Have picked up, through the use of certain programs
and examples, various hdri images.
Have also a program to basically make them (Photomatrix).
Although I haven’t purchased a “gazing ball” yet:D
Was just advised to purchase one of the sets
from Dosch.
Curious if anyone has tried them and if they are really
“that different”.
(if you are interested they have downloadable examples at their site)
Any feedback appreciated.
i had a friend who got one of those not sure if he got it from that site but i did cost him quite a bit for what is basicaly just a shiny ball.
he used it happily for nealy a year before one day out on a photo shoot he dropped it and it shattered.
because he was on location he had to improvise so he got a normal light bulb cracked the end and removed the fillerment sprayed the inside with some silver paint “not sure why he had that on a shoot but then again he is the type of person who carries little packets of hand wipes around just in case”
any way the main point is he managed to pull off some desent HDRI images from it. and while he admits it took longer in photoshop to put it all togeather and it was slightly less sharp, it did give a useable result.
he now uses a £3 metal ball he got from a DIY store that has been coated in a reflective paint (aprox £5 per can) and says it works just as well as the old one he had.
so my advice would be to make you own first and if you don’t think it’s good enought then get the real thing
I actually paint my hdri studio lights myself… Rough method, but it works rather well…
Here is a great thread abut all this:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=94&t=76646&page=1&pp=15
And… no… I did not buy Dosch HDRI… To much for to little IMHO. But if one would be in a hurry… shure…
Rainer