My name is Colin. I'm a virtual photographer from Vietnam currently living in the United States.
Capturing screenshots in video games allows me to show the studios how much I love their work, because I can never find the right words to express my appreciation. I hope that I would be able to work with game studios one day to show the world that video games are, indeed, a form of art.
Currently, I'm learning about PC tools such as Ansel, Injectable Generic Camera System, ReShades, and CE Tables that will allow me be more creative and I can't wait to share new shots with you.
My passion to take game screenshots started when I was playing a popular 2D Chinese MMORPG called JX Online 1 way back in sixth grade, the 480p gaming era. At the time, there wasn't even an option to turn off the HUD. The only way was to either use the Snipping tool or hit PrintScreen and crop it in Microsoft Paint afterwards. However, this never stopped players from being creative, even if it meant creating additional accounts just for props. I had seen great wedding albums, group guild photos, and even comic storyboards. Fortunately, Kingsoft realized the marketing and community engagement potential of this little feature so they patched in an HUD toggle afterwards. Before I moved to study abroad at age 15, I played Jade Dynasty (my last Chinese MMORPG); my motto was: grind to unlock the awesome things and go to jaw-dropping locations for photos.
Jade Dynasty by Perfect World
Jade Dynasty by Perfect World
Jade Dynasty by Perfect World
Then, I stopped playing games and put away this virtual photography (VP) passion, because I had to move every year or two by myself in a foreign country for school. I got a PS4 about two years ago and I was completely blown away by how much gaming has come during the past 10 years. I was too busy readjusting with all these new technological advancements and new games, such that I didn't know what photomode meant in Horizon: Zero Dawn, despite that fact that I played the game twice. One day, I decided to test this "new" feature out and the rest was history. HZD's photomode unearthed that forgotten dormant passion I had put away for too long. That was the moment when the 12-year-old in me yelled, "THIS.IS.IT! This is what I have been looking for all this time! There's a word for it now!"
I officially started my VP journey in November 2018 posting just HZD photos. A few weeks later, I got Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and instantly fell in love with Kassandra. I've played a few other games that have photomode so far, such as Control and Detroit: Become Human. I'm still learning all the ropes of cinematic tools on PC for games. There are so many games that I would love to get lost in!
THANK YOU for your constant support and lovely words of encouragement.