A real-time algorithm for rendering of an inhomogeneous scattering media such as smoke under dynamic low-frequency environment lighting is described. An input media animation is represented as a sequence of density fields, each of which is represented by an approximate model density field and a residual density field. The algorithm uses the approximate model density field to compute an approximate source radiance, and further computes an effective exitant radiance by compositing the approximate source radiance using a compositing methods such as ray marching. During the compositing process (e.g., ray marching), the residual field is compensated back into the radiance integral to generate images of higher detail.