I'm getting the impression that something needs to be made clear.

If you're not looking at the EnvSphere, just using it for lighting and for blurry reflections, then any image AT ALL works. Does not have to be HDR, does not have to be equirectangular, does not have to be a panorama.

Here I am using a photo of my daughter's rugby team as the EnvSphere panoramic image.

The scene meets the criteria - no flat sharp reflections, no direct viewing.

The rugby photo makes a fine light source under these conditions.

It works because generally speaking the top half is brighter than the bottom half, and the top half is close to white.

But if you're looking for unusual lighting, then literally any image works.

I hope also, that you understand I used a photo just to shock you into realizing the contents don't matter. Just as well, you could draw some totally crappy doodle image in MS Paint and use that for lighting.

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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)