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So here's a little bit of experiment with colored light. simple setup as in the first contrast study but this time the right and left emitters are emitting colors. I also added some DOF to help sharpen the edges of the model relative to it's background.

I wanted to see what color would add to the shot.

Luis

Too much shadow on the side of the nose. You should move the main light a bit to fill in more of the face.

Bubbaloo wrote:Too much shadow on the side of the nose. You should move the main light a bit to fill in more of the face.

Thanks Bubbaloo! I'll give it a shot.

Luis

Here's the light adjusted to cover more of the face.

Luis

I think that looks great, but what do I know?

LOL. Thanks Bubbaloo. I appreciate any and all crits I can get!

Luis

I think the last render looks great but how about some color on one side or from above for some more contrast in your lighting.

Also center the sculpture already it's bugging me!

Hyperballad wrote:I think the last render looks great but how about some color on one side or from above for some more contrast in your lighting.

I was thinking along the same lines. Now that I'm looking at it with fresh eyes today the right side of the sculpture seems a little overblown.

Also center the sculpture already it's bugging me!

Luis

Now you are actually drifting into another area of complexity

The colour contrast is a good start but I think your lighting is better in the first one. The second is over exposed a bit, so it's a little washed out as you noticed, but you have also lost some of the form of the first image.

You have to keep in mind as you adjust light quality and position that it doesn't simply affect contrast, but also how you define/show the forms of your subject. If the shadow in the first one is too dark for your tastes then it may be better to just fill in the shadows with an added light or use a larger/softer light (either way you would be reducing contrast ) rather than move your light.

See how much flatter the sculpture appears in V2? (not contrast flat, but physically flatter). Look also at how the second light position puts some big hotspot/reflections on the cheek - it may be to your taste but I preferred v1 myself.

You may wish to look at using larger light sources for such a glossy subject as well. It's hard to avoid creating hotspots/small hard reflections so you could go with invisible emitters to clean them up selectively, or larger/differently shaped emitters to make them attractive instead. I know that's not the real focus of this test, but since the highlights are a key part of your contrast it's relavent IMO.

I don't mind the sculpture off centre. It's a less static composition.

b

So here's a tweak to the lighting that I think I like. Feels like a better balance... (well I think so anyways).

Luis

I'd agree. I didn't mind the separation you had with the background before, but I think the control of light on the statue is better for sure. The little reflection/highlight on the cam-left side of his nose kind of bugs me though - but that's a quick fix in Pshop

b

That last one is pretty good Luis ...... I actually think you've set yourself up for difficulty though with that particular material --- in the first/second image ......it actually looks wet, .. I think it might of been too glossy to begin with, ...thusly making it extremely difficult to light it properly. But, ..with that said ..... again, .. very nice effort on the last one.


I dug out these out for reference .......,