Skyrim Screen Archery and Digital Photography

What's good.. It's Fevir. Today I want to share with you a facet of
the Skyrim community that is pretty incredible- but in a different way than when I went over
what I personally find compelling about the act of modding.. As for that I'm part of it
and felt confident speakin to it..

For this I'm on the outside looking in... But this
is just another way Skyrim has been able to remain relevant since it's release with people. In this video we're going to dive into the
realm of screen shotting. I'll start showing off some screenshots that
people have taken from Skyrim..

And if you're anything like me. Any screenshot you've ever taken of any game..
Doesn't look like any of these. I've had those moments where I think I'm taking
a great screenshot as many people have had.. Usually images of the landscape..

Or the light
hitting trees or god ray anything.. Where I'm feeling hela artistic.. And those are
alright.. But these are on another level.

Now I understand screenshots are taken for
many different reasons.. In this video I'm mainly speaking to the artistic side. Now I found these images.. Randomly on a Flickr
account..

Don't ask me why I was on that website.. And it was filled with some of the shots you've
been seeing... And while generally I don't care about screenshots.. Reddit and forums
and friends- people always try to share them and I thought I had become numb to them..

Sort of like vacation or baby pictures.. Who
cares... But there was something about these shots.. Where I ended up spending quite a
bit of time looking through albums and albums from the same uploader..

Than branching out
to see if other people took shots like this.. And they did. In fact a lot of people collect and hunt for
great screenshots.. In the same way photographers do.

And I think that is almost the distinction
here- these screenshots are a respectable type of video game photography- digital photography. And there are players who have these archives
of screenshots from every game they've played- where finding good shots is just another way
they enjoy and interact with games the same way as people like to achievement hunt or
collect one of everything or 100% a game. And what I found interesting outside of just
some screenshots from tons of other games.. Is that the ones for Skyrim and to a lesser
extent- other Bethesda games..

Seemed to look better but also had much more variation. The reason for this.. Is that taking screenshots
in a video game is weirdly similar to taking pictures in real life. You have a lot of control over how you take
the image..

And what you take an image of.. But you're hoping to capture something.. And
most games are limited in what you can capture.. Whether that's a comment on the amount of
characters, events or just the size and scope of the game...

And Skyrim offers the same.. But the engine allows
you to take it a step further.. And not only gives you more control over how you take a
picture.. But also gives you control of what you take a picture of.

Generally when you take screenshot in a game
you have control over the viewpoint and camera that is attached to your character.. So you
are restricted in a sense to what and where your character can be. But in Skyrim.. Those restrictions don't exist.

You can detach your camera from your character..
You can ignore the games physics and fly around and through objects to find vantage points
and angles you couldn't otherwise.. You could take a shot of something that's happening
far away from you. You can stop time.. Speed up time..

Change
the lighting.. The weather.. Mod in new textures.. New animations..

Fog.. But also.. Add, remove,
replace... Anything you want.

The depth of the mod scene is also at your
fingertips and if you want to instead of shooting dragons.. Why not shoot the avengers.. You
can. The amount of freedom and control you have
is incredible.

Not to mention ENBs and their in-game configuration
that allows you to do a lot of what you might do in photoshop.. In game. In fact a lot of the images you're seeing
weren't touched up in photoshop.. That's what it looks like playable in game..

Quick aside-
most of these are from a modded Classic Skyrim. And that level of control.. Allows someone
to create, stage or force things to capture.. Limited only by your creativity.

Sometimes this ends up looking like someone
playing with digital dolls playing dress up.. Sometimes they are trying to show off a cool
character or relay an emotion.. Sometimes documenting a story.. Or they were inspired
and are highlighting an item..

A place.. A mod.. Something. And then times it's just a good image.

But because of the ability to basically create
your our set to do a photoshoot.. Skyrim works as a stage.. To get people to
play Skyrim.. Without actually playing Skyrim..

In a way the developer's probably never saw
coming. And maybe.. This doesn't impress you the way
it impresses me. I was just blown away to find this community
of people that I didn't even really know existed..

And they take this stuff very seriously..
And just the idea of playing a game and constantly being on the lookout for a shot that conveys
an emotion or a story and trying to capture it.. Just parallels real photography in a
way.. Even though it's 'just' happening in a game... And it all just impresses the hell
out of me..

When done well. ..Because I've seen both ends of the spectrum.. I have a respect for the ability.. Or the
skill..

Required to create that image.. Not sure how else to word that. And in a weird way has given me a stronger
overall appreciation.. For all forms of static imagery..

Or even just the thought that goes
into a single image. Some people might have felt this way and come
to that realization.. After seeing a certain painting.. Or examiming architecture and the
lines of an interesting building or appreciated deep and meaningful lyrics to a song or poem.

But me.. Nerd at heart. I needed to see some cool screenshots of a
dragon. I'm hopeless.

That's going to do it for me. Until next time.. This is Fevir..