I know, I know. This one’s a little late. We had to give our winners time to answer the questions, and then there were quite a few business updates we needed to share with you as well. The good news is that our competitions will be making a return. We’ve got a pretty cool idea in mind for one, but there are a few things that need to happen first. Yes, I am being cryptic on purpose.
I’ve also been toying with the idea of a summer-themed competition. Maybe it is just the first sunny and warm weekend here in England going to my head, but let me know what you think in the comments.
Anyway, as with our last winners’ interview, everyone received the same set of questions, allowing each winner to offer their unique perspective. They were free to answer as many or as few as they liked and include any images they thought would be relevant to their answers, or just ones they’re proud of and wanted to showcase.
So, without further ado, here they are!
SerialNuggetEater
Can you walk us through the process of setting up your scene? What steps did you take to get the perfect shot?
Well, everything begins with deciding where I'm going to take the shot. As of late, it's usually a simple solid color background, as some of the readers may know already if they're subbed to my Instagram page lol.
But there are some exceptions, like the competition-winning screenshot, which was taken in a custom world space made by one of my friends.
As for the scene building itself, the main struggle for me usually is setting up the lights. Still, it's definitely worth the effort 99% of the time; it adds so much to the scene. Of course, we have the posing, the one thing that does the shot. I see that many of my colleagues use pre-made pose packs; nothing wrong with that for sure. Still, there is just something about making your own thing that is unique and perhaps can be someone's inspiration to improve their screenarching skills, I think everyone can agree on that.
After the posing, we have camera work, usually, I don't struggle with that because when I'm in the process of making a scene, I already have a vision of what the final product should look like, but again, there are some exceptions where I take multiple shots at different angles.
That's pretty much everything on the scene building; no rocket science or anything. I prefer to keep it simple.I live by the quote from the book "Three devils for the Heiress" By Russian writer A.P. Chekhov.
- "Brevity is the sister of talent. Laconicism is the brother of giftedness."
To follow on from that, did you have a clear vision from the start, or did it evolve as you worked?
As I already have said. Yes, indeed, I have a vision of the final product pretty early in the works. It usually comes from a reference picture, or I already was thinking of a very particular scene.
Usually, it happens when I daydream or zone out during the day. As you might've guessed already, the "Shooting stars" screenshot was a product of my daydreaming in college. That class was very boring xd
What was the biggest challenge in bringing your idea to life, and how did you overcome it?
I didn't encounter any particular challenges with this piece in particular, but I wanna say that one thing that was hard to overcome was a major burnout prior to making this entry.
It's more of a PSA to anyone reading this, to not overwork yourself in any aspect of your life, including your hobbies, and to take breaks from time to time.
And the main thing I want to say is don't stress if you find your art not "up to the standard", or if it performs not as you expected on (insert social media platform) it's usually better than you think, and every hobby is a journey of some sorts, with a lot of places for improvement.
Did you experiment with different poses, settings, or angles before settling on the final shot?
Oh, definitely, I had a pretty clear vision of what I wanted to see, but I still had to goof around with posing to achieve the desired result, no doubt of that. Plus, some work with ReShade and ENB to get the desired look.
How do you usually decide when an image is “finished” and ready to submit?
Honestly, a tricky question. Sometimes, it takes me a couple of takes to "finish" the piece because I might spot some clipping or other errors after doing all the post-fx and sharing in some Discord servers lol, so I try to triple-check everything before submitting anything.
With the theme being Valentine’s Day, were there any particular emotions or a story you hoped to convey in your submission?
I consider this entry as a love letter of sorts to my boyfriend. We're unfortunately long-distance, so that was the least I could do for Valentine's Day.
Spoiler: he liked it very much >:3
Which mods (if any) were essential to achieving your vision, and how did they enhance the final result?
The main and most important mod for everyone who wants to make screenshots for Fallout 4 is the Screen Archer Menu by Maxie. Absolutely essential, things you can do with this are insane, honestly.
