{"id":812,"date":"2022-05-25T06:39:38","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T06:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/?p=812"},"modified":"2022-05-25T06:40:23","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T06:40:23","slug":"imesh-guest-3d-artist-ian-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/25\/imesh-guest-3d-artist-ian-france\/","title":{"rendered":"iMesh Guest 3D Artist: Ian France"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I\u2019M NOT SURE I\u2019M EVEN A PHOTOGRAPHER ANY MORE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of bitter coffee as the rain pours down outside, I remember holding back the tears and saying to my wife \u201cI\u2019m not sure I\u2019m even a photographer any more, I just can\u2019t see a way out\u201d. It was March 2020 and the covid pandemic had just thrown my photographic career under a bus, like someone just turned off a tap with commercial shoots cancelled, portraits illegal and marketing budgets put on ice. I honestly thought the lockdown was here to stay, the new normal was a phrase thrown around like cheap confetti at a crap wedding, but working out what normal looked like for a working full time photographer seemed like an impossible task when most of my work involved close contact with people and teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ian<\/a>
Ian France Logo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Keeping my mind occupied during the pandemic soon became paramount to my sanity, so in between the DIY marathon and countless banana bread baking sessions I started to explore the world of 3D after stumbling across blender on a photoshop YouTube channel. Insert something about donuts here but honestly I don\u2019t follow tutorials all that well, I\u2019m more hands on and trial & error about learning new things. I\u2019m not sure if that\u2019s a good approach as it can elongate building skills but I\u2019d encourage you to think outside the well laid cgi highway that everyone seems to follow and do what works for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a working commercial photographer with a love of interior design I soon made the \u201choly shit\u201d connection I could use this 3d stuff to service my clients (and maybe some new ones) as lockdown raged with no end in sight. I mean how could I not have thought of this before? It\u2019s been around since Elon Musk was in short trousers but I guess we all get stuck in our ways \/ comfort zone and sometimes it takes a tectonic shift to force us to try something new. A bit like moving from film to digital, you\u2019ve really got to go with the flow of traffic. I was excited, like genuinely excited that I\u2019d found a positive in the storm, the silver lining of the cloud\u2026 Let\u2019s do this! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately I soon lost enthusiasm as the excitement turned to frustration because true to form in my \u201cI can do that\u201d fashion I massively underestimated a) just how hard it is to make scenes look real and b) how time consuming it is to model and texture things like furniture. That coupled with the distractions of flexing your brain off piste to work out how vfx are made, a quick smoke simulation here, a green screen project there and omg did you know blender can simulate water! THIS IS SO COOL\u2026 I was hooked but CGI is so immersive and versatile that it’s easy to find yourself losing focus. In the words of Gold Leader \u201cStay on target\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So after writing a proper business plan (yes remember those you creative luvies) I arrived at the conclusion that I wanted to focus on interiors and product renders with some advertising creative thrown in to keep it sexy. I mean I\u2019ve worked in those fields before so I know the drill but one huge problem with transitioning from photographer to 3D artist is that the two don\u2019t really sit well together all in a portfolio\u2026. If you get to the point where your renders are indistinguishable from real life photography how would a prospective client know the difference between real and fake? How would they know the advantages and disadvantages of 3D renders over traditional photography? To be continued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A picture by Ian France of an Action Cam\/Go Pro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No photographers were harmed in the making of this blog. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As I wrestled with the concept of 3D killing the photographic industry (and my business) I contemplated packing my bags and running off to join the CGi circus. The emotional rollercoaster and anxiety train ran riot. How do I even Segway this? Will I still get headshot gigs, will I remember how to use a camera when lockdown ends.. and what the hell is a normal map? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Photo
A photo by Ian France during his photography career<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Realistically I had no choice but just as I started to think about how to pitch to some potential customers I got a call from a photography client in London\u2026 the cockney accent bellows down the phone \u201cit\u2019s all f@&ked mate\u201d. Steve used to set-build and shoot his bespoke bathtubs in real life (at eyewatering cost) but because of lockdown we\u2019d not been able to go ahead with the physical shoot we had booked. They\u2019d seen me playing around with 3D work on social media (you never know who\u2019s watching) and he asked if we could look doing something in 3D. Tingles of excitement and a looming sense of dread that \u201cI don\u2019t know how to do this yet\u201d came over me and shot the muscles in my shoulders to weapons grade tension!! Then I remembered the mantra of many high flying entrepreneurs \u2026 say yes first, then find out how to do it afterwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fight or flight mode engaged<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ok so this is an actual 3D gig, like paid for money and I\u2019ve got to deliver. I scribble some rough sketches and pull together some reference images. Then I write a list of things I need to model for some simple bathroom scenes. As well as having to model and texture the bathtubs I naively thought that I needed to make everything myself! The tiles, the plants, the towel, faucet, mirror, soap, baskets. Jeesh this can\u2019t be cost effective!  