VP Interview: Ghostly Fog Crawler

 

The world of virtual photography is as diverse as any art form. People take to it for different reasons and also have various ways of approaching the hobby. Today we have an interview with Ghostly Fog Crawler who was featured for both her Fallout 76 work here and her Red Dead Redemption Online shots here. 

Below we get a greater insight into the person behind the shots and discover what drives that creativity!

All shots on this page were taken by Ghostly Fog Crawler for more of her wonderful work check out her page here.

Fallout 76

What got you into Virtual Photography and why does it mean so much to you?

I was not into virtual photography as my page was starting off as a story platform. Later on I took more photos rather than wrote. I was told the Fallout 76 is an ugly game so I decided to prove them wrong. Now I have found an amazing amount of stunning scenes in other games too, which has got me to expand my page into other games too.

Most of your shots come from online games with a lack of photo mode. How do you get past that obstacle and embrace the medium of virtual photography?

I take screenshots with no visible hud if no photo mode, or if there is a cinematic mode. They usually provide nice angles for shots. I end up using these sometimes even there would be a photo mode! Again it requires me to explore the world with friends or alone, and the situation I feel would be great for a photo happens along the way.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Online

Out of all the games you have played and shot. Which mean the most to you and why?

Fallout 76 most likely on this account means most, as my page was built around the characters in it. The game is really much fun with friends and the community amazes me daily with stunning shots.

Later came other more aesthetic games like Red Dead Redemption 2 (the Online version), and then also the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint with amazing photo mode and scenery, which I do adore a lot.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

It is clear that you have a love for Fallout 76, How has the journey as a photographer and a gamer treated you in the post-apocalyptic world?

Very nicely. I get all my ideas for my photos as we quest or mess around with friends. Luckily I am also surrounded with people with similar interests, and they allow me to just suddenly 'hop' off from the main event and go taking photos.

Currently the actual virtual photography has become more and more stressful, so I'll be going back to my story telling. It was fun while it lasted, but I need to enjoy this hobby rather than start feeling anxiety over every post I make.

What draws you into creating your own characters and narratives within the worlds you play in and out of all of your original characters, who is your favourite?

I love writing stories, starting the Fallout 76 story page was something I had never done, as previous stories I had written were not in English, but in Finnish as the MMORPG I played contained a massive amount of my countrymen. (1200 people in the guild I was in). So also this 'new' way of finding a way to play with words in this foreign language, has been a challenge, and a joy to do. 

I fail often, and am grateful to some of the people in the community to point them out, allowing my grammar to grow in the right direction, and motivating me to write more. I enjoy bringing my characters to life and getting many messages of inspiring people to start writing their own stories also warms my heart tremendously.

My all time favourite character is - who else - than Aster. I also had worked the longest with my Enclavist Julia, and fell for my Communist sisters Lilith and Svetlana. But still Aster holds a special place in my heart and therefore she is the most commonly written character of my stories. In the PDF book I am working on, all my characters will be working together/against each other, around Aster's story, who is starring it. We'll see how that works out.

Are there any other games that you would like to explore or any that you are looking forward to the release of?

I am currently playing Borderlands 3, continuing my Forza Horizon enthusiasm in the 4th game, Ghost Recon, and soon diving into Sea of Thieves too as some of my friends are playing it. 

The only release date I have been keeping my eye out is for Diablo IV. I will have to actually most likely take a time off from Instagram as it comes out, and just feast on the new chapter of the legendary tales.

Being an avid virtual photographer who doesn't use a photo mode often, do you have any advice for those who are reluctant to explore without that kind of setting?

Many games nowadays have the actual photo mode, of some sort, but the ones that have not, usually the HUD is hideable, which allows you to take clean screenshots of even action moments, views, sunsets, starry skies only the sky's the limit!

Playing on consoles sometimes the HUD is not completely hidden, so skills in cropping and having high quality photos is sometimes needed in games where photo mode is not a thing. Also patience and exploring the possibilities of the game is always good for the skills on virtual photography, even when using the photo mode.

