This activity is a hands-on exploration of virtual photography, where I applied core concepts of visual storytelling and composition within a digital environment. As a student of Multimedia Studies, I’ve always been fascinated by how interactive media can offer new spaces for creative expression. Through this task, I was able to blend elements of game design, photography, and digital aesthetics into a single, immersive experience.
For this project, I selected Cyberpunk 2077 as my subject. The game is known for its visually rich setting—Night City—a sprawling, neon-lit metropolis filled with futuristic architecture, cultural diversity, and layered environmental storytelling. The visual style and urban detail made it a strong choice for experimenting with architectural and landscape photography in a virtual context.
The objective was to treat the game world like a real-life photography location. Using in-game tools like photo mode and visual adjustments, I planned to capture five carefully composed shots that reflect the structure, atmosphere, and narrative of the environment. The process not only challenged me to think like a photographer but also gave me a deeper appreciation for the artistic possibilities of video games as multimedia platforms.
As a Multimedia Studies student, I’ve always been curious about how digital spaces can be used to practice creative techniques that we usually associate with real-world tools. For this virtual photography activity, I decided to explore Cyberpunk 2077, a game known for its highly detailed environment, rich textures, and visually striking urban setting. I felt that this was the perfect platform to study and apply principles of architectural and landscape photography within a virtual context.
The platform I used for this project was a PlayStation 4. Initially, I considered using my personal device, a MacBook Air, but after researching how to run Cyberpunk 2077 on macOS, I found that I would need to subscribe to services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW and purchase the game through platforms like Steam. This would mean managing multiple subscriptions, and long term, I wouldn’t be able to access the game unless I continued paying for the NVIDIA service. Given those limitations, I decided that the more practical and accessible option was to use my PS4 console, which offered a stable platform and access to the game without ongoing fees.
Since this was my first time playing Cyberpunk 2077, one of the challenges I anticipated was the limited time I had to explore the game’s massive open world. To make the most out of it, I immediately focused on learning how to navigate the map and identify areas with strong visual elements—like tall structures, symmetrical designs, and neon-lit street corners. My goal was to find spaces that told a story through architecture and light, which are key elements in both real-world and virtual photography.
Before starting the actual shoot, I spent time experimenting with the game’s photo mode. I tried out different settings like exposure, contrast, field of view, and camera tilt to see how much creative control I had. This helped me understand how to frame scenes that emphasize balance, depth, and mood—things we usually talk about in photography and design classes. I also studied how lighting behaved in different times of day within the game, as this helped me plan which locations would work best for the kind of look I wanted to achieve.
The main types of photography I focused on for this project were architectural and urban landscape photography. I wanted to highlight the scale, structure, and cultural influence embedded in Night City’s buildings and environments. In post-processing, I kept my adjustments minimal—mostly tuning the contrast and exposure—to maintain the integrity of the original scene while still guiding the viewer’s eye toward key design features.
Overall, this pre-production phase helped me apply multimedia concepts like visual composition, environmental storytelling, and digital aesthetics in a hands-on and immersive way. It reminded me that virtual environments can be just as valid and inspiring as real-world settings when it comes to practicing our creative skills.
Set within the heart of Night City’s Japantown district, this photo captures a moody yet visually rich moment that embodies the essence of Cyberpunk 2077—a dystopian open-world RPG known for its neon-soaked streets, cultural intersections, and technological overreach. The image centers on a large torii-inspired gateway adorned with glowing neon strips, nestled between high-rise buildings and overhanging cables that crisscross the skyline. This blend of traditional Asian architecture and futuristic cityscape reflects the game’s core visual themes: the clash of old-world identity and new-age excess.
Before capturing this scene, I scouted several locations in-game to find a spot that visually communicates both depth and narrative. The area was selected for its symmetry, architectural framing, and atmospheric lighting. The time of day and weather were set to a rainy evening to enhance reflections on the pavement—bringing more life to the dark surroundings and enriching the cyberpunk aesthetic.
To enhance the visual impact, I adjusted the exposure to a lower setting to reduce ambient brightness, which allowed the neon signage and building lights to become focal points. This not only intensified the shadows and moody tone of the scene but also brought out the wetness of the road and the glowing reflections. Boosting the contrast gave the image a cinematic edge, making the reds pop against the muted blues and browns in the background. These deliberate changes helped highlight the gateway itself as a symbolic entrance—not just into another district, but into a world layered with danger, beauty, and cultural fusion.
