Why do we take pictures? What makes one thing seem worth the effort to get my camera out for and another just ok slip by in the flow of time? I have been watching this week as my old chum Benedict Cumberbatch was imploring his fans not to take pictures or record video in his performance of Hamlet and it got me thinking about photography again: it also prompted me to get the gallery sorted out on my website.
One obvious answer to my opening question is simple enough, like a billion human beings before me I want to record my time here in this world and when people, places and situations have gone forever the light that shone bright was for a split second fused into an image, frozen in time. Maybe that is also part of it, maybe it's partly mortal beings defying the inevitable onslaught of time that enthuses us to take pictures 'fuck you baldness and fuck you wrinkles..I'm keeping this one thing for me'.
Ok so enough with the heavy stuff, like 'real life' I also love to take pictures of the games I play. I remember the first screenshots I ever took were from Warcraft and the motivation was very much to share things I'd seen or show raids we'd beaten. However over the last few years I've been taking more screenshots for a different reason and that is because games are becoming so damn beautiful. There have been a few recent games in particular where sights, vistas or just the general atmosphere has had me stopping in my tracks to gaze in awe. GTA 5 is one good example, I actually found myself going for an early morning cruise up the west coast, parking up and watching the sun rise from the ocean. Sat there listening to some 80's track and soaking up the atmosphere it was strange, did Rockstar know this would be a part of my gaming experience? The same can be said for The Witcher 3 and Dragon Age Inquisition: I've found these game worlds so visually pleasing I actually have been playing to find good photographs of in game locations.
To this end please check out the 'Shooting Gallery', my new section which will very simply showcase some of the best shots I've garnered from various digital game worlds. Please be wary that you may see the odd mild spoiler in there of content in that particular game but I will do my best to avoid that. I'll be doing a gallery entry for every game I review from now on so please have a browse and share your thoughts. It's my eventual goal to have other people's shots on this site as well, as they say 'watch this space'.
I am away for a few days now but will be working on a few articles on my travels so expect to see them next week, for now thank you for reading my latest blog post and I hope your gaming is going well wherever you are.
Peace out,
Genophix.