Global Illumination and High Dynamic Range Images: two keys to getting more photorealistic (or just plain better) images out of your computer. Global Illumination applies more to 3D rendering, whereas High Dynamic Range Images are applicable also to digital photography. I was just talking to Duncan about this. IDFuel has a brief outliner about these tools and where to get them.

Check out the links to Paul Debevec’s site for more information and some samples of interesting uses of captured light fields. Using sampled lighting instead of synthesized light results in more realistic rendering…it’s the kind of subtlety that you wouldn’t know to look for unless you already value nuances in color and shadow.