There’s a term popularly used to describe AI art today, a term called “uncanny valley”, which refers to that small valley between fake and real, where the mind can tell the difference. Sometimes movies overdo their 3D VFX so much that it falls in the uncanny valley, where it’s not bad, it’s not good, it’s too good – so much so that the brain knows it’s CGI. Today, we ask you to cross that uncanny valley. With KeyShot’s latest 2025 edition, we want you to show us how real you can make your renders. In essence, we want you to fool us.
Welcome to the KeyShot Photoreal Challenge, where we ask you to push the boundaries of realism to make a render so believable, we think it’s a photograph. There’s a catch, however. This challenge is all about transparent materials and light. We want to see light filter through transparent, translucent, or cloudy materials with sheer realism. Play with reflections, refractions, caustics, and more importantly, with KeyShot Studio 2025’s new Planar Lighting UI that allows you to very intuitively place lights around your scene the way you would place lights in real life for your product photography. The KeyShot Photoreal Challenge invites you to share either rendered images or a video with us, and winners not only get a free subscription to KeyShot Studio Pro, but they’ll also have their work shown on KeyShot’s startup window, visible to hundreds of thousands of designers using the popular rendering software!
Hurry, deadline: April 14, 2025 – 11:59 PST.
How to Participate
- the model provided by TITAN Watches or build your own model/scene.
- Share the design (3 total KeyShot renderings or 1 ten-second video) to your Instagram account with the #KeyShotPhotorealChallenge and tag and
- Submit your Instagram links (you can share multiple entries till the challenge ends) at designchallenge@yankodesign.com by April 14, 2025.
- NOTE: Only the entry links shared to the email address will be considered
Shortlisted entries will be asked to submit their KeyShot files before being awarded prizes
Timelines:
Challenge begins: March 14, 2025
Challenge ends: April 14, 2025 – 11:59 PST
Important Information
- the Free Trial of KeyShot 2025.1 to participate.
- Use Physical Lights (light materials applied onto objects and planes) instead of HDRI Environment Lights. The scene must make use of at least 2 physical lights.
- Use of AI tools to enhance/modify your render will result in disqualification.
Prizes
Gold Prize x 1
- A free year of KeyShot Studio Pro
- A free year of access to KeyShot Studio Web OR KeyShot Network Rendering
- Get your design featured on the KeyShot website and social media
- Free access to a Will Gibbons KeyShot Master Class of your choice
Silver Prize x 1
- A free year of KeyShot Studio Pro
- Get your design featured on the KeyShot website and social media
- Free access to a Will Gibbons KeyShot Master Class of your choice
Bronze Prize x 1
- A free year of KeyShot Studio Pro
- Get your design featured on the KeyShot website and social media
Honorable Mentions x 2
- Get your design featured on the KeyShot website and social media
Jury:
Sam Gwilt – Senior Industrial Designer, BLOND
Karim Merchant – Product Content Manager, KeyShot
Sarang Sheth – Editor-in-Chief, Yanko Design
Hurry, deadline: April 14, 2025 – 11:59 PST.
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