Outdoor lighting issue: dome and scene too dark

ljrhci

I'm struggling with a problem where my character is coming out too dark.  The scene is in a meadow using objects to draw the ground and HDRI to draw the landscape and sky.  The problem is when I set environment mode:

• Dome and Scene: I see the background and sky but my character is too dark.
• Sun-Sky Only: My character is nice and bright but I don't see the background and sky anymore.

I want to see the background and sky while also having my character bright and well-lit.  Is there a way to do this?

Note: I've tried increasing the environment intensity but that makes the background too bright.

Richard Haseltine

The light level doesn't look bad to me, but her face appears to be away from the main light - try rotating the dome or the character and camera. You can also, of course, edit the tonal values in an image editor after rendering.

crosswind

First, Sun-Sky Only won't give you the sky/cloud like what you get from an HDRI with the mode Dome and Scene... and sun light is harsh and plain ~~

Personally suggest you use Dome & Scene with an HDRI map of good quality like the one in your 1st screenshot. You can set a value in Dome Rotation or the much better way is to add one or two spotlights to light up her face as well as give her catchlights in the eyes to make her vivid.

In general, the light source in an HDRI, depending on its position, can be used as a key light, fill light or a rim light, then the combo of HDRI + spotlights can be always a good choice.

ljrhci

I figured it out!  Initially I kept rotating the dome, but couldn't figure out why that wouldn't change the angle of the light.  Then I discovered the product I was using "Ultimate Grass and Meadow" already includes a light object for the sun <<<FACE PALM>>>.

As a side note, I also tried using different HDRIs.  Each one seems to vary in the brightness of the light and the angle.