After that, we have the usual stuff, your ENB's and ReShades and whatnot. I can recommend making your own presets if you're not lazy. And last, but not least, are the outfit mashups that I do : )
How much of your final image is in-game vs. post-processing? Were there any key edits that made a big difference?
I'd say like 80% is in-game and 20% is post, I don't do much in post-processing except some color correction work, maybe some touchups and watermark.
In this particular case, the one thing that did the shot is the shooting stars part, I probably could've got away with using some mod that adds that, but I'm not aware of a mod like that in all honesty.
I use post for every single one of my works, I see it as essential to be honest, because you can't sometimes achieve the desired look with just ReShade tweaks, perhaps it's a skill issue on my part, but if it's not someone's cup of tea I can understand that, as it kind of ruins the whole point of screenshot anyway in my opinion.
Is there a particular post-processing technique you’re especially proud of or that you feel made a big difference in your entry?
It was probably the grainy texture effect, for sure. It adds so much character to the scene if done right.
Is there a detail in your winning shot that you’re particularly proud of or that you think people might miss?
Last but not least question.
One thing I'm definitely proud of is the outfits, I try never to do multiple pictures in one outfit unless it's one big set or a showcase; I like to change things up once in a while.
And of course, the shooting stars, again, they turned out too great in my opinion lol, but it's kinda hard to miss since it's the main focal point of the picture lol.
As a little conclusion to this little interview, I want to wish everyone good luck in this little screen-arching hobby of ours and say a big Thank You to the Nexus Mods staff team, my friends, and especially to my favorite person on earth, aka my boyfriend - AltynGuy, I love you :3
ReddArnage
Can you walk us through the process of setting up your scene? What steps did you take to get the perfect shot?
I already start by choosing the location of the scene. I try to choose a place well-lit by the sun. Once the characters are set, I set up the lights. I do different tests of lights, as well as different tests with different shots. Once I’ve found the right light and angle, all you have to do is press the print screen button.
To follow on from that, did you have a clear vision from the start, or did it evolve as you worked?
I already had an idea of the characters I wanted to put on. However, I searched for several minutes by making the characters take different poses, as well as changing points of view. This has evolved constantly.
What was the biggest challenge in bringing your idea to life, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge when I make screens is always finding the right light. It is necessary to find the right lighting on the characters, and not overexposed. Especially since the sun in the game is behind in the backlight. Light is what "sculpts" bodies and creates volume, so it takes a lot of attention.
Did you experiment with different poses, settings, or angles before settling on the final shot?
Yes, I did many tests, at least a dozen different poses. Thanks to the modders, we now have many poses available with mods. Often, for one image, there can be 10 to 15 different attempts.
How do you usually decide when an image is “finished” and ready to submit?
Usually, when I like it and I have made all my edits, it’s ready. I always wait for the next day before publishing, if it still happens to me, I send it.
With the theme being Valentine’s Day, were there any particular emotions or a story you hoped to convey in your submission?
I wanted to stage Judy and Panam in particular. Since there is no interaction between these two characters in the base game, I like to explore this relationship in my different images. I found that these were the ideal characters for this theme.
Which mods (if any) were essential to achieving your vision, and how did they enhance the final result?
The mod “CharLi” is a game-changer for me. This mod, which allows lights to appear, is essential to illuminate scenes properly. This also allows me to make compositions with different light effects. I can’t do without it. There is also the famous mod "Appearence Menu Mod", but it has become almost as basic as the game itself.
How much of your final image is in-game vs. post-processing? Were there any key edits that made a big difference?
The vast majority of the image is preserved. I mainly modify the skins of the characters, as well as the colorimetry, through Photoshop with different filters.
Is there a particular post-processing technique you’re especially proud of or that you feel made a big difference in your entry?
Recently, I used upscale with the AI. However, this only changes the details of the skins and the hairs to add a touch of realism.
Is there a detail in your winning shot that you’re particularly proud of or that you think people might miss?
I put very often in the background of my images of vegetation. I love how the shaving sun illuminates foliage and creates plays of lights.
