VP Archive Hour - November

Mik Bromley
- Nov 30, 2020
- 3 min read

Every week, the Virtual Photography Archive Hour invites you to revisit your virtual photography archives as a great way to reach new audiences, rediscover past inspirations and even learn from mistakes. Featured below are a selection of the entries shared over the past month.

The inherent momentary nature of social media means that any given piece of work can fail to reach its audience...

Title: Assassin's Creed Origins | Developer: Ubisoft Montreal | Publisher: Ubisoft | Initial Release: 27th October 2017

I often enjoy images that have an element of mystery or intrigue about them, and this capture from Assassin's Creed Origins does exactly that. The intentions of the faceless subject are literally masked in wrappings and leads the viewer to question whether the torch is for light or destruction.

Photographer: @Ixion_VII

Title: Red Dead Redemption 2 | Developer: Rockstar Studios | Publisher: Rockstar Games | Initial Release: 26th October 2018

Rockstar's cowboy adventure is great for producing atmospheric shots like this one. The soft silhouette against the fog is complimented by a light sepia colour with a grainy and low-fi look that give a sense of 19th century photography.

Photographer: @BLaevatein_Al

Title: God of War | Developer: Santa Monica Studio | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: 20th Apr 2018

A familiar image that made it into the finalists of the God of War Anniversary Contest in 2019. I love the detailed texture, the use of the Atreus filter for a cold feel and the gradient across the image. As it was at the time of judging though, it just feels a little bit imbalanced to me and would perhaps benefit from a bit more head space to fill the top third.

Photographer: @MindJackedJimmy

Title: Red Dead Redemption 2 | Developer: Rockstar Studios | Publisher: Rockstar Games | Initial Release: 26th October 2018

A photograph of fire can be very powerful and all the more so when it includes something symbolic such as this religious cross. The main subject feels ritualistic and the discarded torches tell a story of the people who set it alight and stepped back to watch as the flames light up the surrounding woods.

Photographer: @jules_vp_

Title: Various | Channel: The Worlds of Gaming

When no one single shot is enough to sum up the magnificent and detailed environments we have been treated to over the recent generation of games, only a montage video will do. With the usual touch of class from The Worlds of Gaming, check out this cinematic compilation of some of the best environments in gaming.

Photographer: @TheWorldsOf1

Title: Horizon Zero Dawn | Developer: Guerrilla Games | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: 28th Feb 2017

Not every shot needs to take itself too seriously and something that can be fun to play with is perspective. Executed to perfection here, you see a great example of how simple perspective can create the illusion of what appears to be the most enormous Watcher of all time!

Photographer: @Longleglens

Title: Warframe | Developer: Digital Extremes | Publisher: Digital Extremes | Initial Release: 25th March 2013

Well before Miles Morales was treated to a photo mode with three-point lighting, Warframe was already doing it in the admittedly more obscure Captura mode. As you can see from this shot though, the results can be well worth the time with some beautifully subtle tones, atmospheric mist and wisps of flame.

Photographer: @chelestra

Title: Borderlands 3 | Developer: Gearbox Software | Publisher: 2K | Initial Release: 13th September 2019

This is an image that is more about what you don't know. I have absolutely no idea what we are seeing outlined in the dark, but I think the mystery surrounding that along with the night vision-like green filter makes this a really interesting and spooky shot.

Photographer: @MostlyVp

Title: Driveclub | Developer: Evolution Studios | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: 7th October 2014

A shot that was featured with a 2-page spread in the Ultimate Photo Mode Guide from PlayStation Official Magazine, this image may be some way to being VP-royalty and it's easy to see why. The sense of speed is outdone by vibrant lights and reflections on a wet road that the PS5's ray-traced titles would be proud of.

Photographer: @Nick_Baker777

Revisit your archives and share some lost shots on Twitter every Sunday using the #VPArchiveHour hashtag for a chance to feature in next month's post.