This photo invites viewers to pause and take in the environment—something that’s easy to miss when you’re caught up in missions or high-speed pursuits. Through virtual photography, it becomes possible to tell quieter stories inside a chaotic world—ones that showcase the richness of the game’s environmental design.
This photo was captured in Japantown, one of the more visually dense and culturally rich districts within Westbrook in Cyberpunk 2077. Known for its blend of neon-soaked alleyways, overhead walkways, and layered architecture, Japantown reflects a futuristic reimagining of East Asian urban spaces. Typically lively and crowded, I was fortunate to stumble upon a moment of rare quiet—an opportunity to showcase another side of Night City.
For this shot, I utilized a leading lines composition. The road markings, overhead bridges, and the arrangement of buildings all guide the viewer’s eyes toward the vanishing point at the center, creating a strong sense of depth and drawing attention to the far-off lights and signage. This technique also reinforces the photo’s narrative—pulling the viewer down an empty path in a world that rarely sleeps.
To enhance the mood, I toned down the exposure and contrast, allowing the shadows and soft glows to create a more cinematic, somber atmosphere. The subtle lighting helps convey a sense of urban solitude, in contrast to the district’s usual vibrancy.
What makes this image compelling is its stillness amid chaos. The empty street, slick with rain, becomes a reflective space—a visual pause in a typically over stimulating environment. It suggests that even in a city overwhelmed by tech, lights, and noise, moments of silence and stillness still exist. This composition and setting together invite the viewer to look closer, to wonder what just happened—or what’s about to.
Captured in Japantown, one of the culturally rich districts of Night City in Cyberpunk 2077, this photo shows the entrance to the Magami Market under the dim glow of a neon-lit midnight. Known for its vibrant fusion of tradition and futurism, Japantown features a mix of classic Japanese architecture with cutting-edge cyberpunk aesthetics, and this image captures that contrast perfectly.
In this shot, the symmetrical framing draws immediate attention to the structure’s ornate rooftops and glowing signage. The traditional elements of the gate—reminiscent of a Shinto torii or pagoda—are framed by cyberpunk staples: neon lights, LED billboards, and digital textures. The vertical columns and rooftops converge toward the center of the frame, creating a symmetrical composition that emphasizes visual balance and cultural juxtaposition.
The post-processing focused on increasing contrast to make the electric blues and reds pop against the rainy, reflective ground and darkened cityscape. This adjustment also highlighted the architectural arcs and glowing lanterns, lending the entire scene a cinematic feel. The title “Midnight Market” evokes not only the literal setting—a late-night shopping area—but also the emotional tone: quiet, eerie, yet pulsing with urban life.
Despite the artificial brightness from the signage, the scene retains a sense of solitude, with only a few blurred figures moving in the periphery. It’s a moment suspended in time—caught between tradition and the hyper-digital future.
This shot was taken in the City Center district of Cyberpunk 207. The focus of this architectural composition is the towering presence of corporate skyscrapers and luminous advertisements that dominate the Night City skyline. I intended to showcase how virtual environments can simulate real-world urban photography, particularly with themes centered on scale, dominance, and atmosphere.
For this image, I used leading lines from the road and monorail to guide the viewer’s gaze toward the dense cluster of buildings at the center. Framing is naturally created by the vertical lines of the skyscrapers on each side, enclosing the composition and drawing attention inward. Although not perfectly symmetrical, the shot maintains visual balance through evenly weighted elements across both sides. The low angle enhances the perspective and depth, helping convey a sense of height and power from the corporate structures. The contrast between dark facades and neon highlights adds drama, while negative space in the upper part of the image gives room for the brighter elements below to stand out.
In terms of post-processing, I increased the contrast to emphasize the visual separation between shadowed areas and illuminated advertisements, which helped reinforce the city’s gritty and commercial atmosphere. I adjusted the exposure slightly to preserve midtone clarity while preventing the lights from appearing overblown. Cropping was used subtly to reinforce symmetry and balance, helping keep the viewer’s focus on the architectural density and vertical dominance of the scene.
The overall effect captures both the scale and mood of Cyberpunk 2077’s urban design, showcasing the strength of the game’s visual storytelling while practicing virtual architectural photography techniques within a controlled digital space.
For this final image, I decided to take a more emotional and cinematic approach by capturing a silhouette shot of V, standing in his apartment and gazing out at the vibrant, neon-soaked skyline of Night City. Rather than focusing on action or vibrant character expression, I aimed to convey a sense of introspection and quiet amid the chaos—an individual caught in the overwhelming scale of his environment.
