NikkeiSimmer
5 years agoLegend
How to Tutorial: Up Your Photography Game in the Sims Turn Your Screenshots into Lasting Memories
Tips from a Photographer
Part 1 - The First Part of Developing Lasting Screenshots is the Quality of Your Photo.
Your Sims are little digital people and like most people are a microcosm of actual society. Within the limitations of programming and subroutines, they pretty much have the same hobbies and aspirations that living breathing humans have. Whereas YOU as the Watcher are the tag-along to their little on-screen adventures; the one entrusted with the family camera. When we take vacations, when there are family occasions or celebrations, what do we do?
We pull out the camera, of course. A photographer's primary goal is to capture memories. It's what I've done during the course of my own life and at one point was a career.
The most important part of photography is determining what the subject of your photo is going to be. Is it some remarkable scenery (with your end-goal that the story-line being that the Sim took this photo and you want to have it be a professional caliber photo?) Well, then you have to think like a photographer. Every photo starts from scratch: checking your angles, your sightlines, are there any distracting elements in the photo. And that's what you're going to have to do with the camera angles in your sims game.
1. What is your subject? Who are you photographing, What's the takeaway for the viewer in the shot? Isolate the subject and take the shot. Get in close if you have to.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SOuj4toQGMo/V5vste1n0wI/AAAAAAAAIxg/BqokcO4Klu4Cljt458jqzP3izd0oRLAogCKgB/s1600/_DSC5445-Edit.jpg
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jQ7p2rDHMVg/XvDtYnnk5kI/AAAAAAAAg9E/5j-4UKslMNEbOz-w3qLT1Sg_Wx5GCBE_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot-24.jpg
Use unusual angles - get uncomfortably close.
2. Watch for distracting elements - if you have to wait to take the shot - wait to take the shot. Strive to eliminate as many distracting elements out of your camera view as possible before you take the shot. Sometimes you're going to have to wait until invariably some annoying NPCs or townies get out of the way.
Just like in reality.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W6sRNxWR-jw/V5gE4eeQdnI/AAAAAAAAIv8/1VKZe4cu_oUdJshuK5B9cLXjJ0KKd5eOgCKgB/s1600/_DSC6163.jpg
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DgeM2T4AeiQ/XwB9cRyJjcI/AAAAAAAAhUw/TtEJA4sc0YAq3v2TcMRDFRtFL7voDh-GgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot-58.jpg
3. Line up the subject in your photo. Make sure the any elements in the photo line up to draw a path to the subject that you're trying to highlight.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fsSOk2KSmOA/XwCAWPJnNJI/AAAAAAAAhU8/HFvMrE2m524oYMKD76oipelcnl4LFe-OACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/LineUpYourSubject.png
You're trying to lead the eye to the subject of your photo.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FSnnH_HUNhk/XvwzVsaQ_7I/AAAAAAAAhP8/07SY_r3YjKE-AEKgk0dc3JWrNv-Y6gBAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot-143.jpg
Just like in this shot...except it is who the subject's attention is fixed on and you can trace her line of sight right to the "culprit".
Can you see the subject in this image? It's a little more difficult, but it's there.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2AO1qmG7Pbw/XwCET5TDiXI/AAAAAAAAhVI/X3w4kiI0_lYftTziiIpmOsunN5SNryDUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot-7_SEP1_10-18-2018.jpg
(this will be a continuing thread - as I add to it - so mods, please keep this open).
Part 1 - The First Part of Developing Lasting Screenshots is the Quality of Your Photo.
Your Sims are little digital people and like most people are a microcosm of actual society. Within the limitations of programming and subroutines, they pretty much have the same hobbies and aspirations that living breathing humans have. Whereas YOU as the Watcher are the tag-along to their little on-screen adventures; the one entrusted with the family camera. When we take vacations, when there are family occasions or celebrations, what do we do?
We pull out the camera, of course. A photographer's primary goal is to capture memories. It's what I've done during the course of my own life and at one point was a career.
The most important part of photography is determining what the subject of your photo is going to be. Is it some remarkable scenery (with your end-goal that the story-line being that the Sim took this photo and you want to have it be a professional caliber photo?) Well, then you have to think like a photographer. Every photo starts from scratch: checking your angles, your sightlines, are there any distracting elements in the photo. And that's what you're going to have to do with the camera angles in your sims game.
1. What is your subject? Who are you photographing, What's the takeaway for the viewer in the shot? Isolate the subject and take the shot. Get in close if you have to.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SOuj4toQGMo/V5vste1n0wI/AAAAAAAAIxg/BqokcO4Klu4Cljt458jqzP3izd0oRLAogCKgB/s1600/_DSC5445-Edit.jpg
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jQ7p2rDHMVg/XvDtYnnk5kI/AAAAAAAAg9E/5j-4UKslMNEbOz-w3qLT1Sg_Wx5GCBE_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot-24.jpg
Use unusual angles - get uncomfortably close.
2. Watch for distracting elements - if you have to wait to take the shot - wait to take the shot. Strive to eliminate as many distracting elements out of your camera view as possible before you take the shot. Sometimes you're going to have to wait until invariably some annoying NPCs or townies get out of the way.
Just like in reality.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W6sRNxWR-jw/V5gE4eeQdnI/AAAAAAAAIv8/1VKZe4cu_oUdJshuK5B9cLXjJ0KKd5eOgCKgB/s1600/_DSC6163.jpg
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DgeM2T4AeiQ/XwB9cRyJjcI/AAAAAAAAhUw/TtEJA4sc0YAq3v2TcMRDFRtFL7voDh-GgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot-58.jpg
3. Line up the subject in your photo. Make sure the any elements in the photo line up to draw a path to the subject that you're trying to highlight.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fsSOk2KSmOA/XwCAWPJnNJI/AAAAAAAAhU8/HFvMrE2m524oYMKD76oipelcnl4LFe-OACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/LineUpYourSubject.png
You're trying to lead the eye to the subject of your photo.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FSnnH_HUNhk/XvwzVsaQ_7I/AAAAAAAAhP8/07SY_r3YjKE-AEKgk0dc3JWrNv-Y6gBAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot-143.jpg
Just like in this shot...except it is who the subject's attention is fixed on and you can trace her line of sight right to the "culprit".
Can you see the subject in this image? It's a little more difficult, but it's there.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2AO1qmG7Pbw/XwCET5TDiXI/AAAAAAAAhVI/X3w4kiI0_lYftTziiIpmOsunN5SNryDUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot-7_SEP1_10-18-2018.jpg
(this will be a continuing thread - as I add to it - so mods, please keep this open).