Assignment 3 : Trompe l’oeil 1 : Planning
In this assignment I plan to use a reference image of my PC setup and create a trompe l’oeil effect by integrating two 3D objects into the scene: a 3D clock and a 3D pencil. My aim is to make the final image read as a single believable photograph, where the viewer accepts the inserted 3D objects as if they were physically present on my desk. To achieve this illusion, I focused on matching the camera perspective, lighting, and colour response of the original photo, using HDRI capture for environment lighting and fSpy for camera matching before placing and rendering the objects in Blender.
Capturing the Reference Image (My PC Setup):
I began by taking a clean reference photo of my PC setup from a stable viewpoint. I was careful not to change the camera angle halfway through, because trompe l’oeil depends on a fixed perspective. I also made sure the image contained clear architectural lines—such as desk edges, monitor edges, or wall corners because these straight lines become essential when solving camera perspective later in fSpy.
Before moving into Blender, I checked the photo for exposure and focus, since a soft or noisy image can make the final composite less convincing even if the 3D work is accurate.
Creating an HDRI of My Room Using HDR Eye :
After capturing the reference image, I created an HDRI of my room to replicate the same lighting conditions inside Blender. I used HDR Eye to capture multiple exposures of the environment from a single point, aiming to record highlight and shadow detail that a normal photo cannot fully hold. What I learned immediately is that HDRI creation is not only about producing a bright environment map, but about capturing the full dynamic range of the room so that reflections and light falloff behave naturally on the inserted objects.
During this stage, I paid attention to keeping the camera position consistent while capturing the exposures, because movement between shots can cause stitching errors or ghosting. Once the HDRI was generated, I checked it for problems such as harsh seams, uneven brightness, or colour shifts, because those defects can transfer directly into the 3D object shading. Even though this step took time, it felt like a strong investment, because realistic lighting is one of the most critical elements in trompe l’oeil work, and HDRI provides an efficient way to reproduce real-world light behaviour.
