Why is it, that everytime I render a scene which involves props like walls or a room or something a tad more complax than a character on a blank background the picture turns out like... like... well, like crap!! I mean, it certainly doesn't look natural, it looks... puppet-like! And it's driving me crazy!! I just don't know how to improve this! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!! Well, just needed to let some steam out... If you have any ideas... PLEASE post them.. Oh, and plus, in this particular render, my Vicki 3 morphed to a man - still looks like a goddamned woman! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The woman's position is very well done. It's relaxed, and she has a far-away look on her face that most people assume when they tune out another. But you might want to try opening the man's mouth a tad to make it look as though he is saying something (which is implied by the body language). As for the overall look of the image, try changing your lighting setup. Turn the shadows off of everything -- or leave only 1 light source with shadows. This will help eliminate the odd shadow patterns like the dark stripe down the middle of your picture. I think you'll find the lighting makes a huge difference in the "feel" of your images. Good luck!

I agree with TygerCub. I think some low key lighting would do wonders for this image.

Looks like the Shadow Map size of the lights is too small - select each light and try a Map size of 512 or 1024. This will slow the render but should make the shadows "harder".

Try to put some fabric bump map om the couch. It will is the largest and single most important part of the image , and it is too even, euh too plastic. Also, I sugest reducing its Y size, seem a little high. The figures are OK, but I don't see the shadows of the clothes. You reduce depth this way. Shadow are strange. Most come from a light on the right, and the window is on the left. Hope this helps a bit, Tony

I think the main reason it looks puppet-like is the angle of the camera-- it's straight on-- like a stage. Play with it some more up and down, you seem to have come down a bit in this one, come in at an angle, it often improves things, and, as they say, lighting. The whole thing really depends on lighting. It is, in a way, a stage, where you are directing and shooting the stills, it's up to you the cameraman to disguise the theatrical aspects. By the way, I think your Victor looks very convincing. He does look like he has a skirt on, but clothing is not in huge supply.:)) Emily

I have to agree - top 3 elements to experiment with for a more interesting Poser render for me are; 1 Lighting 2 Camera angle 3 Camera focal length I've never been happy with a render using defaults of any of these. Coincidentally, I've gotten favorable comments on camera angle and lighting on most of my gallery renders. Set some time aside just to play with them and you'll be pleased with the results.

Camera angle plus composition. What is the focus here? Looks like the focus is that picture on the wall. If these two are talking they should be more focused. Try turning the camera so she is in the foregorund and he is in the background. The camera could be put at the arm of the couch at her end and focused back on the guy. Also try tilting the camera. If this is a conflict camera tilting can add a sense of drama. Right now the pic looks like something you'd find in a family album. I can understand reserving some dead space for discussion balloons etc but if that's not the case then over 50% of your render is dead area, ie area that has nothing to do with the two characters like the couch bottom, the wall picture, the space between the guy and the girl. Also what are you really shooting for here? Do you want photo realism? Do you want drama?

Definitely agree on camera angle and lighting. The guy's pose is a bit wooden as well. The right arm on the couch is awkward. If he's leaning on that arm, push the right shoulder up and arch the back so it shows the weight being placed on his right arm. I'd also tweak the left arm. It looks like a mid-action shot - not at the start or end of the motion but somewhere in the middle, so it looks less dramatic. Also, whatever light is causing the shadow on the couch, kill it's shadow properties. It's muting the couch's color and further blurring the guy behind it. Hope this helps!

Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions... I have been playing with the lighting and camera and all untill I just left it like this and posted this thread. :) But all of you made some good points, and I will try and work on it some more, if I can just find it in me to go through with it. :) Thanks again, and I will post here the render when I'm finished with it. :)

Your man looks fine except for the skin tone and his pose. Make his skin a little darker so he appears more rugged/manly. Loosening his arms and neck up a little. There's a lot of flack going on about the V3 male not looking masculine enough but that's a bunch of bull hockey. Not all men have the square look. His tanktop would stand out a little more if you add a bump map. The one thing I notice about your composition is that you have your characters really dressed down but you seem to have your enviroment a bit more "classed up." There appears to be some tension between your characters. Perhaps its a money issue. Try adding some props to make the room a bit more cluttered. The red couch doesn't seem to fit. Perhaps something such as a print or a bit more neutral would fit better. Consider your lighting. Do you really need such a light wall texture? Consider a light blue or tan. Also the painting is nice if these characters are rich or exist in some fantasy world. But if you are trying to depict real life consider putting pictures of your characters on the wall as a family portrait. Also a lamp and an inn table might be nice. You also have a great big space on the couch which is empty. Perhaps the man is upset because there is clutter on the couch or his seat is being occupied by the family dog. Your lady looks very miffed so I wouldn't change anything about her except perhaps having her wear a pink print rather than solids. These are just my suggestions. I don't want you to think I'm being condescending or that anything major detracts from your picture. You have an excellent start and I am glad to be given the opportunity to chime in on a picture I know will turn out. Good Luck :) PapaBlueMarlin

Yes, I think the camera angle looks like we are sitting in a theater audience, and the lighting looks like stage lighting. Consider that if it is daytime, sunlight is just not one bright, solid light on them -- being indoors, they are probably not under direct light at all. Try a variety of softer lights of various colors from various angles -- e.g., there would be white light from the walls, a very faint red tinge upwards from the couch, etc. As hs also been mentioned, some bump on the walls and couch would give it some variegation and reality -- look around you and consider how much of what you see really looks perfectly smooth. All in all, you have a great start here; the devil, as they say, is in the details. Oh, and I disagree that your male v3 looks female -- I think you've done a good job with him :-) Keep plugging away, show us the results :-)

