Photo Mode is now officially in God of War Ragnarök, and we’ve loved what the community has shared so far.
To help you create even more perfect in-game shots, we’ve asked two of our most active community photographers to give you the advice you need to take your photo to the next level.
Hosts of the podcast Photomode Unplugged and prolific contributors to the God of War photographer community, we’ve asked TheFourthFocus and DotPone to give us their top tips for those of you looking to get snapping in God of War Ragnarök.
Getting Started in Video Game Photography
TheFourthFocus
Virtual photography is a great way for players to engage more with the games they love and, with its recent photo mode update, God of War Ragnarök has joined the photography party.
By enabling a set of in-game tools that mimic the use of a real-world camera, the photo mode can be used to capture original and creative shots of Kratos and Atreus’ journey throughout the Nine Realms.
Found via the Options menu, the photo mode will freeze the game and allow players to move around the scene with a virtual camera. As with any type of photography, mastering the composition and arranging elements within the frame is key to a compelling image, so work the camera using the analog sticks to find a good angle. Pay close attention to the lighting direction and be sure to put emphasis on the chosen subject while avoiding distractions that draw the eye away – get these right and most of the hard work has already been done.
TheFourthFocus
Go-to settings
TheFourthFocus
For me, the most important settings in the photo mode are those that affect the actual composition of the shot and change how the camera captures the scene. Start off by adjusting how wide the view within the frame is, either by directly setting the Field of View angle or by changing the Focal Length to “zoom” in or out.
Notice that a long Focal Length creates a narrow Field of View angle and vice versa, and that each can greatly influence the style of the shot.
As a general rule, a longer Focal Length is great for getting up-close or removing clutter from the frame, while a short Focal Length creates a wide angle that adds perspective distortion and can make shots look more dynamic.
If it’s portraits that you are interested in, the 50 – 85 mm is a real sweet spot.
TheFourthFocus
Of course, there is no point in setting up a well-framed shot if the subject is completely blurry, so switch over to the Focus Distance setting to place the point of focus on the subject so they appear nice and sharp.
A top tip here is to aim for the eyes as they create the strongest connection to the viewer.
Next to this setting, you’ll also find the f-stop value which can be used to control the depth of field – essentially that is how much of a scene appears in sharp focus. Increasing the f-stop value will bring more of the foreground and background into focus, while decreasing it creates a shallow depth of field that can be used to separate a subject from the background and create a soft boke