Yeah the lighting is stark - but that was on purpose. I'm not doing art here - I'm demonstrating how shadows are supposed to look. To make this a nice portrait, I'd use IBL and probably another fill light. But then you would not be able to clearly see the shadows.

So many people have no idea how to get the shadows on small features to work right in Poser. Some don't even REALIZE they aren't right and just keep posting fake looking renders. That's why I wrote the tutorial.

On the bump map issue... I can't remember if that was the Daz High-Res texture set alone or I added some granite. If it's the texture set alone, then that sucks, right? In any case, this bump setting wasn't meant to be used with such stark lighting because it is scary.

However, you've got me curious now, so I'll check that bump texture and see if it works better by negating it. It shouldn't, though, because who would sell a professionally made bump texture that doesn't work well when directly plugged into the bump map? Oh, right, it's Daz.

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Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)