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.
A great black & white capture of a lovely smile, but what I like most in this shot is how it makes me wonder about what may be happening out of shot and what it is that she is looking to make her smile.
Photographer: @Chy_Visual_Arts
Title: Death Stranding | Developer: Kojima Productions | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment, 505 Games | Initial Release: 8th November 2019
Death Stranding is well known for its highly detailed landscapes but it takes a more daring photographer to forego that detail and produce something as simple as this. Personally, I think it works perfectly and I really enjoy the way the barely visible rock formations disappear into the mist to give a sense of depth.
Photographer: @AltRealityVP
Title: Driveclub | Developer: Evolution Studios | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: 7th October 2014
Almost in contrast to the previous image but actually achieving a similar goal, this landscape shot uses darkness to take away foreground detail and lead the eye down to the horizon and city lights, themselves adding interest in what may be happening there.
Photographer: @MostlyVp
Title: Assassin's Creed Odyssey | Developer: Ubisoft Quebec | Publisher: Ubisoft | Initial Release: 5th October 2018
Assassin's Creed has long been known for its high quality water rendering and this shot shows it off beautifully. The vivid blue water is refreshing and inviting while the bouncing sunlight adds texture to the surface. Arguably, the image would be even better presented in portrait orientation though it clearly works in either.
Photographer: @IiliYul
Title: The Last of Us Part II | Developer: Naughty Dog | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: 19th June 2020
An excellent example of the kind of unique shots that can be achieved by taking advantage of glitches, this set shows Ellie swimming deep below the map with a sense of deep-sea diving or indeed, as the artist themselves interpreted, descending into hell!
Photographer: @TheWorldsOf1
Title: The Last of Us Part II | Developer: Naughty Dog | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: 19th June 2020
Sometimes the game's tech can really contribute to a shot, here we see tremendous skin detail, realistic reflections, directional light, beautiful depth of field and some outrageous 3-dimensional water globules that all add to the look. Even Abby's eyes seem focused on her task to make this shot feel all the more believable.
Photographer: @pixl_frames
Title: Assassin's Creed Odyssey | Developer: Ubisoft Quebec | Publisher: Ubisoft | Initial Release: 5th October 2018
Another Assassin's Creed water shot and this time it is the light bounce within a shallow body of water that caught my eye. That and the brilliant orange colour of course, and a bit of offset landscape composition never goes far wrong in my book.
Photographer: @juriphlosion
Title: The Last of Us | Developer: Naughty Dog | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: 14th June 2014
Part of a set of 4 similarly good images that rely not on high quality visuals but on the subjects telling their own stories. Abandoned objects always invoke a feeling of the people that are no longer around to use them and the unfinished chess match in particular emphasis that.
Title: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | Developer: Naughty Dog | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: 10th May 2016
Similar in some ways to the previous shot, this disused rocking horse is just sat waiting to be ridden once again and the shot itself uses a shallow depth of field and monochromatic style to great effect.
Photographer: @Longleglens
Title: Ghost of Tsushima | Developer: Sucker Punch | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Initial Release: 17th July 2020
Although I'm not wholly sold on the composition here with just a bit too much weight afforded to the bow on the right for me personally, I really love the tenderness that is captured between the two characters. Yuna's folded arms and body language are coy and the fact that both her and Jin's eyelines are down away from the camera adds quite a private feeling to the moment.
Photographer: @AreeLyBadPun
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.
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