thumb drive+flash render

[Buck]

Nice looking model, but I don't get the "Flash" render, I don't think the harsh light of a direct flash as the main light source is very desirable. It's usually best to bounce a flash off a ceiling, through a diffuser, or use it as a fill light. Thats just basic photography, why try to mimic a bad technique?

I think you could get some real good renders of these little guys, just drop the direct flash approach

[Dynedain]

Nice looking model, but I don't get the "Flash" render, I don't think the harsh light of a direct flash as the main light source is very desirable. It's usually best to bounce a flash off a ceiling, through a diffuser, or use it as a fill light. Thats just basic photography, why try to mimic a bad technique?

I think you could get some real good renders of these little guys, just drop the direct flash approach

I agree, the flash look isn't "good photography". But a lot of times, when compositing or trying to make a rendering match real photos, you don't have good photography to work from. Understanding how something like a flash affects a scene, and how to mimick it, only strengthens your ability as a CG artist. Something about the imperfection of the flash camera on the maxwell renderings really makes it stand out and be that much more photorealistic. Many times clients complain about things (like GI colors on white walls, color clapming, indoor/outdoor exposure) because the render is so pristine and perfect. Adding something like the flash effect makes it look so much more like a photo, and believeable as a photo, because it's something people are used to seeing and they subcounciously notice the difference.