To emphasize the surrounding landscape and cityscape as the focal point, I made deliberate adjustments to the contrast and exposure. By slightly underexposing the foreground and keeping V in silhouette, I allowed the bright lights, vivid colors, and towering architecture outside the window to dominate the visual narrative. I also tweaked the tone and color balance to add a more dramatic, almost melancholic mood—suggesting a moment of pause, reflection, or even loneliness in the midst of a bustling world.
From a compositional standpoint, this shot heavily relies on the framing technique. The window acts as a natural frame that draws the viewer’s eye directly to the city beyond. This not only enhances focus on the backdrop but also creates a clear spatial separation between the observer (V) and what he’s observing (Night City). The horizontal format and positioning of V in the left third of the frame follow the Rule of Thirds, adding balance while leaving space for the scenery to breathe.
Additionally, leading lines can be subtly seen in the architecture and vertical lines of the buildings, guiding the viewer’s gaze further into the depth of the city. The silhouette effect strips away distraction and centers the mood on V’s body language and the rich textures of the outside world.
This image, to me, represents a moment of stillness—something rare in both the world of Cyberpunk 2077 and in life. It reminds me that good photography isn’t just about what’s in the light, but what happens in the shadows, and how those shadows can help tell a story.
Participating in this virtual photography activity through Cyberpunk 2077 was both a refreshing and thought-provoking experience. As someone who is passionate about both digital art and photography, this task was far from boring—it was actually quite engaging and immersive. It allowed me to explore creative composition techniques in a dynamic, visually rich environment, and offered a space to apply what I’ve learned about photography in a unique and playful way.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the experience was the ability to pause the game at any moment and enter a fully functional photo mode. This gave me absolute control over camera angles, depth of field, focus, exposure, and even filters and color grading—all tools that mirror the functions of real-world photography equipment. It was exciting to see how elements like leading lines, symmetry, perspective, and lighting translated in-game, proving that the foundational principles of photography are universal, regardless of the medium.
Through this exercise, I gained more than just virtual snapshots—I walked away with a stronger grasp of how to visually communicate mood, atmosphere, and storytelling through imagery. I particularly found value in understanding how color tones and contrast can evoke emotion and focus the viewer’s attention. These are lessons that will carry over into my real-world photography practice, especially when considering post-processing and visual narrative.
However, this activity also revealed the differences—and limitations—of game photography compared to real-world photography. For one, in-game environments are largely static or scripted. While they’re detailed and beautifully rendered, they lack the spontaneity, unpredictability, and real-time adjustments that come with using a physical camera in the field. There’s close to no changing weather, no waiting for the perfect natural light, and no technical decisions around ISO, shutter speed, or aperture. These real-world variables can make photography more challenging but also more rewarding and skill-building.
One technical challenge I encountered early on was with platform compatibility. My original plan was to use my MacBook Air, but I quickly learned that Cyberpunk 2077 is not supported on macOS. I looked into alternatives like Nvidia GeForce NOW, but this required purchasing the game again and subscribing to third-party services. To make things more practical, I pivoted and used my PlayStation 4, where I borrow from a close friend the game. It turned out to be a smooth and accessible way to carry out the activity, especially with the built-in photo mode and screenshot capture functionality.
Beyond technical issues, I also faced more personal challenges. One was getting overwhelmed by how visually stunning and dense the game world is. There were several moments when I found myself so captivated by the atmosphere of Night City—the lighting, reflections, architectural design, and bustling energy—that I would simply walk around in awe and forget that I was supposed to be documenting these experiences through photos. I had to actively remind myself that I wasn’t just playing the game for leisure, but participating in a structured photography activity.
Similarly, there were times I struggled to stay mindful about finding strong photo opportunities. I would spend long stretches moving through the game world without taking any screenshots, only to later realize I missed some powerful compositions because I wasn’t thinking like a photographer at that moment. This taught me an important lesson: even in a virtual setting, photography requires a deliberate mindset, a sense of patience, and an eye for framing—just like it does in real life.
In conclusion, this experience was a meaningful intersection between play and practice. Game photography may not fully replicate the hands-on experience of using a physical camera, but it certainly reinforces compositional awareness, artistic direction, and the value of intentionality behind each shot. It has inspired me to approach both real-world and virtual photography with a keener eye and a renewed sense of creativity.