SHD Spotlight: Issinn

Agents!

We are happy to bring you a new instance of SHD Spotlight! This is a series of articles in which we highlight the creations, inspiration, and involvement of passionate members of our community. Remember if you would like to be featured in a future SHD Spotlight, reach out to us on Twitter using the hashtag #SHDSpotlight!

Today, we sat down with Lisa, also known as Issinn, to discuss her incredible virtual photography shots.

THE SPOTLIGHT

You might know Issinn from her stunning in-game shots, which stand out for their lighting and attention to detail. Her images are not only beautiful but also invite you to discover the story behind each of them.
She is also an actual self-taught photographer outside of games, snapping shots like the one below:

SHD Spotlight: Issinn | Image 1

HISTORY

Only since 2016 I really started to get into gaming. I was going through a rough time and it was an escape. I played online multiplayers and met a lot of new people who became close friends. Thank you to Ace_adz for showing me a whole new world.

Lisa started playing The Division in 2018 and it was the first game she ever got Platinum on. She fell in love with the game and for a year it was all she played until The Division 2 came out.

She tells us her playstyle is rushing, and she appreciates having friends with her that can keep her alive while she pushes on with her assault rifle and shotgun.

SHD Spotlight: Issinn | Image 2

THE COMMUNITY

We asked Lisa how she would describe the Division Community. She spoke of the Community as a group of very supportive and kind people who are also incredibly talented creators. It’s her first time being involved in such an inspiring community.

The possibility that maybe I'm helping someone out, or someone looks forward to my next photo is absolutely amazing.

Several community members supported her from her very first posts, and Lisa would like to give a special shoutout to WildMax10 for this. Later, she met neonescent, with whom she shares a passion for virtual photography and has joined in AceW007’s streams.

Lisa also mentions that it’s not just about games. The community cares for each other and would offer help at any time. In this spirit of community, she does her best to make new members feel as welcome as she has always felt.

SHD Spotlight: Issinn | Image 3

VIRTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Lisa started taking in-game screenshots with The Division. Without a photo mode, she came up with creative ways to get angles, working with character positioning and walls. She also filtered out the HUD and texts during the editing phase. And she used to do this in her phone!

Below, you can see one of her shots taken in The Division:

SHD Spotlight: Issinn | Image 4

When asked about her inspiration, she told us the work of mediumet, OllieNorris and M88Gaming greatly inspired her to take up Virtual Photography.

We asked Lisa to share with us her favourite shot of all time, which we are showing below. It’s one of her most popular photos and she likes how realistic it ended up being, with the mix of colour, lighting and detail. Some people have mistaken it for a picture of an actual cosplayer!

SHD Spotlight: Issinn | Image 5

She feels like virtual photography in games is slowly getting its time in the spotlight. With more and more games providing a photo mode and featuring screenshots on their social media accounts, virtual photography is starting to get the same recognition as normal photography.

THE PROCESS

We asked Lisa about her virtual photography process. Let’s break it down!

Spotting a shot: Finding an area with good lighting is a very important step here. She mentions that thanks to the level design in The Division 2, with its detail and lighting, sometimes she will spot a shot when she is just playing. Other times, she will go in with a theme or location in mind.
Getting a good angle: Once in the area, she spends as much time as necessary to get the right angles. When collaborating with other agents, she will give instructions on what emotes to use, where to stand and where to aim.
Photo mode adjustments: She plays with the adjustments on the photo mode settings, modifying the contrast, angle and depth of field, to get the perfect atmosphere.
Editing: For the longest time she edited her shots on her phone and switched different apps. Currently, she uses Photoshop Express, and has started using Photoshop and Lightroom. Over time she has created her own personal presets on her editing software, which help bring across her personal style in her photos.

When it comes to themes, she has recently been enjoying taking pictures of agents in the environment, close ups, and showing details of weapons, masks and outfits.

I like to create a certain atmosphere in my photos. They usually have a personal story or feeling behind it. There is more to it than only taking the photo, it's a challenge to get all of it as how I imagine it.

SHD Spotlight: Issinn | Image 6