How can i achieve the realistic look ?!

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

On 7/6/2020 at 5:44 PM, Blaise Glendevon said:

That skin looks "real" to you because the ad is a morph. The face in the picture is a real photgraph. Do not buy anything that is advertised with a morph without demo-ing the hell out of it. 

Yeah, when I see people photo morphing their products I assume it looks like crap unless one does a morph.

[Laurel Aurelia]

@Bagnu Taking consistently good pictures takes a lot of practice, and I am still kinda hit or miss. However there are a few things that help the quality of a picture. First thing I try to do is take it in highest resolution possible. For me my computer can  handle around 6000x3178. But that can make some people crash so start lower and see how it looks. Creating depth of field by blurring your background makes an image more realistic looking in a lot of cases, just keep in mind that the higer rez your picture is the higher you will need to make the blur for it show up. Sometimes I cheese it by adding it in post. With windlights, I try to pick ones that minimize  a lot of shadows on my avatar unless that is a big feature of the picture. Camera angle matters too. Alt+ Left clicking your avatar and then pushing in with CTRL+0 keeps the image from getting a weird fish eye look. I don't know if any of this helpful , but just my two sense.

[Gregorian Chant]

@Bagnu I just remembered a couple of old threads on photo lighting tips.

https://community.secondlife.com/forums/topic/441820-photography-tips-tricks-tutorials/

https://community.secondlife.com/forums/topic/429783-sl-photography-tips-and-tricks/

 

[Gregorian Chant]

On 7/6/2020 at 12:08 PM, BbyMuvaht said:

hey guys , thank you for all of your comments . I tried to find a gyazo of some shots i took of people whom i thought were beautiful asf but cant seem to find them. Here is one my sis took of someone and i was just in awe https://gyazo.com/5d113a9d7de7607c1ce8da930a34c20c . Maybe realistic isnt the word to use but i love THAT look.  While ill agree that some bodies have some unrealistic proportions haha , im really just worried about the head. https://gyazo.com/664d7ecedb811acc3f644a1c5affe43f this is how i look currently. I cant really grasp what im missing or what im doing wrong. Ill try and see if i can SS more pics when i see em. How do people get their heads to be so still also ? 

I've seen people in RL with faces similar to your avatar.  I personally think you're on the right track with your look.

[Skell Dagger]

On 7/6/2020 at 10:44 PM, Blaise Glendevon said:

On 7/6/2020 at 3:16 PM, FairreLilette said:

 

That skin looks "real" to you because the ad is a morph. The face in the picture is a real photgraph. Do not buy anything that is advertised with a morph without demo-ing the hell out of it. 

It doesn't take long to find the original image that the face was morphed onto, either:

[FairreLilette]

2 hours ago, Skell Dagger said:

It doesn't take long to find the original image that the face was morphed onto, either:

Very interesting.  

I thought it was real except for the hair but now I see the nose for the Avenge skin looks especially weird.   I had noticed some weird photos from creator's but especially the bodies; there was no way an avatar could look like some of those bodies in the photos because they are just too dam real and, as a matter of fact, now I know those are real human bodies in those photos and not avatars.  Well, that spoils the fun of avatars but I knew something was fishy.  

Edited July 8, 2020 by FairreLilette

[Nick0678]

12 hours ago, Bagnu said:

My biggest question is how everyone controls the background lighting, and achieves...

For starters just play with the options marked RED and you will figure it out. After you get used to it you can try the other features.

[Nick0678]

7 hours ago, FairreLilette said:

Well, that spoils the fun of avatars but I knew something was fishy. 

My point exactly when i said "unrealistically realistic."

It simply isn't achievable for an avatar to look like a real human and plenty of skin creators have been using mophing/rl photos especially in the past..

(Which instantly means that it's best to avoid them due to lack of real talent.) Even on flickr it's annoying but there it doesn't really matter cause you don't buy flickr.

[Alexis Kiyori]

Hmm. I guess we all have our own definitions of realistic. Personally I really love & would love to know how people make the ‘realistic’ images I see plastered over Flickr with the reflective lighting, almost making their avatars look wet or shiny. Admittedly, a lot of what we see in pictures comes from editing & learning windlights. Heck, I’ll even admit my favourite pictures I’ve taken I’ve edited the hell out of. 
 

But for what it’s worth, @BbyMuvaht I think you’re just gorgeous how you are. 

[Nick0678]

2 minutes ago, Alexis Kiyori said:

Flickr with the reflective lighting

Reflective lighting is easy, first choose a windlight you like for the photo and then place small spotlights close to your face or any other area. Play a bit and you will figure it out (on ultra f course). Also if your avatar has glossiness enabled it will enhance the effect. Photo morphing on the other hand is purely photoshop rubbish.

