Cameras and

Exposure
w/hy does a 3D artist need to know about cameras and
You need to understand how real photography works in exposure
order to
match or simulate the ettects ot a real camera in computer
graph-
ies.Whether you are rendering visual efftects elements that need to
beintegrated with live-action tootage, or are just trying to make
a 3D scene look more cinematic and believable, it helps to under-
stand how exposure works in real cameras, and to be able to read
thenotations in a camera log regarding lenses, f-stops, and shutter
angles. Your understanding of real cameras can also help you shoot
CHAPTER SIX bracketed sets of shots that are ideal for creating High Dynamic
Range Images (HDRIS) to capture the lighting at shooting loca-
tions so that you can precisely match it in 3D graphics.
 CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure 20
202 Digital Lighting and Rendering

the camera s shutter opens and Higher-

ner-numbered f-stops, such as t/l6 or t/22, let in the least light but create
moment when

Exposure is the all-important hlm. The adjustments

that a photogranbo. thedeepest DOF with more things in focus
allows reach the sensor or
light to
also influence the
makes to control the expoSure depth The sequence of f-stops is shown on the lens
of a camera in
or cinematographer
n r e e main Figure 6.2. Dif- nnsn 8 s8 4 28
motion blur, and other properties
of field,
or tne shot. aspects
ent lenses have different maximums and minimums but often
include the
control a camera's exposure: fstops 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, and 2
is that light into the camera.
lets
F-stops describe how wide the opening What f-stops actually represent in a camera is the ratio between the focal
also controlling the a m o u n t of depth of Figure 6.2]
This aspect has a side effect of length of the lens and the diameter ot the aperture that lets in the light. For
The aperture ring on a cam-
f-stops and depth of held are discussed together in example, if you use a 100mm lens at t/4, the aperture will have a diameter
field in your shot, so era lens is used to choose
an f-stop. Newer lenses
this chapter. of 25mm. Because the light is limited to what fits through a smaller open- often lack an aperture
ring
light. This
the shutter will be open to let in ing, each increase of one f-stop cuts the amount of light hitting the sensor because the f-stop is chosen
Shutter speed describes how long
blur in your shot, so exactly in half. electronically through the
has a side effect of controlling the amount of motion camera, but the f-numbers
shutter speed and motion blur are discussed together. still work the same
way
Having everything in focus at once, from objects close to the camera all
Film speed describes how sensitive to light the hlm or sensor is, but as a side the way to the distant background, is called deep focus. On the computer,
effect, it can also add grain or noise to an image. of course, you have the option of turning oft DOF and rendering without
This chapter discusses each of the three exposure parameters, how to sim- itentirely, which gives you inhnitely deep focus by defaulr. You do not

need to turn on DOF in your software if vou want your entire scene in per
ulate their side effects in the computer, and how other aspects of a camera
fect focus. If you want deep focus with just a small amount ot blurring on
such as lens imperfections can be simulated for more realistic renderings.
objects that fall out of focus, turn on DOF but use a higher t-stop number
such as f/22.

F-Stops and Depth of Field As you move into lower f-numbers, such as t5.6 tor instance. parts of your
Depthoffeld (DOF) determines how much of your scene is in focus. With a scene will fall out of focus. Take a look at the left side ot Figure 6.3; it was
narrowDOE only a narrow slice of your scene remains sharp near a specihed rendered at f/5.6, and you can see that both the candles in the background
focal distance; everything farther from or closer to the camera is blurred. With and the columns in the far background are a bit out of tocs.

a deep DOF more of the scene (sometimes all of your scene) is in focus.
Figure 6.3]
A photographer or cinematographer controls a camera's DOF by adjusting A medium aperture of f/5.6
the size of the aperture, the creates a larger DOF (left),
opening through which light travels in order to while a large aperture of
enter the camera. T he
aperture size varies via of metal f/1.4 produces very shallow
as shown in Figure 6.1.
an
arrangement 1ap DOF (right).

The size of the

Figure 6.1 aperture is measured in
f-stops. In a real camera, the prinary
The camera's aperture function of setting an
dilates with a set of metal f-stop is to control how much light reaches the
flaps. The hexagonal shape DOF is a side effect of
your f-stop choice.
senso
being formed here is
sometimes seen as a feature
utCd iestops, ike 1/1.4, let in the
in lens flares and bokeh. DOF with very few
most light and create a shallow
things in focus.
 CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure 20
Renderin9
Lighting and
204 Digital

the widest apert

have a measure tool that works like a measuring tape between two
specihes
f-number, such
as t/1.4,
light. A.
ng
The lowest that lets in
the most
enters use this to determine distance between points.
with your
lens-the
one

shallow DOF the camera and a desired

possible
of angles,
this c r e a t e s
a very
ewer of the object; however,
part
this too
might be less accurate than
from a greater range
on the right side of Figure 6.3. Anv subjec
si

that your focal distance with a clipping plane. checking

shown
objects in focus,
as
farther beyond the focal
d..
the
moves
camera,
or distance,
closer to
steps
focus.
quickly falls
out
of Figure 6.4]
a physical
camera model
a model in which the f
f-stop con-
o focus on the
foreground
Some renderers support the candle and let the candles
of the image at same time but
and brightness the
trols both the DOF seen in the background (of
in most software
is that these things are set separatel. the leftimage) fall out of
general approach the
In most 3D software,
the f-stop you select to control DOF does not attect focus, far clipping plane
is adjusted to bisect the
should still remember tho
scene. However, you foreground candle flame
the brightness of your
between brightness and aperture. A narrow. right). The clipping planes
photographic relationship can then be reset to their
is usually expected in dark o r dimly lit
DOF with fewer things in focus, old values, but the number
scenes that have been filmed with a lower f-stop number. Deeper focusi chosen can be used as the
focal distance.
more commonly expected in brighter environments, such as a sunny

door scene.
Be careful not to scale the camera itself if this might scale the focal dis
tance in your software. In some programs, scaling the camera also scales all
Setting the Focus
You can focus the camera at only one focal distance. You need to choo
distancesofthat are
parts of the camera, so if you scale up the camera for the
purpose seeing a bigger icon, you might have the unwelcome side effect of
an object to focus on, and measure the distance between the camera an the wrong focal distance.
throwing your camera to
that object.

