Ray Trace/Post Processing Tips: Creating a realistic recessed can light effect

[Renerabbitt]

Raytrace, post processing and Photoshop tips: Creating a realistic lighting effect for can lights

 

Here we have a scene provided by the user mtldesigns

For the purpose of this tutorial I will be using Photoshop CC. Time to complete: 1 minute or less per light.

 

1. Choose the Magic Wand tool and select the can light

2. Change your foreground color to a grey RGB 194,194,194 works well in most instances

3. Using the rectangle selection tool, right click and hit "fill"

4. Your can light should now be grey. With the can light still selected, go to Filter/Render/Lens Flare

5. Click on prime and drag the slider to about 130-180% and center the target at the center of your can light

10. The inside of your can should be looking pretty nice now. Deselect your can light(or select the entire photo) and switch to the paint brush tool. Use a feathered or soft brush and set the brush size to something slightly larger than the height of the can light. Center on your light and hit just once(typical). You may need to play with this to get it just right

11. The finished can light should look something like this. Not even trying to be quick it took me 54 seconds to complete one can even with a couple of re-do's on the paint brush tool

 

 

 

 

[mtldesigns]

Wow again.  So these are all done outside of CA ray trace..  Interesting.  It looks like I will be looking into Photoshop CC and saving your tutorial above and your others.  Lately, the builder I am working with wants realistic photos, for pre-sale reasons.  Ray Trace has done pretty well up to this point, but now we are getting into the high end homes, I am thinking high end renders are needed.  Thank you Rene...     

[TheKitchenAbode]

Rene - Really great examples/tutorials on Photoshop post processing techniques. I believe it exemplifies what needs to be done if one really wishes to push the realism to the max. All Professional photography goes through this type of process, even before programs such as Photoshop they did this in their "Dark Room".

[Renerabbitt]

On 8/23/2017 at 5:30 AM, TheKitchenAbode said:

Rene - Really great examples/tutorials on Photoshop post processing techniques. I believe it exemplifies what needs to be done if one really wishes to push the realism to the max. All Professional photography goes through this type of process, even before programs such as Photoshop they did this in their "Dark Room".

 

On 8/22/2017 at 5:03 PM, mtldesigns said:

Wow again.  So these are all done outside of CA ray trace..  Interesting.  It looks like I will be looking into Photoshop CC and saving your tutorial above and your others.  Lately, the builder I am working with wants realistic photos, for pre-sale reasons.  Ray Trace has done pretty well up to this point, but now we are getting into the high end homes, I am thinking high end renders are needed.  Thank you Rene...     

Thank you both, appreciated feedback and responses

[ginetta]

I have done just about anything in CA when rendering.  You have many controls on lighting and I have never found it necessary to use another program.  I use X8.  Mg good computer gave up the ghost and I am forced to use a cheap laptop with poor graphics.  I just did this rendering set at 5 passes and all 2d plants  The enclosed was done with the cheap card.  The time for 5 passes was less than 10 minutes.  I do use a simple editor for brightness as my screen is different than printing.