3D Product Render: 7 Key Types of Lighting for Outdoor CG Images

Experienced marketers know how troublesome outdoor photoshoots can be. First and foremost, they depend on the weather, which keeps changing and never works the way we expect. One rainy day can send all the preparations to waste, and the crew stays on the clock while the budget grows. That’s why many marketers order 3D product renders for their catalogs instead of traditional photos. With 3D lifestyle rendering services, a project doesn’t depend on the forecast, and the 3D rendering lighting is fully controlled by CG specialists.

Setting the lighting for a perfect shot is even more complicated. In real life, it changes with every minute depending on the position of the Sun, so all photos end up looking different and it gets harder to keep a catalog cohesive. And here again, 3D renders come in handy. Since CG artists set the lighting manually in 3D software, they can regulate it until it’s perfect.

In 3D lighting and rendering, photorealistic results don’t happen by accident. Each scene needs its own lighting setup, and CG artists use directional lighting, global illumination and spotlights to control shadows and highlight key details. Even a small change in the lighting can shift how a product feels on screen.

So how is lighting used in 3D rendering, and how can one incorporate it into product images? Here’s a guide to the 7 most popular types of lighting for outdoor 3D renders that every marketer needs to know before ordering them from a CGI studio. If you also want to plan the environment and camera angles, take a look at our lifestyle product image guide.

1. Regular Daylight

Regular daylight is the most common lighting rendering setup. To get it, CG artists recreate the daylight you see before or after lunch, when the sun is not too high and its light is soft. They usually do it with directional lighting, which works like sunlight and lets them control the length and brightness of shadows.

By positioning the light above and to the side, 3D artists get angled lighting that falls off beautifully and creates long pronounced shadows. Such lighting emphasizes materials and textures and adds dimension to all objects. Being so vibrant, Regular Daylight has become one of the most popular types of lighting for outdoor product 3D renders. Brands ordering lifestyle rendering services for outdoor collections can ask for this setup as a base for the whole catalog.

2. Highly-Detailed Daylight

Although this outdoor furniture 3D visualization looks a bit like a Regular Daylight lifestyle picture, it has a special feature. The difference is that with Highly-Detailed Daylight, 3D artists adjust the light according to the arrangement of the objects. They can illuminate a key product with the main light and highlight surrounding props with several inconspicuous additional light sources.

CGI teams often add global illumination here, a technique that calculates how light bounces between surfaces so the shading looks natural. As a result, marketers get a product 3D render that is focused on a group of products, which is perfect for cross-selling.

3. Mid-Detailed Daylight

This type of 3D rendering lighting is very similar to the previous one in terms of the scheme. However, it has fewer details, which may have an impact on overall lighting. For Mid-Detailed Daylight, 3D artists usually focus on the main product.

They put some of the other items in the shade to illuminate the main one and draw the prospects’ attention to it without any distractions. This way, one can get product renders that are both photorealistic and able to highlight the main item in the best possible way.

4. Ambient

Ambient lighting is characterized by an even distribution of light, i.e., there are no bright spots of light and deep shadows in a pic. Therefore, all objects in the 3D product render have approximately the same illumination level without harsh contrasts. CG artists usually get this effect with large, soft light sources. This technique can be used for brands with overall low-contrast, elegant visual aesthetics. For instance, if the whole vibe of a catalog is based on pastel colors, then soft Ambient lighting will work perfectly for its 3D product renders and give them calm consistency.

5. Fog + Morning Light

The Fog + morning light combo creates a special mood for a 3D product render. It conveys the sense of freshness, tranquility and relaxation. On a foggy day, we don’t see the bright sun because of overcast skies. Therefore, bouncing light is diffused and shadows almost disappear.

To recreate this lighting, CGI lighting teams use weak directional light with global illumination, plus special plugins for 3D software and 2D edits for post-production. Products look grounded and natural in such conditions, so this is a practical choice for lifestyle renderings.

6. Sunrise / Sunset (Morning / Evening)

Morning and evening light is very inspiring, which is why it is often used for 3D product renders. To set up this kind of lighting, CG artists position the sun very low and carefully regulate its warmth. Because the sun in a 3D scene is a virtual light, artists can keep this low angle across every image in a set.

With the right settings, they get a warm and orange light source that casts cool blue shades. After a 3D render is ready, CG experts can enhance contrast and saturation using Adobe Photoshop. In the end, a marketer gets a poetic product 3D render that strikes a chord in the customer’s heart.

7. Night Time

Night mode in a 3D product render is based on a combination of cold and warm lighting. Traditionally, CG artists set up several warm artificial light sources around the scene and cold white light from above to mimic the moonlight. Such a contrasting combo gives more illumination to the whole scene and allows the light to beautifully highlight objects.

Moreover, to increase the cozy ambiance of a 3D render, CG specialists can add a fireplace, candles, lanterns, and garland lights to a scene. The same warm sources are central to winter 3D renders made for holiday campaigns.

In lighting and rendering, the choice of setup is also a marketing decision, since it affects how customers see the quality of a product and the brand. For instance, soft diffused light looks friendly, while sharp dramatic shadows can signal luxury.

If you opt for outdoor lifestyle images for your goods, choose 3D rendering. Professional 3D artists have enough skills and experience to set up 100% realistic lighting in 3D product renders. Firstly, they are all trained as artists and designers, thus, they know how to use light the same way photographers do. Secondly, they use advanced CG plugins and 2D graphics programs for creating special effects such as fog or fire in a 3D product render.

Need mind-blowing outdoor 3D product lifestyle pics? Contact our managers right now and order 3D product modeling services to get photorealistic renderings in the required lighting scheme!