809cgi

"We are the photographers’ puppet; an extension of their hands." This is the way Johan Visschedijk described 809cgi, the company he established on 1 March 2007 together with Dick Boot. 809cgi creates computer generated images (cgi) using HDRI-Camera and software products by the Spheron VR company amongst others.
With his background as a photographer, Johan understands better than anyone that photographers are wary about using new, still unknown techniques like cgi. Dick Boot has acquired ten years of experience with 3D and as the supervisor he is responsible for the cgi compartment. He realizes the virtual product using wire frame models and materials. He then places the product perspectively correct in the background (backplate). The light sources and the environment reflections origin from HDR-Images (High-Dynamic-Range) – recorded amongst others by a SpheroCam HDR. That’s how the eventual image is as true-to-life as possible.

Collaboration

Dick has a background in the graphic industry, and has been involved in the production of multimedia and 3d visualisations for many years. His company, Dick Boot Mediadesign, is active in both the technical and design elements. According to Dick, the great strength of 809cgi lies in the collaboration between Johan and himself. "For 809cgi, thanks to our different backgrounds, we represent the perfect combination. Johan has the eyes of a photographer and considerable photographic experience. I translate that into the world of 3d. Broadly speaking it is a technical process, but you also need a feeling for the work in order to produce a good-looking picture at the end."
This creative triumvirate – photographic knowledge and know how about 3D technology – is completed by the postproduction compartment. The 809cgi image processing provides a finishing tough to the pictures without blurring the handwriting of the photographer but rather supporting it.

Photographer in charge

"Photographers generally have little confidence in image processors, because they have no photographic background", explained 809cgi supervisor Johan. He acts as intermediary between photographer and image processor or 3d operator. It is my task to explain to the people at 809cgi exactly what the photographer wants, and to then ensure that those wishes are put into practice, thus saving the photographer a great deal of time. He no longer needs to watch over our shoulder; we take over the task on his behalf." 809cgi thinks from the viewpoint of the photographer, and the company’s own photographic background offers considerable added value.
However, the photographer determines the eventual result. He may be guided by the technology, but is always in a position to overrule and has the final say. He is the director and 809cgi the cameraman. As Johan continued, "Generally speaking the upper echelons of the market are relatively self-opinionated and they are welcome to those opinions if they call us in. The photograph and the assignment remain their own. A photographer after all is brought in for his skill and his portfolio, so it is only natural that he makes the final decision. We put ourselves at the disposal of the photographer."

Service / Art direction on demand

809cgi can offer fabulous resources, giving the photographer even more possibilities. Photographers can hire the company, the technology and a camera operator. The camera operator travels to the location to produce the HDR-Images for example using the camera of the manufacturer Spheron VR (www.spheron.com). The cgi camera operators at 809cgi are Joris van Ophuizen and Andreas Rücker.
"Anyone is welcome to drop in and see what we do; there are no special magic tricks", explained Johan. "Our quality above all lies in the level of service; that is our greatest strength." And service starts with Leonie Steenbeek. As production manager, she is the first point of contact and is responsible for ensuring that the entire job runs smoothly.
809cgi stands for service and art direction on demand. Johan continued, "Technology makes everything more flexible. Individual elements can be adapted whenever the photographer wishes, and a whole range of adaptations are possible." 809cgi offers a database of basic images. For example these are HDR-Images with corresponding background images.
One spearhead of service at 809cgi is the provision of on-location support. The 3d operator must as it were be able to stand alongside the photographer, to allow you things to be tried out in situ, via the Internet. 809cgi takes account of worldwide time zones, and guarantees Internet coverage practically anywhere in the world, via a satellite link. At the request of the photographer, the company will also remain on stand-by, for night-time working. Of course pre-visualisation of the product on location by the professional HDR-Camera Operator is also possible.

Research & Development

Cgi is above all used in the movie industry. The use in at still images has been just recently introduced. Unlike motion picture one has more time to focus on stills. Until lately computer capacities were not sufficient for high resolution or at least unreasonably expensive.
The early adaptors for cgi in still photography are to be found in the automobile industry. The advantages are considerable; using cgi, gone are the days of difficulty keeping a new model secret; cars can be placed in locations they could otherwise never reach, and no extremely expensive prototype is required. Using just the CAD data, a true-to-life car can be recreated.
But 809cgi goes even further. In Johan’s words, "Our goal is to investigate the full extent of possibilities offered by the technology. Thirty percent of our turnover is ploughed back into research & development, in collaboration with TNO, the organisation for applied scientific research. New scanning techniques, stereo photography and automation in image processing are the first fields of research.
One of our objectives for the longer-term future is the ability to produce human models. That would enable us to also offer a virtual model database. A database of that kind could for example be used for photographing a convertible with passengers. Within two years, we expect 90% of all passengers in 3D cars to actually be generated using 3D images."
As well as for cars, 809cgi hopes to use the technology for other products, too. A test project for Philips has already been successfully concluded and there are huge advantages to be achieved within product photography, using cgi.

