Symptom: The rendered image shows too much light, so it looks washed out or faded.
Issues and Solutions: To solve the problem, try the following:
- Exposure: Check the exposure setting. Try using a darker exposure. See Adjusting the Exposure of a Rendered Image.
- Initial Intensity: The Initial Intensity settings for the light sources may be incorrect. In general, Luminous Flux (lumens) provides more accurate lighting in a rendered image than Wattage. Determine the manufacturer value for lumens, and enter this value for the Luminous Flux parameter of the Initial Intensity dialog. (See Changing the Initial Intensity of a Light Source.)
- Wattage and Efficacy: If you specify a Wattage value on the Initial Intensity dialog, be sure to also specify a value for Efficacy. (If you change Wattage alone, you may make the light source unintentionally bright.) Efficacy is the amount of light (luminous flux, measured in lumens) produced by a light source as a ratio of the amount of energy consumed to produce it (measured in watts).
Examples: For a 100 watt tungsten incandescent (110 V), efficacy is 175. For a 32-watt fluorescent tube (T8), efficacy is 60.
After changing the Efficacy value, render the image again. Try adjusting the Efficacy value until you achieve the desired result in the rendered image.