Digital Lighting & Rendering, Second Edition

370 Digital Lighting and Rendering

Reference Balls and Light Probes

A set of refl ective and matte balls can be ideal reference objects to help

measure the position and color of lights on a location. Mirrored balls are

sold as lawn ornaments, ball bearings, and as housings for ceiling-mounted

security cameras. For a ball with a matte fi nish, plaster is ideal, but a Styro-

foam ball from a craft store could be more portable and affordable. You may

need to paint the ball gray and to attach a piece of wire to hold it in place.

Matte Balls

A photograph showing the matte ball in a lighting environment can be

great for picking the color of light reaching ...