Basics of Screenshotting (for Mod Pages and Beyond)
A while ago someone asked me about my process for taking screenshots. I wrote a lengthy respone that has since been adapted into this guide. I hope that it is helpful to some people out there!
In my opinion, the biggest thing that makes for an interesting screenshot is framing. A good photo will draw your eye to a specific point and you do that by subtlety putting the subject of your photo in a frame. This photo is a great example of that:
This photo is being framed in two different ways. First through the trees in the front and then there the grass on the left side and the bit of the tree on the right. This naturally draws you towards the subject, the Dunmer in the middle.
This also nicely shows off another important part of taking a good photo: positioning. The center of the frame is a natural place to put your subject, but what I want to highlight here is more how he lines up with Red Mountain.
So, as you look at this photo your eyes are brought to the dunmer via the framing and then upwards to also look at Red Mountain via the positioning.
Another important thing to take into account is contrast. You want to make sure the primary subject of your photo has a clear contrast with the background of the photo.
This is photo is a poor example of that:
The photo is nicely framed with the bamboo leaning inward towards the subject, and the subject is positioned in the middle of the frame where all the bamboo is leaning. However, the black armor against the dark passage way makes it hard to make out the subject.
Compare that with this:
The black outfit on the white fog really makes the subject pop in a way that the first image does not.
Color is another feature that an help to elevate a photo
Have a look at this image:
The mod is called On a Crimson Trail and crimson is the most prominent feature of this image. The sky is most pronounced, but it is also seen in the campfire which is washing over the rest of the crew.
Now, let’s look at a few weirder examples of the things I outlined above:
This is a different way to go about positioning. The subject is not framed in the center of the frame like in the first example, but it is placed to the left. However, the image (in my opinion at least) is still appealing. This is utilizing a photography principle know as the Rule of Thirds.
You place the subject in one of thirds of the frame and use the negative space in some other manner. In the image of Merlin above I’ve placed him in the leftmost part of the frame and used the other two sections to include a view of The Near Corgi Shop. This helps to tell a little story about him and his relation to the building behind him.
Photo Mode has some helpful overlays that can help you visualize how you’re framing up the photo.
Let’s look at this image now:
The framing on this photo is a bit unusual. It isn’t positioning something around the subject, but rather it is matching them. Look at how the subject’s arm is outstretched, mimicking the shape of the rock formation behind it.
I use Photo Mode extensively. It has made getting good shots so much easier. Prior to its release I had to rely on a ton of console command and it was honestly kind of miserable.
For some less theoretical tips to use with Photo Mode:
- I like to play around with depth of field a lot. It can help a lot with contrasting your subject from the background.
- Editing field of view can help you frame things up in new ways. You can get a better view of the subject while not needing to get the actual camera up their nostrils.
- Brightness and contrast can help to make the subject pop. It isn’t always possible to fix a bad background with this, but it is possible.
- Saturation helps sell mood. If it’s a happy photo, bring it up a bit, otherwise, bring it down a bit. Just don’t go too crazy with the slider.
I hope this guide was of use to you! If you have any comments or questions feel free to leave them below or contact me on my community Discord server.