when to use cgi

Simply put, CGI is the creation of a still or animated visual content using imaging software. There is no traditional camera, no traditional photographer. There is an artist who creates realistic imagery all behind a computer.

what are the benefits of cgi?

CGI offers a way to produce images for products that physically do not exist yet. If you a product, but it isn’t yet tangible, CGI is a great solution to acquire photorealistic images before it’s physically produced. For example, you are a carpet manufacturers company and you need to get marketing materials created and in time for a sales presentation or retail shelf deadlines. If a prototype/sample has been manufactured but not in full production, how can you possibly photograph it in a roomset? CGI provides the alternative to meet those lead times faster.

It’s Great for Complex Scenes: CGI-rendered room sets (vs. photography) have longevity; they’re sets that essentially live forever as digital assets. The cost of materials and labour alone to photograph a room scene can be prohibitive. Creating a room set in CGI can be extremely efficient if you want to make modifications or product swaps in the future (such as props,  light fixtures, flooring, etc.), without having to – expensively – reconstruct the entire room again.

when to use photography

When capturing food, people, and other organic subjects as visual elements, photography will always be the preferred approach. While CGI can do some incredible things, it falls a bit short (and more time-consuming) when it comes to more complex details like skin, plants and the varying textures of food.

Photography is great for brands who need that in-person experience and real-time feedback. You can be present on set during photo shoots and have the ability to jump in at any time to give feedback and request changes with ease which can speed up the approvals process for an image vs. sending approvals in stages.

When CAD files don’t exist and creating a product from scratch would be exorbitant, photography is still a tried and true method of getting great images quickly and affordably.

If your product is tangible and can be easily delivered to the photographer, photography will traditionally give you the fastest turnaround time.

Because CGI requires a more precise plan and changes can mean hours of reworking, rendering files, photography tends to be flexible when it comes to on-the-fly changes on set. If new inspiration strikes on set, photography allows for easy changes or modifications.

With photography, you can capture a lot of content, very quickly. For example, if you’re a restaurant owner, a photographer can get a variety of wide-angle shots of your space, close-ups of meals being plated in the kitchen, people in the dining room, and so on. In just a few hours, a photographer can capture dozens of near-perfect images, whereas it would take tenfold that time just to set up the scene in CGI.