Ilikedetectives
Can you walk us through the process of setting up your scene? What steps did you take to get the perfect shot?
First, I have to pick the part of the map that when I set up the kiss, half of the characters’ bodies won’t glitch underground. Then after that, it is pretty much trial and error with a few poses to get the right background (by toggling over hundreds of shaders) and lighting (at the time there’s no spawn lighting mod that works for me, but I see a new one that’s published recently after the competition, bummer, maybe next time haha).
To follow on from that, did you have a clear vision from the start, or did it evolve as you worked?
I had a vague idea such as nighttime (because Minthara absolutely hates the sun) and bokeh (one because I LOVEEE bokeh, and two, it makes romantic photos dreamy and soft). After that, I tried everything (outfits, poses, settings) until something clicked.
What was the biggest challenge in bringing your idea to life, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge in taking photos of two characters interacting is definitely clipping (for example, jewelry/cloth/body parts clipping when a character moves a certain way). Other times, the pose simply looks awkward due to it being animated with different armors in mind, and the ones you happen to use are not compatible—changing the angle may help mitigate this issue, but not always. So, I had to test out a few romances and outfits to find the ones that work well together.
Did you experiment with different poses, settings, or angles before settling on the final shot?
Oh certainly, originally I was going to go with a typical kiss like the one below (it’s Valentine’s Day after all), but I decided to go for a softer kiss on the hand instead because my Tav would always kneel for Minthara (it’s what she deserves as a daughter of the most ancient and powerful drow house in Menzoberranzan). And then I took a few variations of the hand kiss, including one that my Tav is just holding Minthara’s hand.
How do you usually decide when an image is “finished” and ready to submit?
Oh, this question is easy, it’s one of the recent ones that I took that is SFW haha!
With the theme being Valentine’s Day, were there any particular emotions or a story you hoped to convey in your submission?
I know in the BG3 fandom, Minthara is famous as the ‘dommy mommy’ companion (we have all seen her Act 1 romance I get it and I am on that boat too). So, for this Valentine’s Day, I wanna show her softer, more sentimental, utterly devoted side, the side that you as the player start to see once Minthara is free from the Absolute’s influence— willing to give up her prestige family name to take up Tav’s name. Her gentle “May I?” when she seeks permission to read Tav’s mind, or when she approves after being voluntold to tell a funny joke in public. And even when Tav becomes a mind flayer and does something she does not approve of (saving Baldur’s Gate), Minthara is there till the end (“Let’s be monsters together.” will always be one of my favorite quotes).
Sorry if you haven’t realized already, I’m using this question as an excuse to fangirl about Minthara, haha.
Which mods (if any) were essential to achieving your vision, and how did they enhance the final result?
Besides cosmetics and outfit mods (to get my body type 3 tiefling to work with a body type body animation and still look convincing that it is my OC tiefling), my must-haves to take screenshots are: ReShade, Otis’ camera tools, IGCSDOF, ShaderToggler, and BG3 Script Extender.
How much of your final image is in-game vs. post-processing? Were there any key edits that made a big difference?
For the submitted image, I only adjusted additional exposure and curve adjustments in post-processing to tweak the brightness and contrast a little bit. I play on a 32-inch monitor so during gameplay I always tone down the brightness so I don’t ruin my eyes (or accidentally flashbang myself). For the rest I let ReShade do the heaviest Lifting.
Is there a detail in your winning shot that you’re particularly proud of or that you think people might miss?
Is there a detail in your winning shot that you’re particularly proud of or that you think people might miss? You’d think it is the foreground (the two main characters), but what I put the most work on is actually the background. The sky color, a little bit of the vine plant, and the bokeh, all have to work together to create the soft, dreamy vibe— but at the same time, the background cannot be too outstanding to the point it takes away the spotlight of the main subjects. I had to adjust the highlight boost and highlight gamma and render the DOF a few times to get the bokeh to look not too bright, but also not too dim.
7thNighthawk
Can you walk us through the process of setting up your scene? What steps did you take to get the perfect shot?