A great way to check the distance between the camera and the object Pulling Focus
want to appear in focus is to adjust the camera's near or far clipping pla
that only the near or far half of the
object is visible in your camera's vic
Changing the focus on the camera during a shot is called a focus pul. In
live-action filmmaking, a crew member needs to pull the focus on the cam
After you hnd the number
you want, make sure you return the clipping era if the focal distance is adjusted during the shot. Common types ot tocus
planes their original values and use the distance value
to
that you tested
as the focal distance
for your DOF. Figure 6.4 shows the far clipping pla pullare the follow focus (adjusting the focal distance to keep an actor in
focus when the actor or camera moves) and the Tack focus (using a tocus
being adjusted to the middle of the front candle
flame, establishing the thing another person
value that will be used as the
focal distance. shittas transition from focusing
a on one
person or to

orthing). Usually, the focal distances involved worked ahead of are out
It can be more accurate
perform the clipping plane trick than to use
quick display of "distance from
to
a flming, and desired focal distances marked, the focus pull operator
are so

element for camera," which is available as an

intertac e Can simply rotate the lens from mark the other designated time.
one to at a

the selected object. A distance from camera A similar approach usually looks best in computer animation: It your subject
plays the distance to the attribute only
the exact object's center or
pivot point, which may no moves closer or farther away from the camera during the shot, simply choose
part of the object three keyframes to set the focal distance and let your DOF animate
where you wanted to
focus. Some
progral
two or
 CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure 207
206 Digital Lighting and Rendering

focustracking a t every fframe, u use a macro

lens for close-up
shouldn't need
constant
photography and shooting very small
between those. You adjustments to the focus. things. This type of lerns tends to have an extremely narrow DOF Because
which could result
in jerky o r distracting
tor the focal distance as you
f this, people have come to assoc1ate a very DOF with miniature
narrOw
set keyframes
If the camera is animated, just cts. If you want a part of your animation look like macro
to
c a m e r a itself;
this way, all paramnet photography
set keyframes for
the position of the riny subject, use a very narrow DO, which will help convey this effect,
back through
set the inital keyframes, go
at once. After you 6.5.
are animated
check o n how the
a n i m a t i o n moves in and out
ut as in Figure
animation curves and
your
make sure it doesn't
start o r stop mechanically.
of each keyframe to Figure 6.5
controls focus orn a real lens, the lens A narrow DOF helps simu-
When you rotate the lens ring that late the look of
focal distances. Instead, you
a
macro lens
linearly through different
use
does not move in"Circus Maximus lrritans,
to focus o n the first by Péter Fendrik, rendered
when you rotate the ring
much of the range you have in Cinema 4D.
the camera; it is only a small remaining part
few meters of space around
use to focus from
there to inhnity. When focus
of the rotation that you
turned at a uniform speed, the focus spends
is pulled, e v e n if the ring is
it moves
more time o n the closer
distances; it then speeds up greatly when
through greater distances.

for how you c a n animate between

Most 3D programs provide many options
distance val-
keyframes.If you settle for linear interpolation between focal
ues, your animated focus changes
do not look like a real focus pull. Instead
if you are focusing from n e a r to tar, the transition
should start out very slow
and speed up near the end. Pulling focus from far to near should start mov
quickly and then slow way down or

ing through the far focal distances more

the distances closer to camera. Keep in mind that if you render a scene with too narrow a
DXOE, it can make
like miniatures in dollhouse instead ot lite-sized people.
your characters look
a

scene's scale look normal.

greater DOF makes the
more

Matching Real Lenses Oiving your scene a

The focal length of a lens is the amount of magnifhication it provides. When
a lens has a greater focal length, it is more zoomed in, or telephoto, and
pro Lens Breathing
describe the tendency of
lenses to change
used to
vides more magnihcation to your image. A telephoto lens tends to produce Lensbreathing is a term is changed. The adver
a narrower DO;, with a lot of foreground and background blurring. Tech theireffective focal length when the focal distance
for instance) is really only the
nically, it you see a larger amount of blurring through a telephoto lens, it is focal length of a lens (a 50mm lens,
Tised focused inhnity. When the lens is focused
simply because the
blurring is magnifed along with the rest of the image focallength when that lens is
at
that the lens
slightly increases,
so
but result you do see a blurrier looking the focal length
ona nearby subject,
as a
background at the same f-stop:
A wide-angle lens (low focal
length) generally has a deeper DOF, with more becomes slightly more telephoto.
things in focus. If you simulate an extremely telephoto lens, such as the
through a telescope, the audience
view
expects a narrow DOE
 CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure 209
208 Digital Lighting and Rendering

cinema instead of still photography are designod Hyperfocal Distance

for
Lenses made specifically if each focus pull in.
breathing,
because it is distracting a
When a lens is focused at its
hyperfocal distance, everything in the back-
to minimize lens
of a shot. However, a tins

movie also noticeably changes the

composition
oround is in focus, no matter how far away it is. In the foreground, focus
amount of lens breathing may
still be present. ins at half the focal distance. For example, in Figure 6.7, if the camera
in 3D, such as the VRay Physical Camera, include isfocused at 200 meters, everything from 100 meters to infhnity is in focus.
Some camera models Specifics depend on the lens, but you usually reach the hyperfocal distance
it zooming in slightly whern you adjust it to a
lens breathing. You can
see
when you use a small aperture and focus at least a few meters away. We
this can add to realism, remember that lens
closer focus distance. Although often see outdoor scenes and landscape photography created with cameras
breathing is considered an undesirable
eftect in live-action flmmaking, so as
at their hypertocal distance.
technology progresses, we are
more likely to see it simulated in 3D graphics focused
notice it in live-action hlms.
and less likely to

TFigure 6.71
Hyperfocal Distance When a lens is focused at its
Finding the Area in Focus yperfocal distance, every-
You might imagine that focus is uniformly distributed around the focal dis- thing in the background is
in focus.
that if you focus on an object 3 meters away, objects at 2
tance, so meters
Camera
and 4 meters are equally blurry. However, this is not the case.

When a camera is focused to a specihc focal distance, you can expect about
one-third of the area in focus to be in the foreground, closer than the focal
distance, and about two-thirds of the area in focus to be in the background,
beyond the focal distance, as shown in Figure 6.6.
1/2 1/2
Figureone-third
6.6) of the
About area
in focus will be in front of
Focus-
your focal distance, and Inbright daylight scenes, when the focal distance is more than few meters a

two-thirds will be beyond it. from the camera, it is likely that the far distance and the sky will be in
Camera tocus as well. At night or when you are indoors, backgrounds often fall out
of focus. f your background is an image mapped onto a sphere surrounding
your scene, leave it fully in focus for most of your daylight shots. If you need
to visually separate the foreground from the background, ceonsider adding
some mist or haze on your daytime backgrounds instead of blurring them.
Depth ef Fieldu1/3 23
Using Bokeh Effects
where all
Ou ve probably seen pictures with out-of-focus backgrounds,
bloom into little balls of light.
areas in the background
ne lights bright
or

of the image
nstead of just a smoothly blurred area, the out-of-focus parts
210 Digital Lighting and Rendering
CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and sure 211
Exp

surrounding each highlioh

little beads of light as
shimmer or glisten with bokeh ejects. I hey are an option Figure 6.9
shown in Figure 6.8. These are called u Bokeh effects make the
Bokeh (pronounce background candle flames
that enhances the look of DOF effects.
can activate look like pentagons, simu-
from Japanese that describes the "out-of-focus"
"bow-kay") is a word derived lating a five-blade aperture.

quality of a lens.
lenses are described as very smooth and
Lenses have different bokeh. Some
creamy; this means the
lens blurs things in much the same way as a render
have been smoothly Gaussian
er's default DOF, making areas look like they
blurred. Orher lenses make very defned circles or seem to put rings around

of focus.
bright points of light when they fall out

Some renderers like Mental Ray can render bokeh effects through a plug-i
or lens shader. Other renderers (like VRay) have bokeh options integratod
into the main DOF rendering options. Either way, you are provided with
Figure 6.10]
a set of controls that influences how out-of-focus features appear in your By varying the number of
rendered image. The results are most visible around lights, highlights, or blades, the bokeh around
the flames can be made
small bright objects that fall out of focus. The background candle flames i round with zero blades
Figure 6.9 look like pentagons because of the bokeh effects used. (left), seven-sided with
seven blades (center), or
Each bright spot that falls out of focus can appear to be a bead or circle of eight-sided with eight
blades (right).
light, or can take on a specihc shape such as an octagon or hexagon.

