Hello Gamers,
Taking photos while gaming is good, taking the best photos during your gaming session is a lot better. Doing this involves knowing the technicalities behind getting good photos in your games and being aware of when to stick to these tricks or when to do away with them. While many of your photos, especially the ones in our monthly photo dumps are amazing, we always want to see you improve in your craft.
While virtual photography mostly starts as a hobby, improving your skills as a virtual photographer is crucial. With these 10 tips for getting the best shot while gaming, you will notice the difference in your photos when next you practice with the tricks mentioned.
How can you improve your virtual photography?
Capturing stunning images within your video games is one of the best things to do as a virtual photographer. If you are looking to improve your photography skills, the tips below will help you.
Be Patient
This is the first tip that makes the rest of the tips work for you. Patience. Don't rush when trying to take your photos. Observe the photo mode and pay attention to what works for you and what doesn't. Your patience and attention to detail will open your eyes to interesting angles and settings that will help you capture the most stunning shot.
Master the Camera Controls
With each game comes different game photo modes. You must understand the camera in your game. Observe your camera settings to have control over your shot. Play around with the different techniques and settings that have been put in place for you to take the best shot and watch yourself come alive at what you discover.
Experiment With Angles
We cannot stress this enough! Experiment with angles, as much as you can. Even in the non-virtual world, taking pictures from different angles gives you perspectives that you've never thought possible. It's the same in the virtual world. Try wide shots, close-ups, high, and low angles, and more to find what works for you. You might even discover a signature angle while doing this.
Utilize Composition Techniques
Apply composition techniques such as the rule of thirds, symmetry, leading lines, framing, golden ratio, foreground, and background to create stunning and well-balanced shots. Create strong shots by looking out for the placement of your objects, characters, and overall balance of the scene. By applying these techniques and exploring different perspectives, you can enhance the visual impact and storytelling of your photos.
However, working with these techniques isn’t the rule of thumb. You can decide to use these composition techniques as guides in your photography but be free to explore your creativity.
Play Around With Editing
Edit, edit again, and repeat! Adjust the brightness, saturation, brilliance, hue, color, and sharpness of your photos to enhance their appeal. You'd be surprised to see the beauty of a picture you thought boring once you edit it in the right manner.
Try Presets, Filters and Effects
If you are going for a signature look to your photos, having a preset that you can tailor your pictures to, is highly recommended. This way, you can just use your preset on your photos and tweak as needed and you are good to go.
For in-game editing, take advantage of the filters and effects your game offers. Use this to enhance the colors, brilliance, contrast, and overall aesthetic of your photo.
Pay Attention to Lighting
Lighting is just as important in virtual photography as it is important in non-virtual photography. Lighting can tell the story of your photo and bring an object from ominous and scary to innocent and fluffy. It depends on how you use your angles, shadows, natural light, and more. Enhance your virtual photos with lighting and see how the aesthetic changes.
Capture Action Shots
Static scenes are beautiful, but action shots exude power. Not just because of the sheer amount of detail that goes into it, but also because it takes dedication and patience to pull it off. After trying static shots for a while, experiment with dynamic action shots to put more energy and excitement into your photos.
Try Different Things
As much as we want to give you lots of tips, a very important one that makes the rest of the tips work is your willingness to try many things out to see which ones work for you and your photo aesthetic. If you don't keep trying, you might never find out what your signature aesthetic will be. Even if a signature aesthetic is not the end goal, you will still be able to get what exactly you'd like to see on your portfolio as a virtual photographer.
Learn From Other Virtual Photographers
One of the best ways to improve your virtual photography craft is to engage other virtual photographers willingly. Actively participate in virtual photography challenges, join virtual photography communities like Picashot’s vibrant X (Twitter) and Instagram community, and take opportunities such as being a part of Picashot’s Newsletter to learn how to better your craft. Be willing to share your work, receive valuable feedback, and improve on your craft.
Remember…
The tips above are merely guidelines for getting the best shots out of your video games. Allow yourself to enjoy the creativity that is Virtual Photography. Enjoy the process, think outside the box, and just have fun! Keep sharing your photos with us. We love them!
Cover Photos from @KaiOwai, @rykaine and @Keiichi1408
Other photos from @DudeisPriestVP , @Dash and @CarlSwagen