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.

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.

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.