IFigure 6.81 For bokeh shapes a specihc number

Highlights grow into beads
of light as they
fall out of
focus. The bokeh (out-of
focus quality) of a lens gives
each type of lens a unique
signature.
with
of sides, set the number of blades
in your shutter the number of sides you want in each bokeh
to
shape. For
example, chose hve blades to create a pentagon-shaped bokeh effect. If yo IFigure 6.11]
chose eight blades, you get an The center bias of a bokeh
octagon-shaped
shows bokeh from the candle flames with
bokeh effect. Figure 6.10 effect can weigh the high-
zero blades (circular bokeh), six lights toward the center
blades, and eight blades. (left), create a neutral result
(middle), or create bokeh
Another common control for bokeh is that are hollow or darker in
the amount of center bias, which con
trols whether the the center (right).
light concentrates in the center of the bokeh features or
out on the
edges. Figure 6.11 shows bokeh weighted
toward the center,
a neutral bias of
one and
concentrated out in the edges. Note that sonme
photographers consider donut-shaped bokeh
center) to be "bad (rings that look hollow in the
bokeh," in that they look unnatural and are
and can be
considered undesirable lens distracting: even more control, some renderers support using
custom bokeh maps. In

artifacts. or color pattern over

a black
us case, you provide an image of any shape bokeh. For example,
for the
Dackground, and this image becomes the shape creates bokeh that
ot a white hexagon over a black background
ge
 CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure 213

Renderinng
and
Lighting
212 Digital

are matching
the bokeh ffron a spe- When the camera moves, dr wnen objects enter or leave the frame, blurred
aperture.
If you
six-blade
like a highlight from.
out-of-focus highlight from a photoora
looked
can crop
out an
out-of-focus
hiects tend to enter the trarme sooner and leave later than you would guess
cific camera, you bokeh map. f vou were looking at the scene within your 5D program without DOF This
that as a
camera
and use
that
taken with fe a natural result of how rays ot light are gathered from more angles when
DOE However, does mean that you need to be careful
Hidden Image Areas you are simulating it
Depth of Field and about what objects exist just outside ot the frame: Don't assume that some
reveal parts of your 3D scene that
of field can are t thing is completely hidden from the audience just hecause it is outside of
Rendering with depth shows this
visible you render
if without DOE Figure 6.l2
how can Work A

our viewport when you compose a shot.

outside ot the right edge of the frame that
so it
candle positioned just
is
The edges of the frame aren't the only hidden areas that can be revealed
where the scene s rendered without 1OE W.
h
notvisible in the top image the far right side of the frame. with DOF Other hidden areas that can be revealed are where one object is
part of the
candle on
can see
DOF, you behind another object, and where an object is near the edge of a wall or just

around a corner from the camera.

[Figure 6.12
Look carefully at the right To save rendering time, some people render without any DOF and then
edge of the frame. When the
Scene is rendered without create a fake DOF etfect during compositing. A number of plug- ins can
any DOF (to0p), theres no even simulate bokeh ettects in compositing programs. However, be careful
candle visible on the rignt
side. When when you use these techniques, because the lack of extra image information
the exact same
Scene is rendered with DOF
(bottom), you can seea
behind foreground objects and off the edges of the screen c a n lead to arti-
candle on the right edge of facts where blurred objects pop on and off screen unnaturally. If you fake
he frame, which had been your DOF in post, you may have to render a larger image, with an extra
positioned just outside of
the camera's view. 100 pixels around each edge, and then crop it down to your final size after
adding bokeh effects to ensure that objects enter and leave frame smoothly.

Computational Expense
Rendering
D
with DOF and bokeh be expensive. When you first
can
you can see your scene becoming more grainy or noisy, and the only
turn on

good way to reduce the noise is to turn up the number of sanmples. However,
it you turn up the samples high enough for a noise-free image with shallow
DO, you can greatly slow down your renders.

Ou should always test-render a region of your image to see how noisy it

general, the further

actually looks with your current DOF settings. In out

ot focus a part of your scene falls, the more likely it is to appear noisy. Iurn
up your samples as high as you need to smooth out the noise, but certainly
no higher.
 25
CHAPTER SiX: Cameras and Exposure
Rendering
and
Lighting
214 Digital

render have a
little bit of noise sible in areas
visibhl. h l i n g the amount of time the shutter stays open makes an image twice
frames you Doub
If the full-quality problem. Noise reduction filters as bright. A shutter specd ot 4 of a second would allow twice as much light
avail
thatfall out ot tocubs ch as Nuke o
software such as
Nuke
orr After Effects
After can
c an
smooth out to ach the flm
reach
as a speed of % of a second. In the viewfnders and controls
able in compositing side effect of using a noise ofmany cameras, abbreviated labels show only the divisor (the second num
are a little
bit noisy. T he only reduc
areas that to indicate a shutter speed. For example, so of a second
that it sometimes causes a little m o r e blurring and rediuc
herin the fraction)
tion fhlter is ilter to an area that is sun labeled 250, or oo of a second is labeled 2000. In this case, what appear
if you apply the osed
well as noise. But
details as the smallest fractions of a second.
and out of focus already, this should not be a problem
blem. tobe the highest numbers actually refer to

to appear soft
picture speed, you are more likely to
camera, Instead of shutter
Ina motion
angle.
called the shutter The shutter of most motion picture
Motion Blur see a control
Shutter Speed and cameras is a revolving disc. The disc rotates 360 degrees for each frame
that results when is c a u u d
movement A window behind the disc allows light through to the film
Motion bur is the directional streaking thatis exposed.
on a real camera that intluence motion I he shutter angle controls the angle of the open
during the exposure. The controls
when the shutter is open.
are the shutter speed (in stills)
or shutter angle (in motion pictures). shutter, which be made
can narrower by the position of a small
ingin the
represented in Figure 6.13.
metal flap, as