I play through all platforms Fallout 76 and Red Dead Redemption 2. So what I have learned is that on PC (as my PC is getting old) and I have no 4k screen on it yet.The photos taken on PC require a lot eye for lighting and backgrounds to make the character or item to pop out even remotely clear. As I do not mod any other than Minecraft from my games on PC, I have to really work for the photos. Sometimes I might get lost for hours on trying to get exactly the photo I want even on my PS4 and XBox One, which requires my friends to have a lot of patience when it comes to taking photos with me, and I am blessed to have such friends. I just can not take a pose and snap a photo. I mean I can, but it usually ends up something I don't feel good about. 

So whatever platforms you're playing I am sure the photos you come up with are amazing! The Fallout Community has phenomenal, actual virtual photographers, who most likely could give tips on editing and apps to use, as I don't use anything else than my phone's photo gallery edits to mainly crop if ever needed.

Read Dead Redemption Online: Ghosty Fog Crawler

 

Last week I featured the work of Ghostly Fog Crawler and I thought it would be good to do another showcase before an upcoming VP interview. Here we have her Read Dead Online photography. A truly beautiful work of art, the game allows virtual photographers to capture a real period of history. 

Ghostly Fog Crawler showcases a range of beautifully serene shots with her character Rozella-Ann and horse, moseying across the landscape. Each shot showing the bond between the pair as they venture through the world together.

The lighting and positioning is wonderful for an online game lacking a photo mode. Hopefully one day we will see the Rockstar Editor land for RDR2.  Until that day we have the delights of accounts like Ghostly Fog Crawler to keep us topped up with the beauty of the virtual western world. 

To see more of their work check out Ghostly Fog Crawler here on Instagram.

Metro Exodus: Orbot

Orbot's Instagram gallery is full of wonderful content. His use of light and shadow is as strong as the composition of each virtual photograph. 

These shots from Metro Exodus show just that. All are very different in subject from each other, yet as a group they all show the consistency of his work. 

No matter whether Orbot shoots cars from Need For Speed, landscapes in Red Dead Redemption or monstrous creatures in God of War, his style shines through. I implore you to check out his gallery here.

Control: Titanusgojira

 

Titanusgojira was a new profile to me only last week. One thing I love about Instagram is constantly bumping into new talent and skill sets. Everyone shoots games differently and that is what keeps me there. Inspiration and variation to me are key.

Titanusgojira aka Tom, shows us a wide wealth of vibrant content from a selection of photo mode games. Constantly positing new and varied content he is one to follow. 

I especially like the impact of his Control shots. Turning away from the typical dreamy, Lynchian dreamscapes and moving into brighter pastures. Each shots brings a punch of colour and sheds a different perspective on the Control experience. Frenetic action coupled with immense power. Sheer beauty. 

For more of Titanusgojira's work check out his page here. 

Fallout 76: Ghostly Fog Crawler

Ghostly Fog Crawler is easily one of my favourite Fallout photographers. Fallout 76 was not well received but despite this it has a solid fan base that embrace it with all their heart. 

In her work we can see just how much Ghostly Fog Crawler adores the world and the characters that she has created. 

Each shot brings with it both the grit of the post apocalyptic setting but also juxtaposes this with bright and vibrant colours, giving it a powerful comic book feel.

A lot of virtual photographers shoot the fallout worlds drab and depressing or the opposite and make it totally madcap and silly. Both of course are cool, but what makes Ghostly Fog Crawler stand out is that she turns it into a vibrant and slick world that I would want to be a part of.  

For more of their work check out the Instagram profile here.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - Jet Black Gaming

Jet_black_gaming excels at portraiture. Across their virtual photography gallery you see not only a whole host of photo mode content games, but also an array of amazing characters shot in many different locations, atmospheres and poses. 

