"How close can 3D fractals get to creating alien vegetation?"
-CG CHANNEL
Whence all this complexity?
While revisiting some old scenes experimenting with a more realistic lighting setup, I realized that fractals are even more intricate and complex then I ever had imagined. Then I pondered the same must me true for Nature.
This is why I rendered the fractals with a more toned-down natural light, with a lot of browns and greens. Some skies are deliberately over-bright to emulate a high dynamic range lighting, which unfortunately is impossible in Mandelbulb3D.
Music is Koan - Tribute for Hiawatha
for more of my fractal work check www.julius-horsthuis.com
Background
Natural Processes is an experiment in a more natural lighting tone. I used faux HDRI's. Normal HDRI's are high dynamic range images that are shot in 360. The high dynamic range ensures that you can accuratelylight an object in 3d - using the light captured by the photographer and projecting it on a 3d scene.
Unfortunately, Mandelbulb3D doesn't allow for HDR - your images can only be 8bit, whereas HDR requires much more, usually 32. But there is a way for you to use a 360 pictures' light as ambient light source. This creates a look that was new for me in MB3D. I'm not completely sure yet if this is 'better' but at least it's another way to look at fractals again.
Let's just call it LDRI.