Virtual photography

For photography as a game mechanic, see Photography game. For photos of the real world taken to be used in virtual reality, see VR photography.
FlightGear Flight Simulator screenshot

Virtual photography is a form of new media art where images are created by taking screenshots of video games or other virtual worlds. Virtual photography has been featured in physical art galleries around the world. The validity and legality of this art form is sometimes questioned, because virtual photographers are taking photos of artwork created by the game's designers and artists.[1] For the most part, virtual photographers share the same motivations as "real life" photographers, including a desire to capture visually interesting images, preserve memories, and demonstrating technical expertise.[2]

One of the earliest known works of virtual photography was Thirteen Most Beautiful Avatars by Eva and Franco Mattes. It was exhibited in the virtual world of Second Life in 2006. The exhibit featured photographs of Second Life avatars set in a virtual art gallery.[3] However, Metal Gear Solid: Integral released in 1999 featured a photo mode, separate from the game itself, where one can take pictures of certain characters, although it is unknown if the images could be exported.[4] Gran Turismo 4, released in 2004, became the first known video game to include a photo mode that allowed players to export images.[5][6][7]

In May 2016, Nvidia unveiled Ansel, a software development kit which allows game developers to add a free camera mode designed to simplify virtual photography.[8] Ansel also made it possible to take 360-degree photos that could be viewed in virtual reality, such as with Google Cardboard.[9] The development kit was added to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in August 2016.[10] As of February 2022, Ansel is no longer supported by Nvidia.[11]

Virtual photographers are sometimes described as virtual tourists, since their focus is photographing games rather than playing them. Because virtual worlds often feature tourist attractions in-game, such as beaches, golf courses and recreations of landmarks, a visit may be considered a form of vacation.[12][13]

As video game graphics have become increasingly photorealistic and many new games feature photo modes designed for virtual photography, such as Red Dead Redemption 2 released in 2018 and The Last of Us Part II from 2020, the form has increased in popularity.[4][14] Virtual photography was added as a separate category on image hosting site Flickr in September 2022, distinguishing these images from other screenshots.[15]

In 2016, the Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland was one of the first art centers to feature virtual in-game photography. They showcased Kent Sheely's work, a veteran digital artist that took pictures within the DoD series from the video game, Day of Defeat: Source. [16]

  1. ^ Farmer, Dina (2015-11-22). "Screenshot Photography: Where Does it Fit in the Art World?". GeekDad. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  2. ^ Poremba, Cindy (2007-01-01). "Point and Shoot: Remediating Photography in Gamespace". Games and Culture. 2 (1). SAGE Publishing: 49–58. doi:10.1177/1555412006295397. S2CID 12717297.
  3. ^ Doyle, Denise (2015-06-01). "Art, Virtual Worlds and the Emergent Imagination". Leonardo. 48 (3): 244–250. doi:10.1162/LEON_a_00708. hdl:2436/620186. ISSN 0024-094X. S2CID 57564005.
  4. ^ a b Saavedra, John (2021-02-16). "Is Virtual Photography the Next Great Artform?". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  5. ^ Lewis, Ed (26 January 2005). "Picture Perfect: Gran Turismo 4's Photo Mode". IGN. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  6. ^ Grodt, Jill (30 April 2021). "Photo Mode: A Snapshot Of Our Gaming Landscape". Game Informer. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  7. ^ Kernaghan, Chris (4 June 2024). "Gran Turismo 4: A Timeless Masterpiece Before Microtransaction Mania". feedme.design. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  8. ^ Isacsson, Dan (2016-05-08). "Nvidia Ansel Introduces VR Photography to Games". Digital Trends. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  9. ^ Seppala, Tim (2016-05-07). "NVIDIA brings in-game photography to the masses with 'Ansel'". Engadget. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  10. ^ "NVIDIA Ansel Available Now In The Witcher 3". Nvidia. 2016-08-16. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  11. ^ "NVIDIA Ansel". Nvidia. 14 February 2017. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  12. ^ Gale, Tim (2009-02-04). "Urban Beaches, Virtual Worlds and 'The End of Tourism'". Mobilities. 4 (1): 119–138. doi:10.1080/17450100802657996. ISSN 1745-0101. S2CID 59290917.
  13. ^ Artaius, James (2019-08-24). "Virtual Photography: taking photos in videogames is imaging's next evolution". Digital Camera World. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  14. ^ Hobbs, Thomas (2021-05-24). "Are these stunning photos of imaginary worlds a new artform?". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  15. ^ Guinness, Harry (2022-09-17). "'Virtual photography,' once obscure, is now on the rise". PopPhoto. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  16. ^ Dassa, Nathalie (2022-01-05). "The Imaginary Worlds of In-Game Photography". Blind Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-19.