Today's feature focuses on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and like many of his followers, I would have to say that Jet Black's shots of Chloe really are the best out there. From treasure hunter to cover model, we see Chloe in a variety of provocative poses drenched in water. For more of Jet Black's work check out their page here.

Plat Runner 08: Fall Guys

Fall Guys for all of us with a PS Plus membership was a free delight. While it may still be having teething problems Mediatonic expected, at a best case scenario to have 100,000 users on at once and at day one the PS4 had 300,000. Servers were unstable and it was near impossible at times to get a game. 

Despite this Fall Guys is not only a real joy to play but the perfect battle royal game for all ages. It is cute, fast, fun and rewarding. The customisation is perfect and the trophies for the most part attainable.

So far only a handful of people have the platinum, a platinum of which I shall probably never attain. However those that have achieved the hardest trophy: Infalillible say that it actually was not too bad.

Infalillible How to Guide: 

• What you need for the unlock is win 5 games in a row.

• After the first win all you gotta do is leave the game before getting eliminated so it doesnt count as losing. 

• Then just win the last 4 games and you are done.

• Beware there are some game modes that can be very hard to leave before getting eliminated like jump club or jinxed.

• Only go for the most comfortable starts.

• Also you can have your party members sabotage others so you have better chance of winning.

As far as getting all the trophies in the game as fast as possible check out the advice from Antivist, self proclaimed no-lifer, who has already done it all. 

His guide is here.

For those of you attempting this long road I wish you the best of luck. Sooner is better for the Platinum as the longer you leave it the better everyone will get at the game.

Warframe: Heart of Deimos

 

As you know by now Warframe for me is by far the best free to play game that ever existed. hundreds of hours of content, so much so that the majority of casual players will never see all there is to offer. At Tennocon there was a huge host of new content revealed. Today I shall leave the game play reveal of the new open world: Heart of Deimos. 

The graphics and infested environment are astounding. I cannot wait to see what the next gen consoles bring to it.  Until then we have this free expansion hitting Warframe on all platforms on the 25th of August!

The New Open World: Heart of Deimos

"There is a sinister mystery lying underneath Deimos, hiding from even the Entrati and the Infestation that has overtaken the entire moon. We can’t wait for you to experience everything Heart of Deimos has to offer:

- Explore a new open world; a hauntingly-beautiful landscape festering with Infested enemies, the dark Entrati and sights unseen in ever-changing underground cave networks.
- Harness the power of the Void with the Community-designed Xaku, the second-ever Warframe to be designed by the Tenno!
- Customize your Warframe like never before with the Helminth Chrysalis system. Give the Helminth a Warframe to absorb a signature Ability and transfer it to another Warframe."

Plat Runner 07: Days Gone

For my 60th Platinum I was going to get Uncharted 3 or maybe Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, instead I set my sights on finishing a larger task and finished those two before hand. 

Days Gone wasn't received too well by a lot of critics on release. The quote I recall reading was this: "Days Gone is a game that tries to do many things and does none of them well..."

This put me off of buying the game when I got my PS4 and it could not have been further from the truth. Days Gone is easily one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time. The world is so rich and well considered, the story emotive, yet not gruellingly depressing like most releases I have played of late. The games story is a solid 40-45 hours and the platinum you're looking at 60-70 depending on your play style.  

At the start of the game you are faced with the task of surviving the post apocalyptic state of Oregon. To begin with you are under-equipped and your bike is poor. The fights are a struggle and even small skirmishes are a very real mortal threat. As the game progresses your skills and firepower scales with the environment. When you get to the final regions you are dealing with hordes of undead in the 200+ bracket, bringing a different level of intensity to the experience. 

While many have said there are better games and other games do certain aspects better, there is nothing quite like Days Gone. The social drama is better than The Walking Dead, more believable and grounded in our reality. It isn't a soap opera, the characters feel real and the narrative touches on a whole host of world issues. None of this is shoved down your throat either, it is subtle world building. Small glimmers in conversations and found collectables really reveal the greater world. While it is possible to plough through the game, you would be missing most of what makes the game special. 

