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Play to photograph better

19.11.2019

Translation: machine translated

Video games are not just entertainment, they can also be a source of learning, for example in fine motor skills, cognitive abilities and even photography, according to Simon King.

If someone asks you how to improve your photography skills, several answers are sure to spring to mind, but probably not video games. That's not the view of London-based photographer and journalist Simon King. He first made his case on the photo and video blog Petapixel. I wanted to find out how he came to this conclusion and what video games can teach us in practical terms.

When did you find that gaming made you a better photographer?
Simon King, photographer: I've always been very introspective about my work. I pay a lot of attention to the factors that influence my working methods. I was talking to a friend about visualising and presenting scenes from different perspectives. He told me that this type of spatial representation gave him a hard time. I then wondered why I didn't have this problem.

Simon King photographs a wide variety of subjects: fashion, political events, advertising campaigns and so on.

What are the most important aspects of making a good photo?
The most important thing is to find a potential emotional connection. Everything else is incidental. In my composition in particular, I think the contrast between subject and background is essential. For me, this means making sure that all the elements in the scene are well defined and don't blend into each other.

How can a game improve your skills as a photographer and what skills are we talking about exactly?
In video games, you're an active character. This often translates into direct control of the camera so you can look around freely. This three-dimensional camera control is at the heart of the concept. Instead of strictly following the artist's model, you can freely choose to change the perspective and discover angles of view with different effects.

When I take photographs, I look around and picture the scene from different perspectives without having to move.

There are a multitude of skills that video games can teach us, and they're not limited to photography. Think about stock management and budgeting. In photography, I usually talk about composition, but gaming can also help with lighting, abstraction or deconstructing an environment.

In your article on the subject, you listed several games to try, including a virtual reality game. Virtual reality might even be the best way to improve your photography skills, right? Because you see and move as you would in the real world. Or isn't the freedom of a photo mode even more appreciable?

According to Simon, «Superhot» is a good game for honing your photographic skills.

If you're thinking of Superhot, I've only ever played the normal version. But I've already experienced virtual reality, which I really like. I think for the type of photography I do, I prefer to go out into the real world. Nothing can beat that, but I can quite conceive that the mental reorganisation effort required for virtual reality is useful.

In your article, you also talk about puzzle games. How can they help me in practical terms to make better photos?
Some of the photos I've sent you work like parts of a puzzle. I'm thinking in particular of the game "The Witness", which also reminds me of a Channel 4 series. You solve puzzles by positioning yourself in such a way as to create a new image from different objects. In my photos, I can only change my point of view. The space or world of a game are therefore perfect for noticing these phenomena and developing your imagination.

What do other photographers think of your theory?
Of the people I've talked to about this idea, few have as much experience of video games as I do. They do, however, understand the value of practising thinking in a virtual environment. When I wrote my article on Petapixel, I got some really nice responses from people suggesting other games that could have a positive effect on photography skills.

Many games have complex photo modes. What do you think? Is this a new type of photography? Do you use them?
I only take screenshots to capture a particular moment, especially in multiplayer mode with friends. I've seen some exceptional shots of "Spider-Man" and "Red Dead Redemption 2". They're beautiful renderings, but they're not photos. I'm mainly a film photographer. So a big part of my job is to capture the moment without retouching. Games are great for distracting myself and thinking about other things, but I don't think they replace what I can still achieve in real life.

For more on Simon King, find him on Instagram!

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Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.

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