“Games are art!” — This is Revendi’s bio on Picashot. Truly, the photos he has shared on Picashot tell us of the art that is games! This is one of the reasons we decided to pry into Revendi’s world this September and understand his journey in the gaming and virtual photography industry so far!
It is also worthy of note that Revendi is the first to share photos from the new life simulation game, “InZoi” on Picashot. You know we had to get all the deets!
In this chat, he shared tidbits and tips on how he makes his photos look super good and you don’t want to miss that.
What's your earliest memory of virtual photography?
I first encountered virtual photography in 2017. I was just starting to experience the single-player game by completing The Witcher 3. I loved the game and started looking for any content related to it. That's how I came across virtual photography on social media. But I realized what it was much later.
Your username, Revendi, is quite interesting. What does it mean? Is it related to your real name?
Heh, that's a funny moment. It doesn't mean anything. I just picked the letters to make it sound and look nice. That's all :)
That’s interesting.
Where do you play your games — PC or Console?
PC. It's a great gaming platform and also my way of making a living.
What determines the game you choose to play?
From the mood. One night, I want to be a monster killer, and next week I'm already driving a huge truck through the mud. I try not to look at trends.
Do you have a favorite game to play? If yes, why is it your favorite game?
The Witcher 3. It's the game that paved the way for me to play story-driven video games and it's very close to my heart. I love absolutely everything about it: the music, the story, the characters, the atmosphere, the gameplay, the Gwint and of course Triss. But the most important thing is that I experience a great palette of emotions there, and the endings leave a wonderful aftertaste that makes you feel warm at heart, not disappointed with hopelessness (hello Cyberpunk)
Tell me about the favorite virtual photos that you captured. What makes them special to you?
Oh, it's hard to pick something specific, but I tried.
This shot perfectly captures the dystopian spirit of cyberpunk as a genre where cool technology is juxtaposed with poverty. The repetitive patterns on these buildings reminded me of Hong Kong, where I got my inspiration from.
I really like this shot because of the “softness”. I made it right after improving my PC, thanks to which I was able to use RTX and new photo mode tools, thanks to which I get this “softness”. I really like the grass here, it makes me want to lie down in it.
I also framed the shot so that Geralt and the tower on Fyke Isle would be positioned according to the rule of thirds so that the viewer would focus on these objects. But to emphasize the dark silhouette of Geralt, I lit a torch directly on the horse, and for this, I had to download a mod.
I also want to note the soft and pleasant colors in this photo. I got a kind of gradient of blue-green tints, with a focusing yellow in the center.
This shot is far from my best, but it is precious to me as it is one of the first virtual photos I took consciously. I had just picked up my first PC and started Metro: Exodus. I remember my friends seeing it and saying “Wow, look cool! Where did you take that picture, we want to go there”. I was very proud of it. That's how my journey of virtual photography began.
Wow! Love this for you!
Is there any particular post-processing tool that you cannot do without?
Lightroom and Gigapixel.
Lightroom is a powerful photo editor. Most photographers use it, so why not use it in virtual photography as well? No matter how well you customize the shot before you take it, there is still room for improvement in post-processing.
Gigapixel is a program to upscale your images. Before upgrading my tools and equipment, I took a lot of pictures in 1080p and this program helps me upscale them to 4k resolution.
Do you have anyone in the VP industry that inspires you?
Eul Keke. His pictures are magic to me. The way it handles light and focus is fantastic. I aspire to learn this skill, as he does.
Magdalena. She is a great photographer who loves to capture unusual things in games. I also like the softness of the colors in her work.
EmeraldEnvoy. Master of portraits. I don't know how he does it, but it's crazy to me. I can't even imagine how much time he spends on one shot, but it's obviously worth it.
Soulsurrender. Her work is just cosmic. Literally and figuratively. Wonderful shots of landscapes with incredible energy and very nice colors.
Has virtual photography affected or enhanced your gaming experience in any way? How?
Huh, yeah, virtual photography has had a big impact on my gaming experience. I often don't have time to enjoy the game because every 5 minutes I take a photo. And considering I spend anywhere from 4 to 8 minutes per photo, I don't really play the game much. I try to fight it, but it doesn't always work. “Well one more shot and that's it, I'll play normally from now on” - that's how it happens to me all the time:)
What’s your favorite thing to do apart from gaming?
