As always, everyone received the same set of questions, giving each winner the opportunity to share their unique perspective. They were free to answer as many or as few as they liked, in whatever way suited them best, and could include any images they felt were relevant to their answers, or simply ones they were proud of and wanted to showcase.
So, without further ado, let’s meet the winners!
mantiiiss
First off, congrats! Could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into screen archery?
Thank you so much!
I go by "Mantis", I am a modder for BG3, and I am a super nerdy person who loves to create characters and take pictures of them!
I initially got into screen archery with Cyberpunk 2077 when I joined the AMM Discord. I loved how creative people were with their character designs, as well as what they were able to achieve visually with mods and photomode. I didn't know how to use the full extent of camera tools and mods available at that point, so I was using just the good old base game photomode.
When Baldur's Gate 3 came out, I got back into screen archery and committed to learning all of the camera tools and how to mod the game! I had created a Tumblr account (went by "astarionposting", haha) and began posting photos of Astarion and my Tav. I gained a decent following on there and made many friends in the community, which motivated me to continue screen archery. I kept trying to improve the quality with each new photo, thinking of creative ways to get new scenes and learning how to achieve certain lighting and atmospheres. I have spent A LOT of time experimenting with different scenes and characters!
I also just really wanted photos of my favourite characters for myself, haha.
Do you take inspiration from anywhere else, like photography, films, or other games?
I initially took inspiration from a lot of my fellow creators on Tumblr and on Instagram (Cedastarions, The Viscount Julian, Casualya, Venenum-cadavernius, and a lot more!). I then began to take a lot of inspiration from other fantasy media, such as Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon (especially Targaryens and their dragons!) and Lord of the Rings!
What did you make of the new photo mode in Patch 8? Any features you found especially fun or useful?
I was super excited about the new photo mode in patch 8! Setting up certain scenes, poses, and lighting was very time-consuming and tedious before photo mode had been launched. I find that having the ability to pose the characters is extremely helpful and fun! I also love that it is encouraging modders to create new and innovative tools for screen archery, as well as new poses! It inspires a lot of new ideas.
Did the new tools change how you approach taking screenshots in the game, or was it business as usual?
It has changed the way I take screenshots in-game a little bit. It has helped me discover new tools available (such as Lighty Lights, Backgrounds, etc.) for enhancing the quality of screenshots. The new tools also allow me to do a lot more than just portraits. I have recently been taking screenshots of me and my partner's current honour mode Tavs, and the new tools have made it so I can do so much more in terms of storytelling through screenshots!
Can you walk us through the process of setting up your scene? What steps did you take to get the perfect shot?
I had initially story-boarded a bit on Pinterest to decide what I wanted the theme and atmosphere of my scene to look like. I decided I wanted to do something with my Dark Urge in the Temple of Bhaal, inspired by religious imagery. I initially wanted the colour palette to be dark reds and dark blues, but unfortunately, that did not work out the way I had thought it would in my head lol. I used Lightly Lights by Rakor1 to really help achieve the lighting in my scene. I had used about 6-8 different lights in my scene to first create the very red atmosphere, as well as create the "halo" lighting effect around my character's head. I wanted it to look like a twisted version of the "Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows" sculpture by Francisco Romero Zafra!
I had also put a lot of thought into what my character should be wearing based on this sculpture. I had added dark, veiny textures to her face to resemble the "tears" of the sculpture. I also whited out her eyes through editing the eye mesh material in the code of my head .pak to make her look similar to Orin, as she is the Dark Urge after all! The creator of the clothing mod I used was a huge help as well, as the veil was a HUGE part of why I used the "Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows" sculpture as inspiration. It was 100% what gave me that "light bulb" moment while brainstorming. Skirbie, the creator of the "Divine Sister Robe" on mod.io, had helped me with re-fitting the veil for my character after I had edited the code to show my character's hair (it is originally hidden in the mod). It was something I really wanted to get right, and Skirbie was a lifesaver!
I then had to cycle through a few poses in photo mode to get as close to the pose of the sculpture as I could. I decided to go with the "Venus" pose in the Art category! I used Otis' tools camera mod to make sure I could get the perfect composition and ReShade IGCS depth of field to make my character stand out from the background, as well as make the highlights of the photo really shine!
