How to make a good-looking shot

This document outlines the specific steps to create the following shot:

Final shot of Aviera created in this tutorial

Before you start

Load the environment

To import an environment into Forma Render:

  1. In the top menu, go to Environments (mountain icon) > Add (+) > New dome from file
  2. In the file navigator, select the HDRI you downloaded in Before you start

The right environment is important for creating a good shot. The environment selected for this tutorial has all of the following:

  • High resolution
  • Open space for clean compositions
  • Flat surfaces on which to place the product
  • A single light source that creates sharp reflections
  • Interesting visual elements (like the umbrellas hanging overhead)

Match your product to the environment

After importing and selecting your environment, match your product to the surrounding background.

Product position

To logically match your product to the environment, place it on a surface where it would naturally be found. For this example, place the car on the road and resize it as needed.

For tips on how to manipulate a product, see Manipulating a product.

The Aviera rotated and placed in the center of the road

Product angle

To visually match your product to the environment, rotate your product until its perspective suits its placement. For this example, rotate the car so that it faces the camera.

Alternatively, you can:

  1. Orbit around the car until it faces the camera
  2. Rotate the dome until you have your desired background by selecting Environments (mountain icon) > Dome > General (dome icon) and increasing the Rotate Dome value

Tip: Instead of facing the product dead-on, angle the camera to view the product from either slightly above or below. This shift in angle creates a more visually interesting perspective.

The Aviera facing the camera

Camera view

Adjust your camera as needed to create a more balanced composition.

Use the rule of thirds. If you were to divide your scene using two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, the focal points should appear on the grid lines or at the intersections of the grid lines.

Tip: To preview grid lines, in the top toolbar, select Settings (the three lines) > Settings > General > Viewport and enable Visual Guides.

Good composition Uneven composition
Example of good composition Example of bad composition

Add reflections to your product

At this point, the surface of the car is flat and dull. To make the surface reflect the objects around it, under Environments (mountain icon) > Domes, right-click on the dome and select Generate Reflection Map from Dome.

The Aviera, now with reflections on its surface

Use Post-Processing

Once you're done placing the product and adjusting the camera, use the post-processing controls to tweak the look of your scene.

Screenshot of post-processing controls

Exposure

Use the exposure settings to edit the lighting.

For this example, the sky is too bright. Under Exposure, select Enable Exposure and set Fixed Exposure to 10.8.

The Aviera scene, but with lower exposure

Change the aspect ratio

For a more compelling shot, experiment with different aspect ratios.

For this example, cut out the empty space on either side of the product. On the top toolbar, select Aspect Ratio and change the value to 7:9.

The Aviera scene, but with more of a portrait-ratio crop

Take the shot

The scene is ready to be captured. To take a shot, on the top toolbar, select Take Snapshot. The file is saved locally to your disk.