I noticed the competition a bit late, so I had to come up with something quickly. I decided to go for something cozy and thought about a campfire and a guitar since I had recently rediscovered a guitar song. I checked out some reference images online and then went on to create a pose in ancient Blender 2.49b. I did not go for accurate chords, so he might actually be playing something that sounds awful; I have not checked. I used zzjay's guitar mod for the pose object. After adding the pose via GECK, I loaded up the game, took my two characters and settled for the house and room you see in the screenshot. I then tried to find a decent angle to place them so that they and the campfire would be visible. I then took the screenshots and edited out very few visual issues and added an almost invisible colour gradient. Then, I looked for a song to fit the set.
To follow on from that, did you have a clear vision from the start, or did it evolve as you worked?
Since I had little time, I kinda went with the flow, and the guitar idea was there rather quickly.
What was the biggest challenge in bringing your idea to life, and how did you overcome it?
Lighting in this ancient engine of New Vegas is a nightmare. Getting the scene to look cozy while being able to see anything at the same time can be a nightmare. That's why you see my characters sitting next to the fire like that because I needed its light to get a decent enough light. Even then, it's still a bit too orange for my taste, but you've got to deal with the engine limitations. The other big issue is the pose itself since most joints in the body don't have enough "bones" to twist and turn so that the skin won't warp like crazy. The female character in the shot has kinda warped thighs because of that. In NV, every pose is a compromise between what would look great IRL and what is actually feasible with the body mesh. Of course, that is true for any game, but the older the game is, the more you are limited. Oh, and ENBs create tons of issues on their own that you also have to circumvent, especially with transparency bugs (here on the eyelashes, e.g.). Let's not even start talking about clipping ...
Did you experiment with different poses, settings, or angles before settling on the final shot?
I only had that one pose. Settings-wise, I tweaked the ENB a little to deal with the worst offenders of the light engine. The other angles of the shot are embedded in my set.
How do you usually decide when an image is “finished” and ready to submit?
I usually take between six and eight shots of a posed scene, preview them roughly, shut down the game, touch them up slightly and then choose the one that feels best for what I had in my mind. It's not a terribly complex process. The other images I usually embed.
With the theme being Valentine’s Day, were there any particular emotions or a story you hoped to convey in your submission?
I just wanted to convey a cozy, sleepy moment of comfort between lovers where just being with the other is all you need in the moment.
Which mods (if any) were essential to achieving your vision, and how did they enhance the final result?
Honestly, I can't list all the mods here since it would never end, and most of them contributed a bit. Essential are in my opinion Dynamo ENB, of which I use a customised variant, and zzjay's texture work on my characters, which users can get by using Improved Vanilla Male Body, zzjay's body and face textures workshop and Mannequin Races. The guitar is from Better Guitars and the general textures updates from OJO Bueno Textures and NMC's Texture pack. There are tons more that play into the set, but I would say that those are the primary ones.
How much of your final image is in-game vs. post-processing? Were there any key edits that made a big difference?
If you count ENB as "in-game" and not "post-processing", the images are probably 97% in-game since I only touched them up ever so slightly with GIMP. If ENB is not counted like that, visuals-wise, I would say that it makes for a good 30% of the image quality since vanilla NV effects are a bit mediocre.
Is there a particular post-processing technique you’re especially proud of or that you feel made a big difference in your entry?
Well, it's the ENB that I can't take credit for. MissMorose took Dynamo ENB, tweaked it for me and made it customisable so that I could tweak it to my liking.
Is there a detail in your winning shot that you’re particularly proud of or that you think people might miss?
I do sometimes add details that I think quite a few people will miss, but in this set, I could not think of any.
A big thank you to all our winners for participating in this interview, and congratulations once again to them and our runners-up!
4 comments
With graphical art we see a piece of the artist's mind, whether a pretend part of dreams or an expression of the self, it remains an aspect of the artist's humanity.
With the interview, we see the humanity a little more plainly and can often get a sense of how the artist is like us or different.
The poem or image we like is that which says what we already believe but in a beautiful manner. The interview we most like is always this as well.