Vision

Worldwide, there are only two handfuls of other companies using cgi, operating at the same level as 809cgi. Dick explained, "The quality we offer is basically determined by the technology. We have aimed high and our goal is maximum realism. We feel we have only truly done our work if people really do not see that an image is in fact computer-generated."
But not only technology is important. The operators are the ones that really make the difference. "The equipment is nothing more than say a futuristic coffee percolator. You are the one that actually makes the coffee. And as with coffee, the maker is really important", explained Johan. People who want to work with 809cgi must live and breathe the 809cgi dream. Passion for the profession and the striving for perfection are absolute basic requirements.
"The equipment is fantastic and can do more than anyone would believe, but that it all it is. If technology is the only edge you have, then you will have lost everything in just three years time. Our vision is above all to search for solutions and to push the boundaries of what is possible with the equipment. For example, if photographing a car in the dark, how do you switch on the headlamps in the virtual world? And that goes right down to the tiniest detail; what kind of headlamp do you want? What kind of glass and what type of light source? We do not simply select some plug-in from Photoshop."
Johan went on, "There are still no shots of convertibles with people in them. So how do you go about filling that gap? Our aim is to improve ourselves and what we can do with the technology." The key objective of 809cgi is to be able to translate into 3d anything that is photographically possible. Dick continued, "It would be truly wonderful if even we were no longer able to see the difference between a photograph and cgi."

Added value

"We aim to provide added value to the style and atmosphere the photographer has in mind", explained Johan. "As a photographer you aim to add atmosphere and feeling. As a human being and in this case as operators we too wish to establish and develop a particular style. And that style must be fairly aesthetic, and to some extent polished. Photographers who work according to similar principles will then join up with us. To be able to offer that added value, you must have a shared understanding of taste and perception."
In Dick’s words, "Our goal is to produce attractive pictures, and we believe that together we can achieve that goal. This work is all about an inner feeling. Good images are about emotion and if everything goes well, the things we do elicit emotions, too. It is wonderful to appeal to an individual’s sensitivities. And that calls not only for excellence in technology, but also perfection in the photographer’s ideas."

More possibilities

"We never hijack the photographers’ work; instead, we offer a service. Directly to the photographer, but also indirectly to the image processor", Johan defines. If a photographer wants to use his own image processor, 809cgi can ensure that the image is prepared as perfectly as possible. As Fred Rietveld, supervisor of postproduction at 809cgi, explains, "Using cgi, you have much greater freedom than with standard photographic images". The picture processing is much easier, faster and cheaper. For example complex images masking procedures won’t be necessary anymore. Desired image parts could be rendered separately directly into photoshop layers.
Cgi offers a whole range of possibilities. For example, even after the event, in the virtual studio, you can add reflective screens or lights. It is even possible to adjust the level of sunlight at the shoot location. In advance, choice of lens and camera distance to the 3d object can be determined in consultation with the photographer.
The camera used in the virtual studio can be adapted entirely to the wishes of the photographer. In addition, on request, we can place other elements in the virtual studio that we produce in-house, using wire models. A barn, that in the past had to be rapidly built on location by a crew of ten men can now be generated in next to no time by just one person sitting at the computer.
The level of service is extremely high. The cgi camera operators at 809cgi can rapidly render the 3D model in the backplate on location, for checking purposes. And of course a certain degree of retouching is possible both on the backplate and the HDR-Image.
The operators also have a travelling dolly and a boom with autolevel capacity up to a maximum length of 6 metres. And we can even offer digital technical camera equipment and operating services.

HDRI service

It is also possible to make use of just our HDRI service. Camera and operator can produce scans at any specified location. And of course you can also generate a single HDR-Image consisting of a number of separate HDR-Images that are processed into a single image at the 809cgi retouching department.

First point of contact: Leonie Steenbeek

As production manager, Leonie Steenbeek is the first point of contact for our clients. "We are always on the lookout for what we can offer other people, on the basis of our knowledge. Our goal is to make people happy and keep them happy. Solving problems and contributing ideas in collaboration with the customer is a hundred times more fun than simply accepting and carrying out an order. It is a wonderful feeling when somebody needs something, and we can offer them exactly that."

