That doesn't mean our screen archery showcases will be taking a backseat. If you’ve got any favourite screen archers whose work deserves a shoutout, drop a link in the comments or message me directly. We’d love to feature them across our socials.
As with our Halloween winners’ interview, our festive winners received the same set of questions, allowing them to offer their unique perspectives. 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!
SeekingAsy1um
Can you walk us through the process of setting up your scene? What steps did you take to get the perfect shot?
I first start off by setting up the lighting and deciding on the overall feel and mood I want to portray with the shot. And change the clothing and accessories to match. Then change the pose and facial expression, and use Photo Mode to change the angle and take the shot.
SeekingAs1um's winning image
Which mods (if any) were essential to achieving your visions, and how did they enhance the final result?
Well, I wanted a cozy setting with warm-toned lighting and festive details. And probably looked for about an hour until I found, [Cloud] Yule Tide - House, Props, Poses, Outfits, Accessories! I also think the shot wouldn’t be the same without Kreiste's Christmas Fantasy Outfit, which provides an intricate and festive outfit. The last thing that I believe the entry wouldn’t be the same without, is the face. I think COtR - HQ Characters creation addon for RM, COTR Overhaul, and High Poly COTR were essential for making this shot. As it provides a high poly face model that is very useful for creating detailed, expressive faces.
ReVamped - A Serana Visual Replacer mod
Do you have a particular workflow or routine when creating your screen archery?
Yeah, I first set up the shot’s lighting, and background before messing around with the poses. Then I decide on what angle would look best for the overall feel of the shot.
Preview pictures of Sorcerer Outfits by Collygon
Is there a detail in your winning shot that you’re particularly proud of or that you think people might miss?
There isn't something I'm most proud of but, there is a small detail that I think people might not notice right away, it’s the earrings!
Did you use any post-processing tools, like Photoshop, to enhance your final image? If so, what adjustments or effects did you apply?
Yes, I used Microsoft’s built-in photo editor. As for enhancing my entry, I added a slight cool tone to make the character pop from the background, turned up the saturation for a bright fantasy feel, then adjusted the brightness, and increased the contrast.
How do you balance in-game visuals and post-processing to maintain the essence of your shot while adding that extra polish?
I like keeping the essence of the original shot, so I only use effects that enhance it (or give it a certain feel). Which usually means adding harsher shadows with contrast to really make it more visually striking. As well as fixing the color-grading.
Serana preview
As for the in-game side of things I make sure the lighting already looks good, as well as the weather. Clear skies for a brighter more fantasy-looking shot, and foggy skies for a darker feeling shot make all the difference!
Lively ReShade preview
Is there a particular post-processing technique you’re especially proud of or that you feel made a big difference in your entry?
Yeah! I feel like the use of cool tones really sold that wintery look.
Olympus2917
Could you talk us through your inspiration for your winning shot? I know we gave the prompts, but was there anything that really sparked the idea for you outside of this?
There was, and still is, a thin line between surviving and thriving for many human beings. So the first tale which came to mind was an all-time classic, The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen. It reflected well on my thoughts about that thin line I mentioned above, especially during Christmas vacation.
Olympus2917's winning image
Can you walk us through the process of setting up your scene? What steps did you take to get the perfect shot?
My main goal was to create a moment which produces emotion like in the book. So I grabbed that well-known window scene from the novel to depict it on screen. The indoors part should look happy, cozy and festive, so some flashy bokeh and warm colors helped with that. But it was also blurry with DOF because I wanted to focus on the outdoors where I had to make the girl look bittersweet, thus expressing her mentality.
Darkened
How did you decide on the composition, lighting, and angles for your entry?
I chose to shoot outdoors just under her eye level, her looking left to right, with ambient background lighting and a directional subtle lighting for the match. I just felt it would be closer to her soul with this combo.
Preview picture of Elisif update by Serkethetyt
Which mods (if any) were essential to achieving your visions, and how did they enhance the final result?
Oh, I used many goodies here. Pi-Cho ENB, Reshade, cocDarkroom, the PhotoStudio plugin from Silent Horizons, ScreenarcherMenu, freeflycam, Expressive Facial Animation, Collygon Poser. I will not delve into details about the enhancement level, I will just say it makes you feel like a film director.
Under the moonlight
Breezypunk
Could you talk us through your inspiration for your winning shot? I know we gave the prompts, but was there anything that really sparked the idea for you outside of this?
I typically strive to allow creativity to find me, rather than search for it. I enjoy letting it take me places I've never been before, this was no exception. For me sometimes my best work doesn't come with thinking about it, I love just going with the flow and seeing where it guides me!
BreezyPunk's winning image
Can you walk us through the process of setting up your scene? What steps did you take to get the perfect shot?
My steps were short and sweet. Figuring out a location is always the first step, and I typically have more trouble finding the perfect location for where I want my shot to be, but once I do it just comes naturally to me. I like matching the photo theme to the location, so that was a big deal for me.
- Wildlife and Nature prop pack -
How did you decide on the composition, lighting, and angles for your entry?
I used to be very bad at composition and angles, but over time since practicing VP more I realize that playing with angles is one of my favorite things. I always take VP at an angle, between 95 - 100 degree angles, and to me, that also helps with composition, which I am still learning. As for lighting, I love a lot of it, and sometimes I use too much, lol. But I knew for a winter wonderland theme I wanted the lighting to be bright but also warm, if that makes sense. I didn't want to go too crazy, but the way the lighting worked in the photo was exactly what I was going for.
Astrid
Which mods (if any) were essential to achieving your visions, and how did they enhance the final result?
I'm a prop maker, so I made a Christmas-themed prop pack specifically for the occasion. I think adding props and decor in a shot enhances a lot, and makes the shot pop, and it brought out a lot of fun colors as well to balance out the white snow. I just wanted a very Christmas-like shot that felt like the theme, a wonderland.
- Home Sweet Home -
Did you use any post-processing tools, like Photoshop, to enhance your final image? If so, what adjustments or effects did you apply?
I actually don't use Photoshop because I don't know how to navigate it, haha. But I do edit my photos, I use some filters, I have some favorites I use for pretty much every one of the shots I take, and I also add some overlays like film grain, colorful lights, etc.
Patiently Waiting
How do you balance in-game visuals and post-processing to maintain the essence of your shot while adding that extra polish?
I think of it like this; I love the original flavor, but sprinkling in a little bit of extra seasoning goes a long way, I've just learned not to overdo it.
A big thank you to all our winners for participating in this interview, and congratulations once again to them and our runners-up!
2 comments
I'm surprised (but not really, well sort of) a lot of the winning images are from Skyrim (amazing how Skyrim is still going strong, hehe)!
Well done all of you! :)