Shutter Speed and Shutter Angle A shutter angle control is also used
to control motion blur in many 3LD pro- [Figure 6.13]
An opening in a revolving
camera's shutter opens RenderMan and Maya. shutter creates the shutter
Shutter speed is a measurement of how long a to
grams, including halves of
usually expressed fraction angle. The two
light to expose the flm. Shutter speed is as a
of 180 degrees means that the shutter is open
The common shutter angle the shutter can rotate to
second, such hzs. The longer the shutter is open, the more light rea
of the time. At a 180-degree shutter angle, make the opening wider
half of the time and closed half
as

or narrower.
at 24 fps
he film. to half of the frame rate. For example,
theshutter speed is equal the shutter speed is As of a second.
with a shutter angle of 180 degrees,
what portion of the framne rate is
tells
Frame Rates The shutter angle divided by 360 you
if the shutter angle
being used as the shutter speed. For example,
Video and motion picture cameras have a frame rate, which is measured in frames per second (fps). The actually of the time. Therefore, a

is90 degrees, then the shutter open to shutter speed of 1/4* 24), or
is one-quarter
frame rate specihes how many individual frames or images are exposed per second of moving film of vi
90-degree shutter at 24 fps is equivalent a

Motion picture hlm is usually shot at 24 fps, which is called sound speed because it is the standard speed Y96 of a second.
film with synchronized soundtrack. Prior to the invention of sound, camera operators would crank movin
a 360
Going all the way up to

A 560-degree shutter angle is special

a case.
cameras at slightly different rates for different that
shots, which they considered a part of their creative COntro flm because that meant

used to be impossible with ordinary

cameras,
Over the flow of the hilm.
Digital cinema cameras also commonly operate at 24 fps. Movies can also De st allowed to advance the hlm to the
shut and time was
the shutter
ànd digitally projected at never no
higher frame rates for smoother motion, although this can take away from the ra shutter is possible, now
so

ditional cinematic look to which the audience is accustomed.

to next frame. With digital
a 360-degree
cameras,
frame. When
during each
can capture the full arc of
motion that occurs

Different television standards around the

world have different frame rates.
you than the standard sound speed
of
The NTSC standard, comn on ilms are shot at frame rates higher
throughout North America, uses a frame rate SOme than frame one
be used. This allows
more

dards, PAL and SECAM, use 25

of just less than 30 fps. Two of the world's
other major sia tps, a 360-degree shutter may to lower create a
fps. Switching to HDTV did not combined
film to be
eliminate these frame rate differences. high frame rate version of the
the shown in theaters.
some
rate version that may be
rame
 216 Digital Lighting and Rendering CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure 217

allowed to type in numbers

up to 360 degrees First Frame Problems
are
In 3D software, you
above 560 degrees you are
capturing extra
or even higher. When you go
with the motion thatt's You need to render every frame ot an animated shot with
frame that actually overlap consistent motion
motion streaks on each hlur, including the hrst one. in order to guarantee that the first frame of a
other frames.
also captured on hot has normal, consistent-looking motion blur, make sure the
animation
Different programs have slightly
ditfterent ways to adjust blur. 3ds May
Maxmotion
of a shot begins betore the hirst frame. It the hrst frame is number 1, then the
in frames so that a value of 1 frame equals animatiorn should begin frame 0 (or earlier) for consistent results.
at
asks for a motion blur duration
shutter angle from live-action footave
360-degree shutter. If you have a logged As a lighting artist, if you are receiving animation from
360 the value in trames. For example, if a someone else, it pays
divide the shutter angle by to get
to check the animation you receive by flipping between the first frame of the
scene was with a
shot shutter, enter 0.5, which produces results
180-degree shot and the frame betore the frst frame. For examnple, it the shot starts at
similar to those in Figure 6.14.
frame number 1, check frame 0. Since trame O is not going to be rendered or
used in the movie, it's possible that nobody has checked it. However, what
Figure 6.14]
A motion blur of 0.5 simu- changes between trames O and I aftects the motion blur in frame 1. Make
lates a 180-degree shutter
angle.
surethat things that supposed be moving moving before the first
are to are

frame, and that nothing jumps into position the first frame that has been
at

somewhere else immediately prior to the first frame. These are easy mistakes
for an animator to make, but become visible only when you render with
motion blur.

Because camera motion also causes motion blur, make sure you also check
for consistent camera work immediately betore and after the animation.

Softimage asks tor a shutter open and shutter close time. For When animating a camera position, don't let the camera jump suddenly
example, if y
have shutter open at 0 and shutter close at 0.5, that is a
180-degree shutter between frames, as if to simulate a cut; the motion blur will badly distort
angle, which samples motion during the first half of the frame duration. If those frames.
an animator wants to avoid
having a particular pose motion-blurred at a
particular frame, he can create a half-frame "hold." Making the character ( The Comet Tail Myth
part of the character) hold still during the interval
being sampled produces have trails fading off behind a
crisp image of the pose with no motion blur. Photographs be created that appear
can to

these is either a camera flash trig-

As a rule of thumb,
oving object, but usually what causes

the end
keep your shutter
angle between 90 degrees and Bered at the end of the exposure or a subject that stops moving near

180 degrees for the most rate and is

natural, realistic results. Too low a level of motion Or the exposure. Ifsubjecta is moving at a constant illuminated
blur often makes the action and does
ber creates an
seem jerky or
unnatural, while too high a num evenly while exposed, the motion blur is symmetrical
the frame is
after-image or trail behind objects as they move. not indicate whether the object is moving forward or backward.
lo simulate the
photorealistic motion blur possible, remember that yu
most
ne people imagine that motion blurlags behind a moving object, similar
often need slower shutter
speeds to let in enough light in darker motion blur is unitormly
ments, and very high shutter environ now a tail appears behind a comet. In reality,
speeds are usually possible only is filmed moving continuously from
environments. in brightly nt airectional, meaning that if something
218 Digital Lighting and Rendering

CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and

Exposur
it will have the sanme amount of blur on the left side rho
left to right, as

rotations don't always rotate pertect synchronization

in
right side. with the frame rate,
Sosometimes wheel
a can
appear be to
rotating backward.
When you look at a single frame from a movie, the motion blur does not
indicate which direction something was traveling. It the subject moves at a Figure 6.16 illustrates the wagon wheel effect-the
confusion
caused by actions that repeat at a pace similar to the frame sometimes
constant speed throughout the exposure, then the motion blur is bright wheel effect got its name from chase scenes in Western rate. The wagon
not
in front and does not fade out in the rear like the tail of a comet. Instead it
appears as streaks of a continuous brightness, as you can see in Figure 6.15.
often featured speeding wagons. In these scenes, the movies, which
rotating wheels
Even in a slow exposure that captures long streaks of motion blur, the
strea appeared to spin at the wrong speed, or even backward, when viewedoften
are uniformly bright and consistent along their length; nothing about the flm. This because similar-looking spokes changed places while theonshut-
was

motion blur would look different if the cars were driving in reverse.
rer was closed, making it difficult to follow their motion between
frames.

[Figure 6.151
This shot would look just Figure 6.16]
The wheel turns
the same if all of the cars counter
clockwise between these
were driving in reverse.
Motion blur does not fade frames, but to the viewer it
off like a comet tail--it looks as if the wheel turns

remains constant through clockwise if you can't tell

the exposure if the bright- one spoke from the other.

ness and speed of the sub-

ject remain constant.

