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Videos: Learn photography by playing video games

06 Apr

Can video games help teach you photography skills? Texas-based photographer Mir-or-Image believes they can. In his ongoing video series, ‘Photo Mode Perspective,’ Mir plays popular video games and uses their built-in photo modes to help viewers learn the basics of photography, including principles of composition, how shutter speed and aperture impact the look and feel of an image, and more. Mir loves video games and photography. With his educational video series, he combines these two passions in a distinct and educational way.

Photo modes in video games have become increasingly more sophisticated. For example, in the PlayStation 4 game ‘God of War,’ the included photo mode includes sliders for the field of view and focal length, which are, of course, interconnected. As you increase the field of view, the focal length decreases. This is something that experienced photographers take for granted, but for beginners, understanding how focal length changes perspective in a scene is important.

Likewise, for seasoned shooters, you understand how aperture changes the depth of field, all else equal. Still, the photo mode in ‘God of War’ and other games offers a helpful visual representation of how the plane of focus changes with aperture. Put in simple terms, ‘Here’s something to note with f-stop, the smaller the number, the blurrier the background gets,’ Mir says in the video below. Using ‘God of War,’ Mir also discusses ways to crop images and edit brightness, contrast and colors, and more.

Another PlayStation game with a very capable built-in photo mode is 2020’s ‘Ghost of Tsushima.’ The game, developed by Sucker Punch Productions, is set on Japan’s Tsushima island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Some creative liberties are taken in the game for narrative and gameplay purposes, but it nonetheless provides a stunning backdrop for taking in-game photos.

Like ‘God of War,’ ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ includes focal length and aperture sliders for your virtual lens. If you want to shoot a portrait of the main character, Jin, you can use a virtual 85mm f/1.8 lens, for example. You can even direct your subject, in a sense, by changing the character’s pose and facial expression. To add creative flair, you can adjust exposure compensation (bias), add particle effects, change the lighting, color grade your image and more. Also, as a warning, ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ is a violent video game and there is some virtual blood in the video below.

Over at Mir’s YouTube channel you can also see his ‘Photo Mode Perspective’ videos for two more video games, ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ and ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales.’ To view Mir’s real-world photography, follow him on Instagram and visit his website. The photography bug bit Mir during a trip to Europe in 2018. He enjoyed using his smartphone in manual mode, and when he returned home to Texas, he went out and bought an interchangeable lens camera. He is now a professional car photographer based in Houston.

I captured this image in ‘Forza Horizon 4’ on Xbox. It’s exceedingly unlikely that I’ll ever have the chance to photograph a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO in the Scottish highlands in real life, so it’s neat that I get to photography rare cars in different locations in a racing video game.

Videogames can do more than help aspiring photographers learn more about how camera and lens settings impact the photos they capture. For example, professional automotive photographer Sam Dobbins used Forza Motorsport on Xbox to plan out a real-world photoshoot. Others, such as Instagram user jk_fh4_pics has an entire account dedicated to photography from the game ‘Forza Horizon 4.’ In some cases, game developers even hold photography contests using their games, which is something that Playground Games does with Forza Horizon and Rockstar Games does with Red Dead Redemption 2.

If you’re like Mir and love both video games and photography, you may be able to combine your interests like him. ‘New Pokémon Snap’ arrives on Nintendo Switch later this month, and the entire purpose of that game is to capture photos of Pokémon in their virtual habitats.

The upcoming Switch title will allow Pokémon shutterbugs to edit and share their images online with other gamers. A similar game is a PlayStation 3 title from 2008, ‘Afrika,’ in which the player assumes the role of a photojournalist hired to take photos on an African safari. It’s a difficult game to find these days, but I remember importing a copy from Japan when I became interested in photography in high school. It wasn’t an amazing game, but it was a lot of fun to take wildlife photographs of animals I’ve never seen in real life.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Video: ‘One Shot’ shows what it takes to capture an iconic image at the Olympic games

25 Nov

A thread on Reddit has brought a neat photography documentary from 2017 to our attention. ‘One Shot: Photographing the Olympic Games’ is a behind the scenes look at how photographers capture the iconic images of the Olympics, including a special focus on photographers setting up to capture the 100m men’s final in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 summer games.

Featured photographers include multi-awarded photographers such as Lucy Nicholson, Dave Burnett, Bob Martin, Tim de Waele, and Tsuyoshi Matsumoto. Nicholson had a very specific image in mind for the 100m men’s final in Rio. As she sets up her gear, nine hours ahead of the starting gun kicking off what is one of the most exciting 10 seconds in sports, Nicholson talks about how she wants a tight shot of the winner with other sprinters on either side of the winner. ‘You only get one chance to take the key shot,’ Nicholson says.