Personal

"It’s a real buzz when something goes well and is successfully organised. In that sense I and above all 809cgi are particularly service-oriented", explained Leonie. For her, the best thing about her work is being creative in elaborating solutions and identifying new opportunities. But for Leonie the personal aspect is important, too. "When you call a company, it is always pleasant to have the same person on the line, every day. That way you establish a trusting relationship and a give and take situation. It is not all about money or an assignment."
According to Leonie, 809cgi is the technique of the future. "There are so many options. It is wonderful to be able to surprise people with just what is on offer."

HDRI camera operators

HDRI camera operators can be in sourced to travel with you on location. On site, using the right equipment, they produce 26 stop HDR-Images that subsequently serve as reflection maps and are the source to illuminate the car or product in the virtual studio. They work in close collaboration with the photographer. Up to two HDR-Images could be produced in just thirty minutes depending on light and weather conditions.

Finding solutions

A scan using the SpheroCam HDR takes 8 to 9 minutes depending on resolution and light situation. A rapidly-moving cloud formation is therefore not always successfully scannable. 809cgi works hard at finding solutions to problems of that kind. "For example by producing a vertical scan instead of a horizontal stroke or we use other techniques", suggested Joris. "Most shots on location involve a clear blue sky, but we are never shy when it comes to looking at new possibilities. Our attitude is specifically geared to coming up with new solutions. We all have a practical approach, and that is a major advantage."

Service provision

The production of a HDR-Image is a fairly technical process, but is entirely at the disposal of the photographer. As a result, Joris can be less creative than if he were the photographer, himself. But the result is a great degree of perfection. In Joris’ words, "I’m a hands-on sort of person. I am not full of new ideas every day, but like to get on with it." For Joris as a junior photographer, the challenge lies in working on location and being out and about with experienced photographers. "It’s great to start a new project with a production team, and see different photographers at work. I am involved in the entire process and have a contribution to make to the finished product. And using cgi, the finished products are amazingly attractive. They are the jewel in the crown of the job.

Originally, Andreas Rücker is a panoramic photographer and media designer.
Working as the cgi business unit manager for the German HDR-camera manufacturer Spheron VR AG (www.spheron.com) his job was to sell, train and support worldwide customers on the SpheroCam HDR. As Andreas states, "I am very much familiar with the system and believe it is unrivaled good. I was always fascinated by Panoramaphotography. Producing fullspherical 360° HDR-Images was the next step. To now use these images in a 3D environment is a very exciting and boosts my horizon.

It was very inspiring working for Spheron, and making people enthusiastic about cgi. And that inspiration made it clear for me that I too had a tremendous urge to once again work creatively. Hence the switch to 809cgi." As well as being a camera operator, Andreas Rücker is manager of the German office and as such is responsible for acquisition work on the German and international market. Andreas is a true multitasker and networker, and therefore also acts as scout for new 3D talents.

Supervisor image processing: Fred Rietveld

When it comes to image processing, Fred Rietveld has a very solid background. He belongs to the generation that still worked with airbrush, brushes and paint, before the days of the computer. Fred said, "Then it was still all done by hand. Today, people grow up using a computer and Photoshop techniques. For them, even creating a simple shadow by hand is often beyond their capabilities. There is no deep underlying thought to it; it is simply a trick they have learned."

For Fred, working with cgi is a new challenge. "This is the technique of the future. In ten years time there will be nothing else. The possibilities of cgi are innumerable." The greatest advantage of cgi for an image processor is that everything is in individual layers. As Fred explained, "That makes the work far freer. You are in complete charge, and everything is under control. And it is far less time-consuming." Once the 3D department has placed the product on its background, in consultation with the photographer, it is up to Fred to set the tone. "By this stage, the car is already perfectly smooth. There are no disturbing reflections or other elements; the picture is almost ready."

Fred has also processed numerous cars by hand. "It’s still fun, even today. Cars are my true passion; they have a sort of magnetic appeal for me. But I also love atmospheric photography; a mix of contrasts and extremes. I love to see a very soft background with ‘boom’ a car right in the middle of it. It doesn’t really make any difference to me what the product is, as long as it looks cool and you have the time to spend making it look even better."

"The crazier it gets the better it is!"

Contact

Manitobadreef 11
3565 CH Utrecht
Nederland
+31 30 275 89 89
info@809cgi.com