Often, cheated solution is the best solution to very

a
rapid rotation. For
example, you can replace a spinning fan blade with a tlat disk, and transpar
ency map it with a texture that is already blurred to look as if it is spinning.
This way a simple textured surface can look like a rapidly spinning blade,
without causing rendering headaches in every shot where it appears.

Interlaced and Progressive Scan

standards used in current high-dehnition television are called
o Common
1080i and 720p. They have different resolutions (1,920x1,08O tor 1080i
and 1,280x720 for 720p), but they also ditfer in what the i and the p stand
Blurring Rotations oT mterlaced and progressive scan, which are two diferent ways of shooting,
Rapidly rotating objectssuch transmitting, and displaying video signals.
the
helicopter's propeller-are some of theblades of a fan, spinning wheels, or
as
d

blur. Rendering software hardest things to accurately TOgressive scan is the simplest to understand. For each trame, the cameras
and sample the motion motio Snutter opens only and captures the full inmage. The image consists of
must slow down a
once
times per frame to
from one frame's
render a fully round severa
rotation, instead of a linear number of horizontal scanlines, which horizontal
are of pixels running
rows

position to the next. Further streak allne way across the screen from left to right. Scanlines are recordedor
complicating things, rapiu uismitted one at a time, from top to bottom. To display each frame, the
220 Digital Lighting and Rendering CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure 4

scanline in order, from top to bottom, Rendering Fields

television or monitor displays each
at the top again for the next frame
and then it starts refreshing the image Most 3D rendering programs have option you can choose to render
an

complex, because each frame consists of two motion in separate video fhelds. When you activate this, the renderer out
Interlaced video is more

'The first held consists of all of the puts twice as many image iles, Iendered at each frame as well as at each half
different exposures.
fields taken in two

odd-numbered scanlines, and the

second consists of all the even-numbered frame, so that the two held images show different points in time but can be
held. Figure 6.17 shows this interlaced together to form a complete frame. This simulates how a video
in the gaps from the hrst
scanlines, flling pro-

to bottom on odd-numbered scanlines

records interlaced video.
cess, as an image is drawn from top camera
fhlled in between them.
and then the even-numbered scanlines are
By using fheld-rate video, you the shutter speed in half, and this
can cut

will halve the amount of motion blur as well. Some 3D artists even turn off
Figure 6.17]
Two fields are interlaced
motion blur wheninrendering6.18
fheld-rate video ourput. The renderings of an

animated object Figure illustrate your diferent rendering choices for

on a television screen to
form a frame. These images fields and motion blur; you can see that the motion blur matters less when
show the process of refresh- rendering on felds.
ing alternate scanlines,
first completing all of the
odd-numbered lines, then (Figure 6.18]
starting at the top dgain to An animated
object with
fill in the even-numbered no motion blur or field-
Scanlines in between. rate rendering
(upper left)
The rate at which fields are recorded or transmitted is twice the frame rate. appears static. Motion blur
is added to two renderings
For example, if the frame rate is 30 fps, then there are 60 fhelds per second
on the right, and field-rate
To display each frame, the television or monitor first displays each scanline motion is added to the

from the first field, from top to bottom, which displays only every other line lower two renderings.

Then it goes back to the top and hlls in the alternate scanlines from the
second fheld.

Old standard-detnition television used interlaced video. The rationale for

adopting the format was that motion would be sampled twice as frequerntly,
resulting in a smoother, more accurate reproduction of motion. Instead of
having the shutter open only 25 or 30 times per second, it opened and cap
tured a feld 50 or 60 times per second. This meant that
moving subjects
were scanned twice as frequently. Also, the flickering of screens would be
less this way, because the electron beams would
refresh the screen at twice
the frame rate.

In modern times, even

many productions that are transmitted as 10501 telc
vision signals are rendered with progressive frames. The need to
shot or

with interlaced fhelds tends to deal

occur when
you are trying to match interlaceu
video shot for live television and news
sports programming.
 222 Digital Lighting and Rendering
CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure z23

In visual effects work, compositors add simulated hlm

grain when
3:2 Pulldown matching
CGI to film stocks used in background plates. If you are simulating hlm or
When motion pictures, shot at24 fps, are converted to 30 fps video, thev
four frames of the original ramcorder footage in an all-5D scene, consider adding more of a grain effect
called 3:2 pulldown. Every

1 go through a process n low-light and indoor scenes than in

sunny or outdoor scenes. Most impor-
film are converted into fve video
frames by alternately recording two video
tantly, pay attention to the issue of him speed when you are trying to under-
three video helds from the next fhlm frame.
fhelds from one film frame, then stand the trade-offs involved in controlling a camera's exposure process.

2
as shown in Figure 6.19.

made of helds from two

3:2 pulldown produces some jitter frames-trames
different hlm frames. Because jitter frames contain redundant information Photographic Exposure
frames), will usually want to remove
(fields also used in adjacent video you
So far in this chapter, I have discussed three main exposure controls on

them during visual effects work so that you can pertorm rendering and com a real camera: aperture (t-stop), shutter speed, and film speed (ISO).
c a n expand output back to
on a 24-fps basis. As a hnal step, you
positing
30 tps by simulating a 3:2 pulldown process in compositing software. Photographers refer to each doubling of the amount of light captured as

TFigure 6.19]
4 Film Speed and Film Grain
a stop. Of course opening to a wider aperture by one t-stop
so is using twice as slow a shutter speed or using twice as tast a flm speed.
Adjusting any parameter to allow the camera to capture twice as much light
is a stop, but

In 3:2 pulldown, film frames is called a one-stop increase in the exposure.

shot at 24 fps (left) alter- Besides aperture and shutter speed, the third main factor influencing a cam-
nately contribute two or era's exposure is the fulm speed. Some hlm stocks are more sensitive to light
30
three felds to
produce
fps video frames (right).
than others. A designated hlm speed measures how quickly a particular hlm Understanding Reciprocity
stock responds to light. between the three main exposure controls, which
There is reciprocity means
that you can make trade-offs between them. For example, if a photographer
Film speed is usually measured in ISO or ASA units. The International
behind her main
IStaking a portrait and wants a soft-tocused background
Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted the American Standards choose a wide aperture to achieve a shallow
LDOE To com-
Subject, she will
Association (ASA) standards for film speeds, so both refer to the same
the wide she can
standard units. Low numbers such as 64 ISO or 100 ISO mean the hlm is pensate for the extra light she lets in by using aperture,
two stops, but then
less sensitive to light but is likely to be fne-grain, with sharp detail and not choose a faster shutter speed. Opening the aperture by
her back to
using a faster shutter speed by two stops to compensate, brings
much visible grain. A high-speed fhlm, such as 800 ISO or 1600 ISO, is
nmor the samee overall exposure value but
achieves a shallower DOE
sensitive to light but usually has larger, more visible grain.
most cameras called shiutteT priority and apertire prior-
Just as you can choose a lower- or higher-speed hlm for a film camera, yOu XpOSure modes on

