Guide gamers to take beautiful screenshots like a pro (Part 2) 2
We already have the necessary tools.
Leave the camera free
You can still take a nice screenshot from behind a character’s head, but it’s more fun to create shots with as much freedom as possible, and the HUD must be hidden.
Freeing the camera angle is quite difficult, and usually involves having to type something into the console or finding a Cheat Engine hack that can do it (not to be tried in multiplayer games).
Think like a photographer
Before you begin, research the work of famous photographers for inspiration.
No one is saying that every screenshot you take has to be the pinnacle of art, but sometimes if you’re tired and dissatisfied with your photos, it’s helpful to look at photos from photographers in
Rule of thirds
One of the key aspects of creating a great photo is the rule of thirds.
This technique is a great way to assist you in achieving a balanced, artistic composition, it has been used by photographers, painters, filmmakers and almost every type of visual artist in the industry.
With any creative technique involving action or people, make sure the subject is positioned so that it comes into the frame, not out of it.
View
Expand your field of view to show more of the landscape or bring large, distant objects into the frame, such as the mansion in the example above.
Stand closer
Additionally, you can tighten your perspective to focus on smaller details in a scene.
Ratio
In a trick used frequently by Batman comics, this shot of Gotham City appears even larger and more sprawling when you notice the silhouette of Batman placed against it.
Depth of field
Also known as aperture on a traditional camera, knowing how depth of field works will allow you to focus on an object in the foreground or background, intentionally blurring the rest of the image.
Adjust the blur intensity and focus and you can create some dramatic, realistic shots, while still keeping it subtle.
Portrait
While we’re on the subject of depth of field, portrait photography is an art form, and a good technique is to adjust the depth of field to make your subject the focus of the image.
Portraits can be close-ups of characters’ faces, full-body shots, and everything in between.
Exposure
Exposure, in the camera, determines the amount of light reaching the film or sensor, and many photo modes simulate it.
But if you go too far, you’ll blow out the image and it will look like a nuclear bomb just exploded.
Time of day
One thing that goes hand in hand with exposure is the day/night time of your scene.
Some games give you manual control over the time of day, for example, the photo mode in No Man’s Sky or the director mode of GTA V. Additionally, just like when taking a real photo, it
Filter
Lots of photo modes come with built-in filters that can recreate different effects: old movies, documentaries, retro games.
Post-processing
The best thing to do is take your raw image into a graphics adjustment package like Photoshop or Lightroom and adjust brightness, contrast, and color levels by hand.