[Alexis Kiyori]

19 minutes ago, Nick0678 said:

Reflective lighting is easy, first choose a windlight you like for the photo and then place small spotlights close to your face or any other area. Play a bit and you will figure it out (on ultra f course). Also if your avatar has glossiness enabled it will enhance the effect. Photo morphing on the other hand is purely photoshop rubbish.

Spot lights I just about get, but glossiness? How would I do that?

[Laurel Aurelia]

Some of it I think is done in post, but most of the new bodies and faces come with materials that give them a lot more texture and depth. I am not sure what body and head you have Alexis, but if you have the newest version of Maitreya, under the advanced setting on the hud you will see 3 different materials you can add to your body. Other bodies have similiar things too. And there are even some appliers that will add different ones that you can buy.   Just keep in mind that in order to see them in world you will need to have advanced lighting on.

[Nick0678]

35 minutes ago, Alexis Kiyori said:

Spot lights I just about get, but glossiness? How would I do that?

Check your mesh  head/body for that feature otherwise you have to fake it manually over photoshop/other ways

This one took 5 minutes to simply adjust the lights (3 simple lights white,cyan,darkgrey) and 2 clicks in phototools (view angle & gamma correction).

No photoshop or anything actually just took it as a normal printscreen. Play with it and you will get used to it.

Edited July 8, 2020 by Nick0678

[Blaise Glendevon]

19 hours ago, Bagnu said:

My biggest question is how everyone controls the background lighting, and achieves such realistic textures. I have Maitreya with the Bento Rebel head, and it looks OK, but I want better. And maybe I need a new skin. I attached a quick shot that use for my outfit folder so everyone has an idea.

A thought - another way to make your pictures more realistic is to adjust your poses. A lot of poses are made for SL-standard body proportions, which are not natural looking at all. (Your arms do reach below your crotch to the mid-thigh, right?) I use the Animare HUD and others have had great success with the Anypose HUD for adjusting your poses to look like natural movements. Here's a video of SL photographer/vlogger Cassie Middles using Anypose.

 

[Bagnu]

Cassie's looks very photorealistic, and this is what I'm trying to achieve. Now you guys gave me a starting point. Thanks!!!

 

[BbyMuvaht]

again, thank you all for your comments  they were both helpful and informative. I think i was able to achieve the look i was going for https://gyazo.com/961b70ffa98b8ec09f7aac488a36e5ff

Edited July 10, 2020 by BbyMuvaht

[Alexis Kiyori]

1 hour ago, BbyMuvaht said:

again, thank you all for your comments  they were both helpful and informative. I think i was able to achieve the look i was going for https://gyazo.com/961b70ffa98b8ec09f7aac488a36e5ff

Gorgeous 😍

[BbyMuvaht]

3 hours ago, Alexis Kiyori said:

Gorgeous 😍

thank you loveee ❤️

[Elora Lunasea]

On 7/7/2020 at 8:24 PM, Tarina Sewell said:

smh

Seriously

That photo is completely morphed. I hate when creators do that. 

[s2Pandora]

On 7/10/2020 at 6:46 PM, Elora Lunasea said:

Seriously

That photo is completely morphed. I hate when creators do that. 

I see this more and more these days with skin creators, and it drives me absolutely nuts.

[Bagnu]

Somehow I must be missing something. No matter what I try I can't get my shots to look as real as with a dedicated 3D modelling program, as some have. Better, yes though, so thank you everyone!!!

[Laurel Aurelia]

@Bagnu I actually noticed in one of your pics that you were playing with some of the stuff we suggested which is awesome. A lot of making good pictures is just time and experience. One of my favorite tutorial series for sl pictures was done by the very talented  Anya Ohmai, a zillion years ago, but I think a lot of what she talks about still holds true. 

 

[Bagnu]

It's frustrating though. I can make some very realistic pics with other programs, but not here. I will definitely watch that. Thank you!!!

[Ceka Cianci]

On 7/20/2020 at 9:46 PM, Laurel Aurelia said:

@Bagnu I actually noticed in one of your pics that you were playing with some of the stuff we suggested which is awesome. A lot of making good pictures is just time and experience. One of my favorite tutorial series for sl pictures was done by the very talented  Anya Ohmai, a zillion years ago, but I think a lot of what she talks about still holds true. 

 

A lot of that does still hold true.. I remember watching that awhile back..

It's a great Tutorial..

[Danielle Atheria]

Wrong thread sorry 

Edited July 4, 2023 by Danielle Atheria