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A small thing I have been thinking about lately. On product work, the grade is usually doing more repair than styling.
A packshot gets lit for the product. A lifestyle plate gets lit for the room. Any CG element arrives with no lighting history at all. They rarely agree with each other, and the grade is where they have to.
So I tend to start quietly. Everything to a believable neutral first, before reaching for a look. If I skip that step, whatever mood I add later ends up fighting the mismatch instead of covering it.
The one thing I try hardest to protect is the product colour itself. A slightly warm wall goes unnoticed. Packaging that does not match the shelf really does not.
Then a light look on top, and I usually stop a little earlier than I think I should.
Curious how others approach this, especially anyone grading a lot of CG against live plates.
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