Requesting VAM creation and light artist savant's improvement critiques

[cmramlow]

Been in VAM for many years where my top goal is to capture as near to photo realism as is possible in VAM.

Although from what I see on my monitor (which may differ from your monitor view) I'm not too far off the mark, I still struggle to fully succeed in life like photo realism which I do believe is achievable in VAM "IF" the pursuit is relentless and I can connect with the right VAM geniuses and prodigies for guidance and advice - That's what I'm asking for here.

I took, with CheesyFX's permission, his slender babe model and tweaked the scene lights, skin, hair, etc to try and create a photo realistic rendition of her using a combo of lights, w/without MacGrubers photo magic, CheesyFX Focus on me, and Tiseb's Colortone. Although on my monitor the image turned out good it still lacks something for exceptional photo realism, and I don't know what that is.

The ask: can anyone please suggest changes, tweaks, plugins, anything I can do/not do to better achieve better photo realism in VAM without any external applications like photoshop?

1 shot without post magic

2nd shot with Macgruber's essential postmagic v4

 

[Origin69]

Looks good.

I don't think vam will ever get past that CG look as there is no way of adding true subsurface scattering, ambient occlusion or bounced light rays. Your figure is strongly side and back-lit. In reality her hands and her right side would be less bright and glowing slightly pink from the scattered light through the skin. Hunting-Succubus has made a subsurface scattering plugin, but I think it still won't replicate photorealism with the limitations within vam.

That said, i'm still so impressed that vam can do this in real time.

 

[DTB247]

I have noticed that playing with material settings and the light settings give good results. For the look i like to adjust the specular hue shift and intensity as well as gloss settings. Then I like to play with light settings. I prefer spot lights and pay a lot of attention to placement and shadow strength settings as well as color that help make my specular hue "pop". Also scene lighting settings can help with adjusting camera exposure and specular/diffuse values. In summation the more time I put into lighting and scene/look settings the better the results. Oh hair and clothing material settings can help too.