"I never interrupt my first game playthrough for screenshots! That's my sacred play" - MistressLight

There are some people who I genuinely believe have been called to create game art and take amazing photos and MistressLight is one of those people. When I first saw one of her photos in Picashot’s community tab, I just knew I had seen someone whose insights on virtual photography were beyond the surface level, and those insights needed to be spotlighted and shared with other incredible VPers of Picashot.

For MistressLight, taking game photos is a greatness that can’t be rushed. From having a first playthrough with no game screenshots to sharing the meaning behind her name, and to hobbies that she enjoys outside of VP, this conversation is packed.

If you are not familiar with MistressLight yet, you are welcome! Enjoy the chat!

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What is your earliest memory of virtual photography and gaming?

I grew up in a household surrounded by 2 older brothers and 1 younger brother. I was the only gal. So go figure that it wasn’t dolls I played with, but instead, watched with fascination my eldest brother play The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past. I think I was around 4 or 5 years old when I picked up that SNES controller myself, exploring Hyrule.

That world, and gaming in general, became a revelation to me with the release of the Nintendo 64, everything was in 3D! It all felt so real! The environment, characters and the angles! I think then, my love for Virtual photography came to life. You know that scene in Zelda Ocarina of Time, when the camera pans towards Link and Zelda, in between those 2 pink flowers? I was just blown away by how the camera moved around during that scene.

So, how did you come about your username - Mistress Light?

Oh, man. I came up with this name combination years ago. ‘Mistress’, comes from one of my fav movies: Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. And as for ‘light’, that comes from the character, Lightning Farron, from Final Fantasy XIII. I decided to mix these two elements back then, and it stuck, haha.

Your Picashot bio says you play only on PC. Is there any particular reason for this choice?

Yes, there most certainly is! When doing VP, I want to have complete freedom to go anywhere I want to. Discovering hidden emotions or angles that you normally don’t/can’t see. Freecam tools and Reshade offer me so much in that regard, and that is only possible on a PC. Scenes are never the same again for me. That, and the highest possible graphics options, of course, to capture as much detail as I can.

For example, this shot in particular. Thanks to Cheatengine and WeMod, I was able to pause the scene and just ‘fly’ all the way down and get behind these two characters to capture this. This is something you don’t see in that cutscene (only from a very big distance), but it might as well have been!

Let’s talk about your photos. You play with colors, sometimes veering on the edge of minimalism, and include such important details. What is your process like when taking game photos?

Believe it or not, but the first time I try out a new game, I go through it without taking any screenshots. The reason is that I don’t want it to feel like I am interrupting my experience flow of the game, if you know what I mean. It feels like a ‘CUT!’ moment then, taking me out of the game.

Only on my second playthrough is when I know the moments I really want to capture and go all out. After I’ve taken my screenshots, I always edit them in Photoshop (camera raw). I’m also a graphic designer and love to just add some more stuff occasionally. Photoshop is just a part of me at this point.

How would you describe your virtual photography style?

Clean and soft? I love to use a lot of depth of field to guide the viewer towards the subject or any detail I want them to see. That, and I mostly create portraits.

You've shared over 80 photos of Forspoken on Picashot. What makes this game special to you?

Forspoken is an underrated gem. It rekindled my love for Virtual Photography. Hence, why you’d see so much of it from me, haha. The story and the magic parkour really stood out to me. Not to mention, the character designs. My fav character is Tanta Cinta. Her design (especially in the DLC) is a true joy to capture. The elegance and radiance that comes off from her, hmmm. 👌

Do you have any favorite virtual photos that you've taken? If so, what makes them special to you?

Definitely. While it is hard to choose only 3, I always strive to try something new once in a while, and these 3 capture that personally for me.

I think this was my first time using the shader ‘chromakey’, to get a nice clean cut out of Jinn. That and his eyes closing was such perfect timing.

This was made to celebrate the first release anniversary of the DLC of Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust. My goal: make a summary of this DLC in one big combining screenshot, without spoiling the plot.

My new approach of using DOF. A perfect 2025 kickoff.

Are your photos inspired by anything/people i.e game devs or virtual photographers?

One virtual photographer that inspires me (and who helped me a lot) is ilikedetectives (Colin Nguyễn). The way Colin does portraits is absolute goals.

In what ways has virtual photography enhanced your gaming experience?

This may sound super cliché, but it made me appreciate the smaller details in games.

What’s your favorite thing to do apart from taking game photos/gaming?

I absolutely love to swim! It’s a lovely workout. Another hobby of mine is metal detecting. My oldest find so far is a silver coin from the year 1601. I cannot help but wonder who the last person who kept the coin was. What is their story? And I also love to travel! I plan on doing a city trip to New York this year.

Wow. Excited for you!

What are you looking forward to when it comes to virtual photography this year?

I’m really stoked for the game, Lost Soul Aside. So, capturing that is on the list for this year.

Who is your favourite character from Ghost of Tsushima?

Why, the Ghost himself.

Is there a particular game you want to play but haven't been able to?

Shadow of the Colossus. The atmosphere and vibe this game gives off...Incredible. It also has this dark and gloomy color palette to it. It’s a game I’d love to explore and capture. I still managed to keep myself spoiler-free!

You can only play two forever. Which ones will they be? — Alan Wake, Until Dawn, Alien Isolation, Dead Space Remake?

Trapping me forever in horror games? You’re too cruel ;A;

Haha!

But I’ll go with Dead Space Remake and Alien Isolation.

Can you share a gaming/virtual photography experience that had an emotional impact on you?

Lirum’s death from Lost Odyssey. Kaim, finding his daughter again after 30 years, thinking she was dead this whole time… Only for the reunion to be cut short by her dying from a disease. It truly breaks my heart into a thousand pieces. And you even have to do a mini-side quest to collect things needed for the funeral…. Not to mention perform a VERY sad mini-game for the final send-off….. I cannot keep it dry.

Do you have a favorite quote from a game?

“Understand the palm of my hand, bitch!” - Emily Davis, from Until Dawn

She’s just so iconic.

When did you first learn about Picashot?

Via Twitter! I was actually looking for an app to store my screenshots on. I made a poll asking my followers what they use, and they recommended Picashot to me.

What’s your favorite Picashot feature?

The feature where you can group screenshots in albums. I’m a clean-freak, so everything has to be neat, tidy and easy to find.

Well, you are welcome! Are there any features you'd like to see on Picashot?

No, I have all I need at the moment.

Any advice for aspiring virtual photographers who haven’t found a style yet?

Don’t try too hard. Finding a style usually ends up first in trying different styles. When you feel like you’re becoming better at a style, go all in for that! I tend to focus now more on styles I am actually good at, instead of focusing on elements I’ll probably never really master. But the most important part is to have fun! VP is about your enjoyment of a particular game and showing/sharing that with others.

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