Microsoft hired me for years to shoot their hardware; mice, keyboards, & webcams. Through the years starting with the film days, we would shoot 4x5 chromes. Then came the digital cameras, at first very expensive and the quality was just so-so. (My first digital setup cost me around $30k and it shot a 4 megapixel image.) Eventually we moved to digital for Microsoft and I worked with a great crew shooting studio product then people and product on location, etc. At some point 3D rendering finally got close enough to photography and I was hired to learn the software and handle the materials, lighting and rendering side of things. This is one image from that period.
3dsMax with Vray Render Engine. I did the materials, composition and Lighting. This is the "BEFORE" image.
3dsMax with Vray Render Engine. I did the composition, materials, lighting and render. This is the "AFTER" image showing the new construction with fireplace.