Yeah, the “washing out” effect can happen with glow when there is too much light in the scene. This can also happen with Iray glow settings. Some things that can be done –
1. Turn down the glow effect. In this tutorial, this translates to turning down the opacity of the glow layers.
2. Limit the glow effect to certain lights only. For example applying it only to the light coming in from the window or only to the candles, etc.

Again, wonderful tutorials. I hope someday I’ll have artwork good enough to enter the competitions. 🙂

Ok! Thank you!! 😀 Funny thing is your first answer kinda answers to the question I was asking my self “how to have my environmental map in layers?” xD
I like Canvas, but I guess you could do canvas + rendering tone maping + environment like you usually do with the rest of the lights? Anyway, to have all the photoshop options, you’ll have to export the layers as .png in the end, so it doesn’t change much, except a gain of time, since rendering process can be soooooooooo long. I’ll try your method though!

Thank you again for those answer, and I’ll definetely try what you explain in this answer you’ve linked. So much to learn, so little time! (yes, I’m not patient and I’m a perfectionnist, the perfect mix to make my art practice complicated!)

1. Yes, I render the layers manually by turning lights on and off. I tried canvasses a while ago, but didn’t really like the format limits, lack of tone mapping options, etc. I am not sure what improvements have been made lately.
2. Yes, environment map is the image used in Render Settings. 🙂
3. For volumetric lights I usually use a spotlight only together with the Atmocam rig. Here is more on how I use atmocam – https://thinkdrawart.com/top-5-daz-studio-iray-essentials#comment-190998

Hope this helps. 🙂

As promised, here I am with my questions! I hope they won’t make you do a face palm or exasperate you, but… They need to be adressed, at least for my little head :

1 – What is your render technique? It’s not about the lights, of your render settings (even though I’d be curious to know what they are in optimization&progressive render) but about your way to make your layers. I use canvases, set for each light in the scene (even the emissive like on luminowings or the SV muse textures for lilflame’s for the witchy sleeves, for exemple) set in – light group. Seeing your own layers, I was wondering how do you do it? Do you turn on and off the lights you want on a layers to render them progressivly?
So to sum up, this first veeeery long question is : What is your technique to render in layers?

2 – How do I render the environmental map? Is it simple the HDR? Or something else entirly? I admit I’m a little lost in your tutos when you speak about environmental maps or IBL in your tutos, which is normal since the two are connected. Well it’s two in one, sorry! >_<

3 – About the volumetric lights, Must I be in "sun-sky only" to have it, or can I see it even with other render settings? I'm asking because I've check the tutorial about atmospheric and dust, but I felt lost quite quickly, so I turn myself to more "already done solution", Atmcam, the one you've spoken about in your tutorial about "how I Combine Daz Studio Lights in Photoshop", but it doesn't appears ont the render I've tried it, so I'm wondering.

Sorry for these three big sett! And thank you for this tutorials and your help! You can't imagine how much it helps when you want to try more in DAZ studio! 🙂

Cheers,

Elaneith~

Thank you very much. Videos are tough for me because my head is all over the place. 😀

Thank you Mark. I just screen it to combine its lighting effects.

Haha, I have never done those before. Will definitely think about it. 😀