In shutter priority exposure

can set a digital camera's ISO setting for similar results. At a lower ISO, the ty are made to take advantage of reciprocity.
shutter speed, and the camera automatically
camera is less sensitive to light but the image remains sharp, with very 1ittie node, you dial in your desired In this way, you can change
the
noise (noise in a digital image means random ujusts the aperture and ISO to compensate.
variation in pixel colors that darker. In aperture
without seeing the image get brighter
or
look similar to grain in flm). Ar a t e r speed
higher ISO, the signal from the imaging desired aperture, and the camera
automati-

PULOTity mode, you dial your

chip is amplihed, but what amplihes the signal also in
amplifies the noise. A and ISO to compensate.
I his gIves you
the

high-1SO image can lose quality and appear speckled with colored dots. dluy adjusts the shutter speed whatever f-stop you
want without seeing
to change the aperture to
Cedom
the image get brighter or darker.
 224 Digital Lighting and Rendering CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure 225

have
Of course, in addition to automatic nmodes, cameras alsO a manual of the shot while printing in a darkroom. I hroughout this
process, every
mode where you can set the aperture, shutter speed, and 1SO all possible step is taken to adapt and control whatever light is available
exposure into
by yourself. In manual mode, any
time you open the aperture by one ston, the tones that the photographer wants to achieve in the fhinal print.
or choose a stop slower shutter speed, you see the overall exposure value
How do we translate this into 3D graphics! How can we focus on con-
get brighter. In manual mode, you can still take advantage of reciprocity,
but you have to do it yourself; click the aperture open by a few stops, then trolling whichtones appear in our images as
caretully as a professional
photographer! A good place to start is to look at a histogram.
choose a different ISO or shutter speed to compensate it you want to main-
tain the previous exposure value.

Using Histograms
The Zone System A histogram is a chart showing how frequently each possible tone appears in
an image. Most paint and compositing sottware has a histogram function.
When casual photographers take snapshots, they usually leave the camera
in an automatic mode. Automatic exposure adjusts exposure controls in the
Figure 6.21 shows atypical histogram. For each of the 256 possible leves
camera based the average amount of light in the scene, essentially tryin:
on
in the vertical column
to bring the scene as close as possible to a medium
of brightness image, a is plotted. The height of each
gray. This provides an column is determined by the number of pixels in the image that use the
exposure that is "corect" in the sense that what is visible will be recorded
on the fhlm. tone. The columns on the left show the number of pixels using black and
dark values, and the height of the colunns on the right shows how many
A professional photographer, the other pixels use brighter tones, up to pure white on the extreme right.
on
hand, starts designing a
photo
graph based on his own impressions to craft an image that uses the tones he
chooses in each area of the frame. Instead of [Figure 6.21]
letting the camera bring a sno HISTOGRAM
Scene to A histogram shows how you
an
average gray level, he might prefer to make the snow white.
nanneKOE are using the tones in your
To achieve this level of control, rendered image.
photographers practice an approach called
the Zone System, which describes
tones that can be printed in 1l levels.
Zone O is pure black with no detail, Zone
1 is the first perceptible value
lighter
than black, Zone 5 is medium
gray, and so on to Zone 10, which
up
is pure white

Photographers use a light meter, shown in Figure 6.20, to check the

as

brightness of particular area, such as a

a

recommended exposure that

patch of snow. The meter displays
IFigure 6.20] brings the snow to Zone 5. If the
printed in Zone 8, she could open the photographer
An exposure meter tells wanted the snow to be
photographers how to three stops
compared to what her meter aperture by
expose an area to produce a suggests.
medium gray tone, or Zone lo
5, but
a
practicing photographer, there's lot
adjusting the expo
Sure to achieve other values
this.
a

is up to the creative control
of the photographer.
Photographers use special filters that darken the Zone System than
more to
ber of stops, the sky by a certain
develop and print the fhlm in nun
levels of contrast,
and, as a last resort,
different ways to achieve difteren
adjust the brightness of different cas
a
 and Rendering
CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure 22
226 Digital Lighting

of your renderings, a live-actionf

histogram of one
trame, a IFigure 6.23]
You can view a
is useful for spotting You can adjust Photoshop's
photograph.
A histogram s
m-
or a Levels tool to isolate one
texture map,
For example, Figure 6.22 found in
mon problems in renderings or
photography. shows Zone of brightness
scene. All of the taller columns ar a 3D scene.
underexposed re
the histogram of an
n the
that all ot the dominant tones in the
left side of the image, showing image
are very dark.
Most of the available tones that
could be used to
sepatate he
and definition to the trees, aren'
from the ground, or give shape being
sky
looks uniformly dull and dark.
used. As a result, most of the image

Leves

FHgure 6.22)
Underexposure appears as
HISTOGRAM nanne EGB
OK
the left Channel: RGB 160 .v0255
a concentration on InputLeves Cancei
side of the histogram.

uto
OpTns
9 255
p tLeves:
erevew
5ope Entire Image

is thar it interactively to
Thecool thing about the Levels tool
you can use

6.25 shows
the different zones of your image. For example, Figure
explore
tones in scene. ihis causes every tone
the triangles framing the brightest
a

triangle points to disaPpear from your

black
thatis darker than where the
the brightest tones are used. Iou can
image, which lets you see only where
of the image by moving the white triangle
alsoframe just the darkest part
iD elements into a live-action
tothe left. If you are planning composite the black levels and white lev-
to

to check that
Photoshop's Levels tool includes a histogram as a part of a plate, it is especially important
tor
powertul l
changing the brightness and contrast of an image. As shown
the
els match background plate.
6.45, immediately beneath the
Figure in

take advantage of the tull range ot tones

available to you
histogram are three triangles you can siue n general, try to
shows columns in each
zone.
into new positions of renders
along the histogram. The black triangle flie SOhat a histogram from most your
level that will become
black in the output image, and the white triangle
represeni light often produce underexposed images
in an

tudents learning to scenes

look "subtle."
represents the level that will become t hide flaws in their scenes and make the lighting
more

pure white. Between them, the gly etfort to dark closet, be

selective
triangle represents what will a r e trying to depict a night
scene or a
become medium gray. This triangle omat
ttyou and dark shadows
caily stays at a midpoint between the black and white triangles asaut drag high contrast
darkness, use
wtnyour lighting. To convey
tnem around; if you drag the gray triangle, then you will also be you ather than simply underexposing
the whole scene.

the gamma of
your image. changu
228 Digital Lighting and Rendering
CHAPTER SiX: Camer re 229