Nevertheless, I embarked on the tedious task of 3d modeling using some node based textures, some image based textures and even learning how to 3D scan and bake down using photogrammetry. Pulling it all together and scraping through to delivery (taking fifty times longer than it should and probably earning around \u00a32 per hour). However, creating those neural pathways of how modeling works, how textures react to light and finally understanding what a normal map does seriously laid the foundations for my next steps.  Admittedly my almost 20 years experience as a photographer with a background in Engineering has helped springboard my 3D career. I\u2019d encourage anyone starting out to learn about photography, depth of field, focal length, lighting etc and then follow the route of trying to create your own models so you know how it all works but as a business clients want their projects on budget. After speaking with a few clients this just wasn\u2019t possible trying to model everything myself, I needed to find a solution to make it all run a little faster and cheaper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

iMeshh <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jump forward 12 months and I\u2019m now pretty confident that given enough time I \u201ccould\u201d model or scan pretty much anything into the 3D space. I\u2019d seen other libraries online but they were mostly pay per model (which can be expensive if you\u2019re just learning or building a portfolio) but then I discovered iMeshh<\/strong> <\/a>via a Facebook group! Ok so these are professional models with great textures and a slick asset manager? WOW this is going to help massively in speeding things up (as well as adding realism) and the price point is just exceptional value for money! Like actually the per week the cost is less than a high street coffee\u2026 shut up and take my money! Seriously the economics of using ready made assets when quoting to clients makes it all way more competitive and feasible. Now I hear quite often in discussions around using assets that it’s some kind of \u201ccheating\u201d but I really don\u2019t see it that way for two reasons. The first is that as I\u2019ve furnished myself (pardon the pun) with the confidence to make whatever I need, could I make a sofa? Yes, so it’s just speeding things up right?  Secondly if I were to photograph something in real life then I wouldn’t make the props \/ furniture either. I would buy them from a shop. iMeshh<\/a><\/strong> is my go to digital prop shop! I really can’t recommend them enough! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A breath-taking render by Ian France of a Bedroom with various iMeshh furniture models<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CGI vs Photography<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So coming back to my dilemma, I keep asking myself if there are enough legs in this to warrant going for it full time and leaving photography behind? I mean there are a few factors that I won\u2019t list but because I see the future of most commercial imaging in the 3D space then I think it would be silly to ignore progress. Studios that don\u2019t embrace 3D will get left behind but I\u2019m going all in here. You don\u2019t have to but the main reason why I chose not to mix photography with my 3D portfolio is that it’s much easier to convey to a client \/ agency that you\u2019re a 3D guy, I don\u2019t want to have to explain what\u2019s real and what\u2019s not\u2026 it’s all CGI that\u2019s it. The second is that the photography world is massively over-saturated, that\u2019s not a reason in itself because there\u2019s still work around but a shrinking market with more competition is a red flag for any business. Lastly I also feel like it’s so much easier to add value for clients who are working in real life, some don\u2019t even know what can be done using Blender, even I didn\u2019t click that a lot of these pinterest houses are actually not real until I got deeper into it all. So from a business perspective it seems to be a lot easier to sell.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RIP<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So yes, my photography business is dead! I\u2019ve been through the grieving process, I\u2019ve said my goodbyes and buried my romantic attachment to my studio in the Garden with a little gold plaque \u201cHere lies my photography career, died March 2020 due to the covid pandemic\u201d We dressed in black, had a tasteful ceremony and released some doves! OK well not really but quite honestly I\u2019m actually somewhat annoyed now if I have to get my camera out and set-up lights for a shoot. Of course there will always be circumstances where photography wins but my initial thought now is \u201cCan I do this in Blender?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"autiful
Beautiful Sink Renders by Ian France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Anyway so thanks to the lockdown and iMeshh<\/strong> <\/a>I\u2019m now a fully fledged CGI guy with actual real life paying clients (in-fact more clients than ever) and I\u2019m eternally grateful for the support I\u2019ve received from the team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viva la 3d revolution and I guess I was totally correct when I said to my wife that \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not sure I\u2019m even a photographer any more!!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Incredible
Incredible watch render by Ian France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n



Ianfrance.com <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instagram – @ianfrancevisuals<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019M NOT SURE I\u2019M EVEN A PHOTOGRAPHER ANY MORE   Sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of bitter coffee as the rain pours down outside, I remember holding back the tears and saying to my wife \u201cI\u2019m not sure I\u2019m even a photographer any more, I just can\u2019t see a way out\u201d. It … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=812"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":829,"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812\/revisions\/829"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.imeshh.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}