I agree with what's been written about camera angle and lighting, etc....but I would add that you should think about them holistically. Think about the mood you're trying to create, then try to match these elements to the mood or style. For example, once you know the mood, you could start with a camera angle that helps convey it. Once you have the angle, you'll have a better idea of which lighting enhances the mood from that angle, and so on. The lighting coming in through the window is a nice touch in this render, but you'll have to judge whether it works from a different angle. Plus, you may think about where the other light is coming from. Usually, interior incandescent lighting tends to give things a slightly yellow tinge, if you're striving for realism. If you're going more for something evocative or dramatic, perhaps a tint that matches the mood...a chilly blue, a sickly green, an angry red or orange... Once you have those things worked out, you'll have a better idea about whether you need to adjust bumps, textures, or colors. In the context of this render, with this angle and lighting, the problem with the red couch may be that it is sort of a standard red that really sticks out in relation to the other colors and textures in the scene. You could try either darkening the color to match a darker mood, or lightening it to compliment the pink in the woman's shirt. Hope some of that's helpful...still digging your latest gallery piece;-)

I have a suggestion: Take a snapshot photo in your own home/apartment/hut and try to make a Poser scene that suplicated the photo as closely as possible with lighting, objects, textures, ambient mess, whatever. Practice it until it looks as perfect as is possible within Poser (i.e. if you are using P4, don't expect to not postwork the mirrors, for instance) Once you can pull this off, you will know the tricks to make any indoor scene look realistic.

Thank you all very much for your kind words and help. Everything you all said really helped, and will be - I am sure - very helpful in the future. Anyway, I haven't had much time working on this render, but from all of your comments I realized that the picture wasn't putting on the feeling I was going for, so I changed Victor's pose alltogether. Anyway, this is the best I could come up with so far. I'm not sure it's quite "there" yet, but I think I'm on the right track. :) Your comments, suggestions and ideas are always welcome. Thanks again! :)

Maybe this one's better?... Ah, I don't know anymore. I'm starting to REALLY dislike this render... :) Better go to sleep now and CLOSE the computer.. (!)

IMHO, these are much improved in terms of camera angle and lighting...more dramatic, without being overly so. The light coming through the window now projects Vicky's shadow onto the back wall reinforcing her isolation (though I would think the same light would cause a small shadow to be cast by the picture frame also). The new placement of the couch is a bit odd from a realism perspective, though I am assuming this was done to help achieve the light and shadow that I do like. Also, from this angle we now see a bit more of the floor, and the flat black seems unusual. But those things are minor nits in comparison to the improvement these renders represent. Finally, this may be solely my personal taste, or it may be that you have yet to focus on this aspect, but the expressions on the models' faces are very understated, particularly Victor's. When I look at these renders, I'm not sure whether he's sad, mad, or reflective. I mention this because I know your portrait work is very expressive (again, without overdoing it). Again, these things may just be me, but maybe some will provide a spark for you.

I agree with kbade that this is much improved. Though I'm wondering if you shouldn't focus on a single, predominant light source. The shadow behind Vicki suggests that the light is coming from below and in front of her (very strongly). Yet there also seems to be light coming at near floor level from the camera at almost the same intensity (suggested by the highlights on Vicki's legs, Mike, and the lower portion on the couch's arm closest to the camera.) Also both light sources I mentioned would be in an unnatural location given this scene.

For a dramatic effect, shine th light THROUGH the window so that the wnidow frame countours the things it falls on and breaks things up. Symbolism. Breaks them up. Y'know?

I like the not-quite-determinable expressions -- they reflect the sorts of not-quite-determinable emotions I've felt in situations like these. Like he doesn't know if he wants to run to her or run away, yell at her or kiss her. Torn up inside. That's what I read. I get the impression he's just a moment ago turned towards her starting to say something, then turned back aruond before she saw and clammed up, not sure if he should say anything at all.

Well, I'm not sure about the light at all.. :) I was playing with it really, I think I have about 20 versions of this on my computer.:) But it seemed like this was the best. About the expression of the models, well - I was going for what dodger described so accurately... So I'm hoping I got at least this part right, unless this is completely.. "blank" expressions. I can't tell anymore. And I understand you all approve of the camera angle? Anyway, thanks for your help once more! I do appreciate it, although I think I can't do anything for this scene anymore. ;))

I like the first one [I would crop it slightly but it bothers me that he is chopped off in the second, it's symbolic but I want to see them whole for this.] The woman staring out into that misty chill is chilling to me. Her perfect shadow isolates her even more. He is more wound up and upset [don't know whether he is collapsing into the sofa arm or ready to bound up from it and that tension is good] He's also seems to be spiralling down into black depression. She seems switched off completely. You've captured a moment of mutual pain experienced differently by both people. They are absolutely NOT puppets. Not at all. It's an amazing change from an interesting but amateurish presentation to a fabulous composition. By the way, I like the understatement of the faces, without being blank , I still feel like I can fill in the emotions that are under the skin. I also think people deeply hurt often go very still. Emily

It kinda reminds me of the video for 'Torn' by whatserface, that cute Aussie soapie star who became a singer.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=345078&Start=1&Sectionid=1&filter_genre_id=0&WhatsNe

So... I've decided to put it in the gallery, see what other people think. Thank you all for the help. :)