A chart showing Sports Illustrated’s plans for photographing the 100m men’s final in Rio. Click to enlarge.

The documentary, seen below, was awarded the Candido Cannavo Award at the World Final of the Milan Sport Film Festival in 2018. About 150 iconic images from nearly 100 different photographers over the last 50 years of Olympic games are featured. An iconic image tells a story for years to come. Long after the medals have been awarded to the victors, and even long after the photographer has passed, the images and the stories they tell remain. Presenter Jonathan Edwards, Olympic gold medalist triple jumper, says it well, ‘A story that’s taken a lifetime to create, told in one shot. One freeze frame.’

Years of planning are required to create iconic images, and in under a minute, an iconic photo can be sent halfway around the globe. The technology on display in 2016 during the summer games was incredible. Reuters was able to get the first photo of Usain Bolt winning the 100m men’s final out to its customers in 58 seconds. It’s safe to assume that the technology will have advanced even further when photographers head to Tokyo in 2021. And while the equipment and tools photographers use continue to evolve, photography’s importance when telling a story remains unchanged.

‘One Shot’ was directed and written by Peter Davies and presented by Jonathan Edwards. As pointed out by PetaPixel, the documentary can also be viewed on the Olympic Channel. It’s hosted on YouTube by Anthony Edgar, the Head of Media Operations for the International Olympic Committee. Edgar also appears in the video. His channel, linked above, includes a lot of interesting Olympics-related video content.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Video: What it’s like to photograph hockey games inside the NHL ‘bubble’

29 Aug

Like many professional sports, the National Hockey League (NHL) is playing its playoff-only season in a containment bubble to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 amongst its ranks. In addition to the players, this bubble also requires all team personnel, photographers included, to quarantine and work inside empty arenas that would normally be filled with fans.

To highlight how this looks for the photographers and editors inside their respective bubbles, the NHL has published a behind-the-scenes video showing what goes on before, during and after a game.

Throughout the six-minute video, we hear from NHL Images Senior Manager, Kara Bradley, as well as NHL photographers Chase Agnello-Dean, Mark Blinch and Dave Sandford. Each of them share their experiences thus far, showing that while not much different than shooting a regular game from a capture standpoint, the sheer number of games played back-to-back makes it difficult to get images turned around and remote cameras set up.

Here are a few fun stats from the video:

Photographers usually operate five cameras at once: two handheld (typically one wide-angle and one telephoto) and three remote cameras (usually one at center ice and one at each net)
The photographers average 15,000 steps a day, many of which are up and down stairs and rafters to set up remote cameras and strobes
Around 3,000 images are taken in low-scoring games while high-scoring games can see upwards of 7,000 images captured
So far most of the photographers have shot around 46 games in just 21 days

Having shot plenty of hockey games myself, I know how challenging even a single game in a night can be. To be shooting two a day — in addition to auxiliary shots before and after the game — for nearly a month straight is absolutely absurd. In the words of Dave Sandford from the video, ‘it’s like groundhog day here.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Man accused of flying drone over NFL football games charged

02 Jun

On Wednesday, authorities announced that a man had been officially charged on May 14th with violating two separate Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) areas during NFL football matches. Sacramento resident Tracy Michael Mapes, 56, is accused of flying his drone over a San Francisco 49ers game at Levi’s Stadium and dropping anti-media leaflets into the crowd on November 26, 2017. He is also accused of the same violation during a Raiders game at Oakland Stadium later that day.

Knowingly violating a TFR can result in serious legal and financial consequences. In this case, Mapes could face up to a year in prison and a $ 100,000 fine if convicted. TFRs are used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to restrict aircraft operations within designated areas. The restrictions help facilitate national security measures. Natural disasters, presidential and other high-ranking official visits, and professional sporting events that are typically congested with people warrant TFRs.

Mapes has not publicly commented on the matter. According to police, his drone released leaflets containing content about free speech and personal views on television being corrupt. Most of the leaflets didn’t make it into the stadium or crowd at the 49ers game, due to high winds and rain. No one was injured.

Surveillance cameras were able to identify the operator and record his license plate number as he drove away from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Detectives alerted their counterparts in Oakland ahead of the Raiders game. Mapes released leaflets into Oakland Coliseum and, once again, no one was affected. Officers located his vehicle as he was leaving, cited him with misdemeanor charges, and released him.

Checking a service such as SkyVector is highly recommended before embarking on a drone flight. Flying in any TFR can result in severe consequences.

TFRs begin several hours before the start of a professional game or other major event and continue for hours after it concludes. It is important for remote pilots to check Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) or SkyVector before embarking on a flight. Some prefer to use an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) application such as Kittyhawk, Skyward, or AirMap.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Amazon Calm: Rio’s Deteriorating Olympic Games Venues

27 Feb

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Barely completed in time, venues at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are going south in a big way now that the athletes have left.

