. Sort of a radiated light effect that connects those two areas.
@Siotrad I like the look and composition of this last render, your skill in setting up the environment is especially appealing. It would be even cooler if the robot to his left was hit by the saber and falling. Harder to do -- but cool.
My latest "First Snow" is rendering now, even half done it looks better from everyones great suggestions. I'll get it posted tonight.
Bob
Using a grid overlay is perfectly fine. It's a learning tool. If it helps, do it.
I have a personal preference towards not using them, but, that is me. I want my eye to see composition.
Looking forward to it. Happy if I helped in some small way :)
I didn't use it usually but that's is the thema of the contest so i used it ;) ... but i'm not sure to use it the wright way ;) ...
It is a composition contest, the "rule of thirds" being only one of many different approaches you can use. This is actually a fairly good primer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_(visual_arts)
You have placed your main action well. Now you need to highlight it a bit more.
Knittingmommy I like the water shader better as well and I like the slightly darker lighting it gives it more dram. Looking good!
Siotrad much better. Try moving the spaceship on the right to intersect the right line of the rule of thirds I think it will balance it a bit more. And maybe have him looking at one of the machines he is destroying. And yes using the tools available is perfectly fine, I use it whenever something seems off. There are several good tools out there. And the more you learn the less you need the helper tools because you will know what a good compostion is supposed to look like. Having said that, sometimes, I chuch the tools out the window if I think a different set up conveys what I am trying to say better. So
This is a very cool idea. I might bring everthing just a bit foward so that the dancer is a little bit bigger and the empty space on the left not so big. Its okay that is empty but I think if you move the whole image forward it might have a bit more punch. Not much just a tiny bit. Nice job on god rays for sure~
I love the textures in this. I haven't used Reality much and never have gotten anything this good out of it yet. I love the shadow coming from the dancer on the wall, but she is so far back that you can only see part of it. Try moving her forward just a bit and see if it looks better with that shadow dancing on that center column on the wall behind her friends. Overall, I like the composition and your lighting is great. I like the touch of rays.
This particular water shader came from the Liquid Pack. I went back to my save file with the old lighting and redid the water shaders with the current one I like to see how it interacts with that lighting. Luckily, I usually save in as a new scene file every time I make a major change so it was easy to go back. The new version with the old lighting and the new water shader is rendering now. I still have to other water shaders to try out and see how I like them and I will probably still play with the lighting some more once the current render is done.
Here's one that I've been working on today, called Seraphic Angel. I also included the hand, which I used as a reference (the hand was my first real experiment with lighting). It is surprising to me just how important lighting is to a scene, how it can make or break it.
Your advice on how I can improve would definitiely be appreciated.
I think the one with the flare works best.
concerning the water, I have the feeling they are both to solid, more like oil than water, you can look up the index of refraction it should be about 1.33 for liquid water. But I am struggeling with the same thing at the moment now, main problem is that these water splashes should have some air mixed in (little bubbles making it whitish at places). what I am experimenting with at the moment is to ignore physisc and try refraction below 1. If I get something to work I will post the settings that worked here. I preferred the darker setting as well.
Off topic sumbission removed.
With apologies...
This has evolved really nicely, and yes I use the grids to help me place things of selecting a camera angle. So the way you yould use your grid now as a help, is to take the spaceship and move it to the upper right crossing of lines.
Okay, my novice state will be evident as I was unable to complete some of the advice given for a lack of resources or knowledge as to how to do it... FYI, I do not have Photoshop. Any postwork I do I complete using OnOne Software.
I pulled the shot back so the spiral centered on the eye and Marc Antony does not look decapitated. I also lightened it significantly. I replaced the "plastic" dress with this blue one. I realize the hair is not great and the beads look neon, but I am on a tight budget and cannot purchase another, better headpiece, so it will have to do. I tried to tone down the beads a bit during postwork, but they are still bright.
As for the tone of the piece: I don't want Cleopatra to be weeping. She was a brutal tyrant, so I am affording her a single tear over the loss of Antony (I did not spend much time trying to figure out how to make the tear shimmer since I don't have Photoshop). I did change her hand position so she is cradling his head more and stroking his temple area with her thumb (thanks to my wife for the time to model this together to find the natural look!). I want it to be a tender moment saying goodbye to her lover, not a grief-stricken moment.
To assure viewers that Antony is dead, I've added blood to the floor and some sublte splatter on his armor. Overall, I am hoping to convey in Cleo a sense of sorrow mixed with acceptance. I tried to bring into focus the things of which she is aware: herself, Antony, and the blood. I have gone back and forth several times about the snake. I kind of want her to be aware of it (so it would be in focus, or coming into focus to indicate she is becoming aware of it), but it looks a little funny if it is in focus while the rest of the background is not.
I really fought the lighting. That is definitely one of my greatest weaknesses (3delight by the way). I tried single lights, no ambient, ambient and different levels, 3-point lights, distant lights, two-point light, etc. I ended up using low ambient light (about 30%) with a two-point spot light. These are also low intensity (about 50%). All of them are blue tones. I found if I used a backlight, it light Antony's face and/or armor too much regardless of where I placed it and how low I set the intensity.
Thanks for the advice so far; sorry for the items I was not able to do for one reason or another.
All right, let me have it!
Why would one enter a composition contest and then work on everything but composition? Just a general observation. It's easy to go off focus.
I like the composition, and I like how your new palette has a feel of "antiquity", for lack of a better word. The pose is so much more natural. Nicely done. If you want to play with postwork in future, Gimp is free, and does quite a bit, but no amount of bells, whistles and whiz bang will make up for missing the basic fundamentals, which you appear to be grasping well. In my opinion. Fibonacci is not often done well or understood.
You can fiddle with the f-stop setting on your camera depth of field to extend it a little farther back, so the snake has a bit more focus, if you wanted.
If you have not already, look into Uberenvironmental Lighting. Another option for 3Delight.