Days Gone brings content in spades and keeps both the sandbox gaming and horror genre fresh and enticing. Once the game is over there is still a rather large amount of side missions to be carried out that tie up all of the loose ends nicely. While there is more than enough room for a sequel, if one never came I would still feel fulfilled and content. 

I would recommend this to any plat hunter that hasn't played it yet, who has the time to dedicate to the game. 

Hints and Tips

• There are no missable trophies, so play the game and enjoy it.

• If you are finding fighting hordes hard just avoid them until the end game.

• If you are skilled enough to wipe out hordes early the weapon rewards make the entire game much easier. 

• There is no difficulty requirement. You can play on easy all the way.

• If at the end of the game you are getting worn down hunting collectables Iron Butte has 13 RIP Sermons that are all very close to one another (They are speakers that broadcast religious sermons).

• There are two points of no return, but do not fear as by the end of the game everything opens up again, allowing you to tie up any loose ends.

• You've Got Red on You, requires you to loot 541 corpses, which you cant do if your inventory is full. Make sure to craft and use items often or this may be a real grind at the end of the game. Even actively looting corpses I only got this towards the end of the game. The undead don't count here.

• For the more intense trophy hunters the DLC trophies require you to play on harder difficulties and also a New Game +, as well as gold ranking the challenge mode, which is hard!

Ghost of Tsushima - VP Vibrancy

Ghost of Tsushima was released on Friday and what a game it is. Not being able to afford games on release at the moment, I was lucky enough to have Enthusiast Gamer let me share play his for an hour on the games release. I watched him immerse for a while before having a turn myself and then I watched him conquer some Mongol outposts and progress in the story. 

The game achieves all it sets out to do. Visually stunning it through me straight into the world of a Kurosawa movie, stoic, violent and beautiful. It took my breath away.  

While the photo mode is astounding and very well developed and the games visuals are pretty much perfect, what sold me even more was the combat. Fluid, cinematic and rewarding you have to play it to really get a feel for it. Just in a mere three hours experience, I could not recommend the game highly enough.

Last of Us Part 2: Visualcam9

This weeks showcase series starts off with the last features of the Last of Us Showcase. Today we have the work of Visualcam9. 

Their ability to create breathtaking set pieces across all of the games they play is simply amazing. The combination of environment and protagonist combines to create dramatic and captivating photography.

These The Last of Us Part 2 shots are no different. Each of the four present very different emotions from each other, and capture a completely different perspective of Ellie.

To see more of their wonderful work check out their page here.

Art Feature: Hour of Dawn

Starting today I am venturing into slightly new territory for interest and variation. I have seen many virtual photographer commission artists to draw game characters or their original Characters (OC). Therefore in order to show appreciation to these fine creatives I will be doing the occasional art feature. 

My first is Hour of Dawn. 

Svetlana the Russian watercolour artist paints portraits of various figures from TV, music and with the Last of Us Part 2, now games. 

Very reasonably priced for such fine work, Svetlana offers commission work as well as a large catalogue of completed designs. 

To see her on social media and her storefront check out her Link Tree here.

The Last of Us Part 2: Gr8gamingshots

As The Last of Us showcases continue today we have the shots of Gr8gamingshots. Thrilled to have him on board with the showcase, he has always been an inspiration to me. From the first day I made my account I followed him and I have been an avid support of his work ever since.

Today in this host of early The Last of Us Part 2 content we see Ellie at the start of the new road ahead. Being a virtual photographer that spends his time exclusively shooting from PS4 games with a decent photo mode, he has honed his skills and knows how to find and capture set pieces. This is especially relevant in his pursuit of Spider-Man and the effective use of locations and remote areas to get exactly what he desires.

Many virtual photographers shy away from backgrounds when it comes to portraiture, but Gr8gamingshots always takes in into consideration to tell the story within the shots. 

Since he sent me these pictures Gr8gamingshots has uploaded more. To see those and plenty of other games check out his page here.