Agents!
This month we wanted to do something a little different with our Agent Highlights. We have decided to shift our focus this month to the use of Photo Mode within The Division 2 captured by our talented community.
Photography is not just a physical art form but also a digital one. Virtual photography is a growing community that is exploring the largely uncharted territory of photography within video games. Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 introduced the “Photo Mode” feature which has been much loved and appreciated from players worldwide. It allows the player to capture shots of interesting views or compelling moments in-game without the user interface getting in the way of the scenery.
“Photographers are great problem solvers; they are really good at looking at things from a different perspective”.
This month we have chosen to highlight some of our community’s best virtual photographers, showcasing various styles of colour usage, framing and perspective.
AlexBright817 shows us the power of perspective in the above shots. The first three were all taken from the same position in game but from different angles. The power of perspective really makes you believe that they are from different locations. These were taken within the Aquarium in Manning National Zoo. Alex mentioned "Wandering around the whole map is just like you're really travelling through the town".
BattleMaster23 is a regular on the official forums, and used our Photo Mode Thread to post the wonderful shots showcased above. These two in particular stood out to us for their framing, lighting, and ability to drive your sight to the centre of the photos. We like the silhouette feel that has been given to the agents with the contrast between the background and their position.
These four shots from DarkLinkN7 really stood out to us. The photos were captured "Less is more" and in this instance we must agree. Not only do the shots stand out for their focus on one item, but the use of black and white really helps to make sure we focus on the subject. This is a great way of showing the importance of lighting within photography! Great work.
Grace_McClain is another talented community member dedicated to posting within our Photo Mode Thread on the forums. Grace changes the perspective by framing her photos to the shape of a square. This really helps give the photos a cinematic feel. The lighting really helps to give each shot a warm glow which helps to add more depth to the environments. Which is your favourite?
The Division 2 is full of many urban environments and we can thank no other than Kaas_Online for capturing them. It seems that they have a great way of using the night-time to their advantage as they use the lighting from nearby street lights, neon signs and headlights to highlight different areas to show different points of interest.
LethiaAlethia posted the following shots in our forums and they were too good not to share. The time of day can really change the perspective of a photo massively and it seems that dawn is their favourite time of day to work with as the sun slowly rises. The use of sun rays really elevates the view and give a strong sense of atmosphere. Which time of day do you like to shoot?
After 30 hours of gameplay, mjessen86 was in "awe" of the world and these photos he shared with us show how he viewed the environments. We really believe he helped to capture the atmosphere and desperation in each of the scenes. The way in which the shots have been framed really help the environments feel realistic.
OddlyLemony spent some time around Camp White Oak during the night-time and managed to capture the above shots. The fog which was present managed to create a great sense of atmosphere and gave a very "eerie" feel. What is crazy to us is that the above photos, were not edited and contained no filters.
PalmierEmerick wowed us with the above photos showing scenes with Cleaners scouting the area. The use of lighting and depth of field really helps to promote the details in the environment whilst also highlighting the enemy. The first shot also gives the viewer a feel that they are hiding behind the vehicle. This same effect is given in the second photo where the perspective is from behind the desk. It gives a sense of vulnerability.
Sanna__ found herself new to The Division 2 and "immediately fell in love with the environments". She likes to experiment with different filters and light effects, and we can most definitely believe that from the above photos. The grainy effect gives it a cinematic feel and they look like shots straight from a movie.
The following photos show a huge explosion of colours within Coney Island! UVioletra has a passion for neon lights and this is certainly reflected in her virtual photography. She finds that "Virtual Photography is a hobby within a hobby". The contrast in colour is certainly a different approach to how The Division 2 is normally portrayed and this collection really caught our attention for standing out for all the right reasons.
If these photo's above have inspired you to give virtual photography using the "Photo Mode" a go, we have a guide you can find HERE. There are a couple of ways in which you can post your photos to which they will be visible to the team:
One way is to use the #Thedivision2Photos which pings your photos to our Discord channel HERE.
Another is to take part in our Photo Mode Thread which can be found on the Forums HERE.
Your creative creations always put a smile on our faces, keep it up Agents!
It's now time to wrap up this month's special addition of Agent Highlights! We hope that you can agree with us that there are some exceptional virtual photographers within our community. Make sure to tweet your creations/ photos/ cosplay and fan art with the hashtag #AgentHighlights.
Signing off.
/The Division Community Team