In post-processing in Photoshop, I had increased the sharpness around her eyes and added some colour dodging to the "halo" lighting to make it pop!
To follow on from that, did you have a clear vision from the start, or did it evolve as you went?
As I had previously said, the vision from the start was a little different from what it turned out to be, but it was pretty close to what I initially wanted it to be inspired by!
Before settling on the final shot, did you play with different poses, settings, or angles?
I played with a few different poses! I also had a different idea after my initial screenshots. When I take screenshots, I always listen to music. I was listening to some Paris Paloma, one of my favourite artists, and her song "The Warmth" had started playing. I love the visuals of the music video for that song, and I also tried to take some screenshots inspired by it. I changed the lighting to a more orangey tone, as well as changed her pose up a lot. I had also tried to use the "wall of fire" spell to mimic the fire in the background of the video, but unfortunately, it didn't work when I tried to take the photo vertically.
What was the biggest challenge in bringing your idea to life, and how did you get past it?
Deciding on the lighting and atmosphere. As I had said above, I struggled with getting the initial tone/colouring I had wanted. I then thought of the "halo" lighting idea instead. Once I tested it out, I was very happy with it!
Are there any go-to locations or characters in BG3 that you keep coming back to when you’re taking shots?
The Temple of Bhaal will always be my go-to for Dark Urge characters. Other than that, I love to take photos at the Rosymorn Monastery and the Mountainpass camp! I think those locations have such a warm feeling, and the lighting/scenery is absolutely beautiful.
What do you think makes a screenshot stand out? Is it the lighting, the angle, the mood...?
Lighting is my favourite part of a screenshot; it can really elevate any screenshot. I believe lighting can be what directly influences the mood and atmosphere. Beautiful and creative lighting will always be what makes a screenshot stand out, in my opinion.
Other than your winning entry, do you have a favourite screenshot you’ve taken?
I recently took a photo of my latest WIP, Lune from Expedition 33! I was experimenting with some more "halo" lighting using Lighty Lights in the Underdark, and I was really happy with the result. I think it really enhanced the beauty of a simple portrait screenshot. It is definitely one of my favourite screenshots I have taken to date!
And lastly, any advice for someone who wants to give screen archery a go but isn’t sure where to start?
If someone wants to give it a go and isn't sure where to start, I recommend asking any creators you look up to about their process! There are also many tutorials available now on Tumblr and YouTube! Many creators are super friendly and are willing to help and give some tips! As I have previously mentioned, Lighty Lights by Rakor1 is an amazing tool that can enhance your screenshots; Rakor1, in general, makes great tools for screenshots!
If they are struggling with ideas, I would say take inspiration from your favourite artists, media and other creators and try to develop your own style from there! Great art is often inspired by other great artists. Take as many screenshots as possible. Even if you don't like how it turns out, keep trying! I look back at a lot of my old screenshots, and I can see how far I have come. It takes time, but anyone can do it!
As for some technical advice, I find that proper lighting and a higher field of view when taking a screenshot will always improve the quality and visibility of the in-game textures; a low field of view can make models look a bit "warped".
65CloudStrife1991
Hello, my name is Stepan. I have been doing screenshotting since the release of Skyrim, or rather, graphic modification - ENB. My first screenshots were with a fixed camera and disabled interface through the console.
Developing my hobby, I found new people with similar interests, new communities. One of them is FRAMED - a large screenshot community of very talented people. Looking at the work of others, I studied new ways and methods of screenshotting, which ended up in my screenshot.
Having launched Baldur's Gate 3 for the first time, I realized that the game would be very popular among screenshotters due to the very detailed characters and memorable locations.
As for my work. At the time of creating the screenshot, I was playing the game for the second time and already knew in which moments to focus attention. The game designers in this location very skillfully placed the light, pointing out important elements. My three are still not very familiar with each other, but they have a common goal to be together, and their first trip - the first crypt - is a test of their coordinated work. It was with this subtext that I took the screenshot, deliberately shooting at a wide angle, combining two parts of the screenshot into one.
Thank you again to both mantiiiss and 65CloudStrife1991 for participating in this interview, and congratulations once again to them and our runners-up!
3 comments
jokes aside, congrats to both of you again!