I do, shall we say, ‘real’ photography. I am also an aspiring 3D artist. This is both my job and my hobby.
I also collect Hot Wheels cars (Japanese models in particular) and collect tin cans of soda pop. I have drinks from Denmark, Japan, Korea, Poland.
That’s so cool!
You've been the first to share character photos from the new simulation game, InZoi, on Picashot. What stood out to you while exploring the Create A Zoi section of the game?
I saw Eul Keke's work in my feed and I was like, ‘Wow, this looks interesting, I want to try it too.’ So I downloaded the demo with the character editor and tried to make something of my own. Of interest, I would like to note that there is a deep character customisation, there are also lighting settings and poses with animations. If you try hard, you can catch an interesting scene and make something unique.
What are you expecting to see with this new game? Do you think it would be a favorite of yours when it's finally released?
Well, I don't really have a lot of expectations for this game. Since it's supposed to be a life simulator, I just hope I can create a happy family there. I don't need much :)
For me, this game is more as a project for virtual photography, so I don't think it will be my favorite.
We have five questions, ready to answer?
Is there a particular game you want to play but haven't been able to?
Hmm, there's no such game. If I want to play something really badly, I can always play it. It used to be Ghost of Tsushima, but I ended up getting everything I wanted anyway.
You can only play one forever. Which one will it be? — Starfield, Snowrunner, Genshin Impact?
It's definitely going to be Snowrunner 😀 Even though my favorite game is The Witcher 3, Snowrunner feels like it was made to be played forever. I've been playing it with a friend for 2 years now, but we're only 32% through it. This game is huge, but it's also fun.
Which of these games would you recommend to someone new to gaming and virtual photography — Forza Horizon 5, Atomic Heart or Baldurs Gate 3?
Forza Horizon 5. There is a great photo mode. It is convenient and with probably the best blurring among the standard photomods. A beginner can try himself in landscape photography, cropped plan, of course car photography and even portraits. The only thing is that there will not be able to make interior shots, but in any case the beginner will get useful experience for further research of virtual photography.
Do you have a favorite quote from a game?
It is always better to do a little more, even if in vain, than to do a little less and then regret. — Witold von Evereck
This quote speaks for itself.
Can you share a gaming/virtual photography experience that had an emotional impact on you?
Hmm, that's an interesting question. The release of Cyberpunk 2077 was a special one for me. I remember like now December 10, 2020, when I took a week off for this game. I bought myself a couple bags of snacks, lots of drinks, a bag of tangerines and sat in my room with the lights on. I watched the release trailer on loop, where the track playing was P.T. Adamczyk feat. Olga Jankowska - Never Fade Away (SAMURAI Cover). Even though the endings of the game disappointed me a bit, but that time was special. I haven't had a single release in 4 years that was even remotely like that one. I think only The Witcher 4 will be able to give me that.
Well, on the subject of virtual photography, that's probably my win in Mundfish's photocruise, where I won a copy of Atomic Heart + DLC on Steam. I'm very proud that my virtual photography skills were noticed.
Thanks for sharing. Moving on…
When did you first learn about Picashot?
I saw a post about Picashot on my Twitter feed\X and thought it was a good idea to have a single place for virtual photography.
What’s your favorite Picashot feature?
I like order, so systematizing content by game is a nice feature. I also like that the system remembers my past choices when I publish a post. That's handy.
Are there any features you'd like to see on Picashot?
I wish they would improve the visibility of posts with multiple photos. When I post several photos, only the first one is visible, and people may not open the post completely and not see the rest. On Twitter\X all 2\3\4 photos are immediately visible in the feed, because they are formed into a stack. I would like to see something like this in Picashot.
Any advice for aspiring virtual photographers who want to capture amazing photos too?
I have always said and will always say: take your pictures a little lighter than you see them on your monitor. You can always darken it in post-processing, but making it brighter is not always possible. All people have different monitors, so they may see your content differently.
That was practical advice, but here's more of a motivational tip: Don't give up. Do, try, test and share your work. You can't just post one picture once a month and hope that it will get a lot of likes. You have to be in front of people, then you will be noticed.
Thank you Revendi for the wonderful conversation! We hope to see more of your photos on Picashot!
Follow Revendi on Picashot!
