I was approached to create photomontages showing the visual impact of proposed sports lighting poles and fixtures. The project called for day-time photos and night-time photos.
When new or upgraded flood lights are proposed for a sport field, local residence can become understandably concerned as to their impact. My client had the job of helping council alleviate those concerns. Often the imagination of local residence can get out of hand! A photomontage was required to help residence understand what is being proposed. There may still be some concerns, but a good photomontage can ensure the discussion is relevant to what is being proposed and focuses on the matters which are most important.
In this instance the project was a success and community now have a sport field with lights that meet with Australian Standards.
In this example the photos were taken by the client. While it does help to have a professional photographer involved, I can also make use of even average photos taken with a camera-phone if need be.
The modelling process took into account the lights specified for the project, and models where the light falls. The virtual camera is set with typical settings for night photography and gives a level of realism to the resulting renders. There are inherent difficulties in conveying 'brightness' and glare with typical image either printed or on a screen. However, as is often the case, there wasn't the need for scientific levels of accuracy, but an appropriate impression of brightness is what was required.
Producing night-time photomontages is a challenge. There are complex interactions at play when considering glare and glow around bright lights at night, some of which are happening inside the human eye, making everyone's experiences slightly different. Different cameras and lenses also behave differently depending on a variety factors. The end result can only really be considered a theoretical result. However, as with this project, the final photomontage can still be a valuable resource in helping the community understand the overall impact of the proposed changes.