Exposure Value
davs of film photography, and you are much less
likely to see it implemented
than the relative scale that's common in most digital cameras.
calculates the brightness of your exposure.
overall
The Exposure Value (EV)
the exposure, but a result
of all three fac.
factor in
The EV is not a separate
tors shutter speed, ISO) put
(t-stop,
together. Bracketing
Bracketing is the process of photographing a set of multiple exposures at dif-
mode using a real camera, you choose
If you are in fully manual exposure have
the f-stop, shutter speed, and 1SO tor yourselt. A display on the camera ferent exposure values. Many camerasautomatic bracketing function
an

that at the push of the shutter release, number of exposures (often three
indicates the EV that results trom your decisions. You cannot adjust the so a

EV directly when you are in a fully manual exposure mode; the EV is just or five) will be raken, each ofset by a given number of EV. For example, the
display that shows you how the bright the
shot will appear, compared to th camera could take one shot at -2 EV, one at O EV, and one at +2 EV. This
would give you a choice of expOsures when you went to select and process
camera's own metering.
your shots.
It are in an automatic expOsure mode where the c a m e r a is automati-
you
cally setting at least one of the three factors for you, then the EV becomes Going beyond basic automatic bracketing, SD artists often shoot sets of
an adjustable preference you can set. In this case, when you set the EV to images taken over a much wider range of exposure values in order to assem-
ble High Dynamic Range Images (HDRI). HDRI will be discussed more
a neutral value of 0, the camera tries to adjust the f+-stop, shutter speed, or
inChapter 8, but to capture all of the colors and tones of light in a scene,
ISO to make the image as close as possible to a middle-gray value accordi
the darkest to the lightest, you need to employ manual bracketing and
to its exposure meter. If you set an EV of 2, you are saying that you prefer from
learned in this chapter about camera
the image to be exposed two stops brighter when the camera makes its aut take advantage of some of what you've
matic adjustments. exposure.
tripod and setit
When you adjust the EV to be one stop brighter on a canmera in a fully aui To manually bracket shots for HDRI, put the camera on a

full manual mode with low ISO such 100. Focus the
as and set canmera

matic mode, you may not know whether the camera will open up the aper- to a

distance. Set your white

ture by one stop, use a shutter speed one stop slower, or use an ISO that is it to manual focus to leave it at your desired focal
it outdoors.
balance to fixed setting, such daylight you
as are
a
one stop brighter. T he camera could make any of these adjustments for yon
achieve your preterence of medium f-number such f/5.6 and leave it there. As
to getting an image that is one stop brighter. Set the aperture to a
as

DOF and puts difterent

The EV is displayed on nmost cameras as a relative (not absolute) scale. An you know, changing the f-stop also changes the
into focus, creating images that can't be aligned pertectly.
EV of O means a neutral value-that is, the image is as posSible
close as things
medium the shutter speed. Start with a slow enough
to
tones--according the light meter.
to
Higher numbers indicate Dracket your shots by changing 1gure 6.241
to make sure
and lower numbers indicate the the whole scene looks overexposed racketing the shutter
Overexposure underexposure, according to
Shutter speed so that almost
shadow areas. Then peed (not the aperture)
light meter. detail, even in the darkest
you are capturing all possible to taster and
faster shutter
when you shoot a set or
hots that can be assembled
The in increments of about 2 stops, changing
term EV has
another meaning: an absolute exposure value, which s}P nove move from an to an HDRI. Note that in
For example, you might
ihes combinations
of shutter speed and f-stop. On this scale, 0 EV refers to Speeds for each shot in the sequence. and then to a -second exposure.
the top image, you can see
2-second exposure the color in even the bright-
a l-second exposure taken at f/1 or Cond exposure to
a
the
any equivalent combination of shot until you can see est tones of the image, and
speed and f-stop (such snui
30-second exposure at f/5.6). The absolute Ev
as a Aeep shooting darker and
darker versions of your
Figure 6.24.
nothing is overexposed.
shown in
Color in e v e n the brightest light
sources, as
scale does not specify the ISO
film speed and does not take into u
scene accoun
brightness. The absolute scale of EV values was written back in the
 A P T E R SIX: Cameras and Exposure 251
Rendering
and
Lighting
230 Digital

run into a situation in whic h even

in the scene, you may [Figure 6.25)
is visible ffers is n o t brief
is not brief enough and the sun
Ifthe sun your
camera ofters
an.

A fhsheye lens causes cur-

shutter speed flters.
of N D ( n e u t r a l density)
the quickest vature in an image, as seen
case, a
set comes
ln this where the vertical tower
o n yOur camera; it d
still overexposed.
is
hlter is like putting
sunglasses darkens appears bent.
An ND
in handy.
number ot stops. >tack o n the ND hlters as nee
everything by a specied color a n d nothing is so overexn.
shows a deep orange
until even the sun
desaturated.
that it looks

Matching Lens Imperfections

Even the best lens can't reproduce the
aren't pertect.
In real life, lenses
as the virtual
camera that renders our 3D sce
world around it as clearly
Here's a look as some of the flaws of real lenses and how to match or sin
late them in 3D.

Lens Distortion
is modeled as a straight
In 3D rendered images, every line that
most

in the hnal rendering. This is n o t true in p

appears perfectly straight
often causes straight lines
raphy. In a real photograph, lens distortion
appear bent.

The amount of curvature you get depends on what kind of lens you

zoom lenses (lenses that have an adjustable field of view), z0o

many
Out to a wider angle causes moderate barTel distortion, in which the c

of the image is bowed outward and the edges and corners are
compre
More extreme curvature is seen in shots taken with a fsheye lens, wi

covers a very wide fheld of view but often greatly curves and distorts ti
Image, as shown in Figure 6.25.

On many :0om lenses, barrel distortion appears when the lens is zoome

Out, but the opposite problem, pincushion distortion, appears wnen the l
z0omed in.
Pincushion distortion warps an image inward, making the
e
smaller, and is usually a result of an attempt to correct for barrel tortio
In zoom lenses.
232 Digital Lighting and Rendering
CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposures

to combine 3D renderings with a live-actin

In visual effects, if you
want
Chromatic Aberration
distortion of the original shot becomes a press.
plate, matching the lens A lens artifact closely related to barrel distortion is called chromatic abera-
that matches real camera moves often
ing issue. Motion tracking software
functions to correct for lens distortion. The Work tion (CA). CA appears in an image as colored fringes around bright lines or
includes image-processing
after it is digitized, composite in high-contrast edges, as shown in Figure 6.27.
flow is to undistort the background plate
redistort the image if you need to.
CA occurs as light is focused through a lens, because different wavelengths
your 3D elements, then
Even for entirely 3D content, by adding some barrel or fhsheye distortion to of light are refracted at ditterent angles. For example, red light refracts
through the lens at a different angle than blue light, focusing at a Figure 6.271
shots that use a very wide fheld of view you can make the shots more beliey.
able. Figure 6.26 shows the difference that a little distortion can make.
different
point on the hlm or sensor. This is the same principle that allows people
Chromatic aberration
appears as colored fringes
to split light into a rainbow using a around high-contrast edges
prism. However, in camera, havinga
in a photograph.