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The Games of the XXXI Olympiad – Rio 2016 for short – were meant to do for Brazil what the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing did for China: announce the host nation’s arrival on the world stage.

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Critics of Rio’s winning bid were placated by that old chestnut; “hosting the Games will bring improved infrastructure and services that will benefit residents far into the future.” So how’s that working out, less than a year after the circus left town?

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Rio’s Olympics weren’t all that popular with cariocas (Rio de Janiero-ians) from the get-go, and let’s recall that Brazil’s economy was booming back in October of 2009 when the Games were awarded. In 2014, a massive financial scandal coupled with the onset of Brazil’s worst economic recession since 1990 put a huge financial squeeze on preparations for the Games. With funds tighter than a gymnast’s tendons, corners were cut and, well, you know the story – it’s a wonder the Games were as problem-free as they appeared on TV.

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Good thing Rio’s poorer residents had so much to look forward to once the Games ended. Too bad their hopes focused on looting the lightly-guarded facilities of anything valuable – payback, of a sort, for their sense of disenfranchisement and a conviction that the only ones to benefit from the Olympic Games were the rich and powerful. These images depict the jewel in Rio’s Olympic crown, Maracanã Stadium, mere months after the Games ended with a bang at the Closing Ceremonies.

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Amazon Calm Rios Deteriorating Olympic Games Venues

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Posted in Creativity

Invisible Arts: Hydrophobic Games, Poetry & Pokémon Surface When Wet

27 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

rain paint

When the hydrophobic NeverWet spray came out, it promised to waterproof everything, but users found they had mixed results in applying it to things like clothing and touchscreens – it discolored shoes and left films on devices. Then someone thought to create a stencil and tag sidewalks with the stuff, and a new type of visible-when-wet graffiti was born.

neverwet

Since an initial round of stencils came out in Boston, others have gotten even more creative with the stuff, creating hopscotch boards and other water-activated drawings.

Recently, a series of works inspired by the popularity of the augmented reality game Pokémon GO have allowed people to throw gameplay-inspired water balloons to reveal characters on sidewalks.

rainy day

Rainworks in Seattle has created an array of humorous messages and interactive games that only show up when the city’s famous fog turns into a downpour. Others have made poems and short stories spelled out light-on-dark against drenched backdrops.

sidewalk poem

Of course, the potential applications are endless – businesses could use the same strategies to offer rain-specific happy hours or other discounts to passers by, signs that only show up when wet. Graffiti artists could add new secret layers to their murals that also only appear in the rain. Fun in the sun is great, but this approach encourages people to get out on cloudy days … then rewards them for their efforts.

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Secrets Beneath Cities: Sculptures Inspired by Nintendo Games

12 Mar

[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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“The underworld is more fun,” says Luke O’Sullivan, the artist who painstakingly crafts stunning cityscape sculptures with intricate subterranean sections inspired by the seemingly never-ending underground worlds in early Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros. Working primarily in wood and salvaged materials, O’Sullivan creates surreal multi-level spaces with platforms , trapdoors, buckets and ladders. It’s easy to imagine Mario jumping from one area to the next inside, popping out of tunnels, racking up mushrooms and avoiding goombas.

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“My work is about the intersection of built environments and subterranean systems,” says O’Sullivan in his artist statement. “Through the application of screen-printed drawings on wood, metal and other flat surfaces, I create architecturally based sculptures. Often inspired by dystopian and science fiction films, I combine recognizable architectural forms and impossible buildings to create diorama-esque works.”

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The largest piece he’s completed, “Industry, Entropy,” measures ten feet long and took over three years to complete. The artist describes it as a “milestone piece.” This one is wider than it is tall, but others are like individual islands of towering structures that rise high above the surface and plunge deep below it.

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Working in a restrained color palette, O’Sullivan keeps the above-ground sections of the cities relatively two-dimensional, hinting that the more detailed and literally well-rounded world beneath it is what’s really important. These subterranean areas seem full of secret functions, each one brimming with mysteries and begging to be explored. If only we could shrink ourselves down to climb around in them ourselves. See more on Instagram.

[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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Rainworks: Water-Activated Street Art & Games in Rainy Seattle

27 Mar

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

rainworks

Rainworks are pieces of street art that only appear when wet, featuring messages, images and interactive games that work great for a city infamous for its frequent precipitation. The idea, in part, is to encourage people to enjoy the rain, and reward those who go out and play in the gathering drizzle.

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rain animal art

Peregrine Church creates these works which, while temporary, can last for months before degrading – the water-repellent sprays used are eco-friendly and will biodegrade when the designs eventually dissolve.

rain wet dry pie

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Neverwet is not exactly a new material, nor is the idea of applying it to stenciled graffiti art novel, but the variety of Church’s work is compelling, as is his targeting of its results to different neighborhoods in an oft-soaked city, from the U District to Ballard and beyond. Some of the vignettes are simply playful images, or geek and gaming references, while others carry water usage-related messages.

