MMS 173 Bonus 1: Game Photography

Rule of thirds were followed, and I made the exposure less vibrant as to signify the darkness of the place by illuminating the lamp, as this is where Bruce Wayne's parents were also murdered. I also incorporated leading lines to guide the eys of the viewer. 

For this shot, I wanted to showcase Batman overseeing the city of Gotham. I followed the rule of thirds, and placed the focus of the lens on him so that the background is blurred enough to show that Batman is the subject. This is just a typical portrait but the vibes are totally giving 'The Dark Knight'. 

For this shot, I simply wanted to highlight the details of Batman's Batmobile. By placing it in a diagonal angle, I can put emphasis on it's exterior. The purple light behind also was a cool touch to it. 

Now, this is a dramatic pose. I intended it to be a wide angle shot so that there is emphasis also on the setting, especially on the framed photo just right above Batman; it's a photo of him and his parents which was a good contrast between the present and past version of him. I also wanted the cape to appear like that as I was also leaning for a diagonal composition. 

This attack scene was utilized with a composition of rule of thirds. The depth of field also made it possible for the camera to focus on the two subjects, emphasizing the action of this shot. I wanted to showcase motion on Batman's punch and the rain pouring so I paused the game in the middle of this take down. 

Phew! Thank God my PC survived that. It was really enjoyable because I had fun exploring the game, and doing missions just so I could unlock a new place to capture photos. But it was definitely a challenge because even though there is a built-in photo mode in the game, moving the camera was a bit wobbly, as if it was magnetized to your character, therefore I had to pause and unpause the game multiple times just so I could get the desired angle I wanted. Nonetheless, it’s something that I would do again, maybe for personal projects this time! 

Like I said, it had its own difficulties, and I definitely learned that you should be patient especially if the shots aren’t looking the way you intended it to be. Characters move a lot, and their surroundings too so that was a bit of an obstacle, and sometimes when you get too close to other NPCs, they start fights with you! 

The pros with game photography is that it is visually appealing as it is already designed by graphic artists and programmers. You can also have the freedom to download mods or add-ons to the game that makes it more customized according to your liking, and some games have photo modes already. In my case, Batman: Arkham Knight had a focus and depth of field feature. I could also adjust the saturation, brightness, exposure, vignette, and I could also zoom or tilt the frame.  

While playing the game and trying to capture it, of course, I dealt with multiple issues. Surprisingly, I didn’t suffer from any FPS drops, because I had my FPS limited so that I could tweak the graphics into a higher setting than the usual one I use. Therefore, my PC overheated in the middle of my game and crashed. I had to take a break to cool it down. 

I also struggled with maintaining focus because I forgot that I had to take photos, and so I got distracted and played the game as if I wasn’t playing it in the first place for an activity. I did play this game before but I stopped because the semester started. 

This game photography activity is definitely one for the books! I loved every bit of it, and I wished it was possible to include multiple games just so I could explore more options and experiment with different styles and environments. Nevertheless, it is an experience that I will surely talk about to my friends and family, because before I barely had any idea on what game photography is, but I was already doing it when I used to play Minecraft with my friends, and taking photos of our characters with mods that make the game look realistic. 

This was fun, Until next time!