#JustOneLight

#JustOneLight is your size cgi challenge about playing, learning and challenging yourself in light use.

All you have to do is...

Render a size scene with Just one light source.

#JustOneLight centered on top

#JustOneLight from behind, acting as a rim light

#JustOneLight to the left, with a reflecting white plane.

#JustOneLight with two reflecting planes, one velvet, one pink.

So...

Rules

The challenge runs through the whole August 2021 month, and ends on the 1st September.
Render a scene with #JustOneLight source
Your scene must depict a size difference of some sort.
Only Point light and Spotlight are allowed. No HDRI, no sun-sky, no emissive surface.
Any primitive, texture, scenery, shaders are allowed, as long as they don't include other light sources.
Publish your render on Discord, Twitter or Deviantart using the #JustOneLight tag and link to https://bit.ly/justonelight to share the challenge.
Explore. Get out of your comfort zone. Become a master of light. Marvel at the outcome !

How Do I Do That?

These instructions are for DAZ Studio, but you can use any other software.

In environment options, chose "Scene Only". This will tell DAZ to only render the existing light in the scene.

Create a new Point Light. Voila.

To see your single light source in effect, you'll have to either :

Hit render
Turn the IRAY interactive preview mode on ( it renders things in realtime )

If nothing show up when you hit "render" or switch to IRAY view mode :
Increase your light source's Luminous Flux (Lumen), by keeping adding 0's to it.
Nothing shows up ? 15000
Nothing shows up ? 150000
Nothing shows up ? 1500000
It's all white !! Move your light around. 500000.

Going further

Three parameters control the way your light lights up the scene : intensity, shape and size.
Knowing this, two simple rules govern the way your light works :

More intensity = More light on the scene
Bigger light source = Softer shadows
Smaller light source = Harsh shadows

The default point light you created has the shape of a "point". A light that's infinitely small. This explains why the default light you created create very harsh shadows

Now try turning the "light geometry" of your point light to a "Sphere". Notice the way the shadow are now soft and smooth.

Since our light source is now bigger relative to the model it shines on, the shadow becomes softer.

Also, it becomes less directive and you might want to add a little lumens to it to compensate for its new sphere shape.

You might want to get rid of this sphere of light we created.
Turn the "render emitter" parameter off.

The light source is still here, but isn't rendered.
You can also change the size of your light's geometry with the Height and Width parameters.

#JustOneLight as a point in the distance.
4000000 lumens.

#JustOneLight as a sphere in the distance.
Diameter 400. 8000000 lumens.

Now you can try all the other geometries of your light, change their width and height, intensity, move it around... see what it does and how it affect the mood of your scene.

To broadly sum it up...

Harsh shadows create a dramatic and strong effect to your picture. Softer shadows, on the other end, tell a story of smoothness, fluid and caressing mood. So. You're now able to choose the right lighting for the right intended effect !

All these techniques come from the world of photography and, again, I couldn't thank enough @ryald666 for having shared them with me... and now you.

And this is #JustOneLight !

Thank you for reading / playing / creating.

Have Fun ! Be awesome !

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