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rain ground is lava

Indeed, this seems the perfect set of urban settings – while Seattle has frequent rains it rarely has downpours, meaning the ground is often moist but the weather rarely so bad that it is difficult to go out and experience it.

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Birthday Gifts That Will Separate Your 7 Year-Old From His Computer Games

06 Oct

Kids fondness for computer games is raising concerns among parents. The exponential growth of video game industry has made the already arduous job of parenting even tougher. Although there is nothing wrong with some video game time once in a while, but to witness billions of kids whose faces are glued to the screen, evokes doleful feelings. Watching your kid roll around on the floor dribbling to the screen completely distracted from learning anything useful, is not a very pleasant sight!

The key to fending off such an addiction is by spending more time with your kids while they play the game and gravely practicing parental guidance. Another way is by involving your kid in other activities that are worthwhile in the child’s growth and development. The best way to bring out a new activity to a child is by using his or her birthday present. Birthday presents are extremely special- they stimulate, inspire, excite kids and hey are also bound to try these gifts. Given below are some wonderful gifts that can capture your 7 year old kids imagination

Classic Board Games
Children love playing classic board games! Most of them are timeless and can be enjoyable for children of any age. Such games provide opportunities for developing positive attitudes, building self concept and alleviating the fear of error and failure. Scrabble and Monopoly are the well known ones. You must also participate with them so that they feel they always have someone to play with.

scrabble

A Music Instrument
It gives your child an opportunity for creativity and also inculcates in him or her discipline, self-esteem and passion for music. There is a plethora of such instruments, but you must help them choose the one they like. Your personal preferences will guide your child on what he or she likes.

music

Sport Equipment
Sport is fundamental to the early development of children. Many of them love playing sports at a very young age with proper guidance. Through participation, they can learn about teamwork, honesty, fair play and respect for themselves and others. As parents, you must encourage them by gifting sport equipments that they can use.

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A Scooter Or A Bike
Bikes and scooters are fun toys. Children love zipping around on them there are 2 main brands ezip and Razor. You must consider products such as the razor e100 electric scooter and the ezip e500 electric scooter, to check if it is a good product for your child. You can also find detailed information on the product in fan sites and reviews from parents who bought it. You can also explore buggies and other such adorable ride-on toys.

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Your Child’s Health

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Big Game Hunting: The World’s 9 Biggest Board Games

21 Sep

[ By Steve in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]

Biggest Game Boards
Board games may be old fashioned to some but they’re anything but boring no matter how big a board they’re played on. Here are 9 of the biggest.

Triple (Size) Letter Score

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Popular word game Scrabble celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998 and in honor of the occasion, two teams from the United Kingdom’s armed forces played the biggest Scrabble game EVAR, turning London’s Wembley Stadium into a ginormous Scrabble board. The reinforced fiberglass letter tiles measured 2 x 2 meters (about 6 feet per side) and were 40cm (almost 2 inches) thick, requiring two team members to shift each one into position… and you thought soccer was a slow game! On the bright side, just be glad Welsh words weren’t allowed.

Take A Walk On The Boardwalk

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Do you know the way to San Jose? Make a left at Baltic and don’t forget to bring your Get Out Of Jail Free card! We’re talking Monopoly here; Monopoly In The Park to be exact. The 930 sq/ft permanent Monopoly board offers anyone a chance to make it big on Silicon Valley real estate. I want the iron… darnit!

Ukraine Not Weak!

Biggest RISK Game Board 1

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Beloved by Kramer and Newman, RISK is the classic game of world domination where the board is as big as the world… or so the players wish! Everyone from be-suited gentlemen to cosplaying geek gamers has tried to imitate Vladimir Putin playing larger-than-life RISK but there’s a drawback: the bigger the board, the harder it is to take the game with you on the New York subway.

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Posts Tagged ‘Games’

Videos: Learn photography by playing video games

Video: ‘One Shot’ shows what it takes to capture an iconic image at the Olympic games

Video: What it’s like to photograph hockey games inside the NHL ‘bubble’

Man accused of flying drone over NFL football games charged

Amazon Calm: Rio’s Deteriorating Olympic Games Venues

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Amazon Calm Rios Deteriorating Olympic Games Venues

Invisible Arts: Hydrophobic Games, Poetry & Pokémon Surface When Wet

Secrets Beneath Cities: Sculptures Inspired by Nintendo Games

Rainworks: Water-Activated Street Art & Games in Rainy Seattle

Birthday Gifts That Will Separate Your 7 Year-Old From His Computer Games