Figure 6.26]
different colors ot light fall out of alignment the hlm or sensor creates
on

A 3D scene rendered with a colored fringes of CA. Because CA is more prevalent in cheaper lenses, you
wide field of view (left) can might simulate it it you' re processing your renderings to resemble camcorder
sometimes be made more
natural by simulating barrel footage. You're not likely to see as much CA in background plates shot for
distortion (right). feature films.

You can simulate CA using the same kind ot outward

warping as you use to
simulate barrel distortion, but you need to do it one color channel at a time,
with slightly more distortion the red channel and
on
slightly less distortion
on the blue channel.
In addition CA applied to the image itself, you can also see CA on bokeh
to

Although 3D software can simulate real camera lenses and lens distortion, and blooms. If you are using a custom bokeh
map, oftset a warmer colored
you canalso render without distortion and then copy of the image to one side and a cooler colored copy of the image to the
warp the rendered frames
Other side of the map the
a
composition program. Most compositing software includes
warping funC
to create
impression of CA in your bokeh effects.
tions that can simulate barrel
distortion.

Adding barrel distortion has an added benefht in some shots: When the Vignetting
camera pans tilts, the distortion almost resembles
or
Vignetting is another flaw that is common in many lenses, and most visible
you are trying to sell a 2D matte
a
perspective shilt. I1
and pronounced in cheaper z0om lenses. Vignetting simply makes the edges
painting as if it is a more fully modeled 51
environment, then you don't want a pan or tilt to and corners of the frame darker than the center of the image.
background is scrolling by. By adding a pan or tilt simply appear as if the
distortion, you can create a much along with some barrel Some directors intentionally produce this eftect for creative reasons, such as
more natural
and help them look
like larger integration of 2D
backdrop when they are showing the point of view of a killer who is following some-
spaces filmed with a
wide-angle lens. one, or in a flashback to make a memory appear more taded. Sometimes
directors actually smear Vaseline around the edges of a hlter tront in of the
Camera, which causes the edges of the frame to become both dark and blurry.
 CHAPTER SIX: Cameras and Exposure
234 Digital Lightin9 and Rendering

a backgroun.
can correct
minor vignetting in
Dund Figure 6.28]
Most compositing programs Even though most 3D artists
darkening the edges
of
sL
elements.
Vignetting is alsn
consider lens flares tacky
plate or match it by
models. and overused, they can be
SD camera
offered as an option in some
used sparingly in places

can also achieve a sort of natural vignetting through ha where they are motivated
In some shots, you by a bright enough light.
If you light a shot so that the main subiect
you your image.
light or compose
and the edges and corners fall off
toward the center of the frame brighter,
is
attention is focused toward the center
into darkness, then the audience's
with a dark wall or corner in the
of frame. Sometimes shots can be
tramed
dark frame tor the subject. In these kinds of
foreground, creating a naturally
benetits of vignetting without intro-
cases,you can have the compositional
bad lens artifact.
ducing anything that looks like a

Lens Flares and Halation

For years, lens flares have been considered an overused cliché in computer

graphics. Use lens flares only where they are very clearly motivated, such
as when the sun or another very bright light is directly visible in the scene,
or in scenes where characters being out in the bright sun is a story point.
Figure 6.28 shows a photograph in which the sun's reflection on a building
caused a lens flare.

If you use a lens flare, render it as a separate pass. To do this, simply hide
everything else in the scene except the light that is making the lens flare,
and render it as a separate hle sequence. This way, you can add or screen it
over your rendering in a compositing program, and you won't risk rerender
ing a full scene just to adjust a lens flare.

In many cases, you can avoid lens flares and instead simulate halation (also
known specular bloom), which is the glow and occasional streaks of light
as

visible around bright light sources. Halation is

caused by light reflecting off situations where you
the back of the hlm
plane of the camera or scattering through the fhlm itselt. Use special effects described in this section only in

As with lens flares, it is a

good idea to render light glows separately and adu really need them. If you find yourself tempted to run your footage through
aren't happy
them in the composite. lots of filters to change the look, most likely it is because you
should back and hx those
In widescreen movies that are flmed in an
with the original lighting and shading, and you go
Before
behind lots of hilters. you
a
special
lens squashes the
anamorphic hlm format (where problems instead of trying to hide them in a photograph, try
could exist
halation scatters light on the flm horizontally
image so that it fits on the film), the 1xate on imitating every possible tlaw
that

while the image is learn from the best that photographyhas to ofter, and cratt well-exposed
jected, the halation is stretched out squashed. When pro to
appear to be
horizontally, so that glows around lights
elongated bars or streaks instead of circular
images where every tone counts.

glows.
236 Digital Lighting and Rendering CHAPTER Six: Cameras and Exposure 237

slow shutter speeds, and look at the differences. Set yourself up with
Exercises tripod and try shooting a full set of images to create an HDRI.
a

take every chance you get to study more about pho

To grow as a 3D artist,
3. Watch a movie using a computer or media player software that has
tography and cinematography.
a frame grabbing function. Many 5D artists build up a collection of
is a terrific
1. The EXIF data embedded in many digital photographs reference images from their favorite movies. Stop and examine a scene
are looking at digital pictures you took
learning resource. Whether you flmed at night. Where are the brightest and darkest tones? How
deep
yourselfor at files that were shared over the Web, this embedded
JPEG is the DOF? When the background falls out of focus, can you see any
information lets you seewhat exposure settings were used, as well as
bokeh effects! Bring some images into a program with a histogram
what camera was used, the focal length of the lens, and a great deal
function. Did the movie use all of the tones that were available? What
more about how, when, and where the picture was taken. On Windows.
would the scene look like if you adjusted the levels to change the
right-click an image, choose Properties, and look under the Details tab.
You can see the f-stop, shutter speed (exposure time), 1SO, and more exposure

data, and you can even edit the data if you need to correct any of it. O
a Mac, right-click an image and cho0se Get Into to see basic EXIF da
but you can see more embedded information using File Viewer from th
Mac App Store. On portable devices, numerous apps are now available
that let you view embedded EXIF data.

By reading the EXIF data, you can learn fronm your own mistakes and
from others by reviewing the EXIF data from pictures you like, as well
from pictures that didn't come out very well. If a picture looks too noi
check what ISO setting vwas used and seeif it could have been shot wi
a slower shutter speed or a wider aperture instead. If a picture has a lot
of visible motion blur or camera shake, check to see what shutter spevl
exposure time) was used. If you like a soft-focused background, check
what f-stop was used that caused the results
you like.
2. Spend some time with a camera that has full manual controls. Iry
taking some shots indoors and outdoors using full manual mode
just to practice adjusting each parameter for
yourself. Professional
photographers use all different exposure modes, and shooting in manual
mode is not
necessarily
the best choice for
every shooting situation, but
it is great tor
practice and as a learning
priority and taking a picture of
experience. Also try aperture
someone or
f-stop, a middle value, and the narrowest something
with the widest
changes the DOF and clarity of the f-stop; see for
yourself how
image. In shutter priority mode, uy
shooting a moving subject such as a
fountain with very fast and very