Scene Recreation for Blossoms Events

The Process

In this study case I recreated a reference photo provided by Blossoms Events in 3D using Maya, Substance Painter, Photoshop, Sketchfab, and Google Gemini. I rendered four different versions containing different lighting setups based on time of day. My main goal was to portray the textures of the foliage and cloth as realistically as possible, while keeping aesthetics in top priority through lighting.

Modeling

I started the project by matching the camera’s lens, height, distance, and resolution so I could better estimate the

tent’s specification. Then I modeled the tent, bar, lights, planters, and simulated a cloth drop. For the foliage, I found models on Sketchfab and altered them to match the size, shape, color, and density of foliage in the reference photo.

Texturing

To texture the scene, I used a mix of procedural, hand created, and generated textures. Nondescript textures, such as terracotta, plaster, or metal, I created myself using procedural noise patterns. More specific textures, like the paneling on the bar or the leaves of a tree, I created myself using Substance Painter and Photoshop. Tileable textures, like the wood ground panels and carpet on the stairs, I created using Gemini.

Lighting/Rendering

To light the scenes, I implemented classic three point lighting techniques (Key, Bounce, Fill). I noticed the reference had spotlights, so I utilized those in the sunset/night pass to accentuate the foliage. This also helped establish a clear focal point and drive contrast by saturating the scene with the bright orange tree against the deep blue sky. Ultimately, I went for dramatic, high-contrast lighting to create an upscale, sophisticated atmosphere kind of like fine dining.

Finishing Touches

After rendering, I edited each scene in Photoshop to increase the contrast and pull some more saturation out of certain parts of the image, just basic image correction.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this project was really fun! The reference photo was already beautiful to begin with, so the little flares I added only compounded its beauty. I really enjoyed tailoring each texture to match the reference as closely as possible, then having some creativity in the lighting setup.