BeStreet63: Automotive Photography in The Virtual World
The following piece is our first entry into the BeStreet63 program. Penned by Ezekiel Dionisio, this article talks about a fairly relevant mode of automotive entertainment during this quarantine period.
Ever wanted to take a photo of a Mclaren Senna blasting through the famed Circuit de-Spa Francorchamps? How about the Le-mans winning Porsche 919 racing in the Nordschleife track? Or just simply take a photo of your dream build? With all of the latest automotive-centric video games, all of these are now possible to do in the comfort of your own home.
Video games have definitely gone a long way in terms of their graphics. With games such as the Forza and Gran Turismo franchise, the player is given the ability to capture various moments or scenes in the game.
Similar to taking a photo in real life, the photo mode in games like Forza Motorsport 7 let’s the player adjust the various settings of the picture. The player can calibrate the brightness, contrast, focus, and even the shutter speed.
In real life, one would have to wait for the right time and the right weather to take a good photo. This isn’t a problem in the virtual world, as the player could also alter the weather to whatever he/she wants.
Not all of us have the privilege of driving prestigious race-winning cars in famous race tracks such as the Nurburgring, let alone take a photo of it there. Thanks to current-gen racing games, doing both is now possible. An example is this 24 Hours of Le Mans winning 2015 Porsche 919 Hybrid speeding through the Nurburgring’s Karusell.
It’s not just limited to racecars or hypercars that one could take a spin around in various tracks. Even the player’s own build, like this British Racing Green Ferrari F355 that’s rocking some TE37’s, could be materialized in-game.
Why stop with just one car? With online features being the norm for multiplayer these days, players could cruise along with their friends and other players as well as host or join a virtual car-meet.
The possibilities are truly endless, so much so that one could capture realistically impossible shots of a car. Take this close-up shot of the iconic Mazda 787B at high-speed.
The post-processing of the photo is optional if you want to give it a more realistic feel or add a personal touch.
Overall, automotive video games today don’t just allow us to take photos of various cars in-game, they have also become a way for us to build and drive our dream cars - with some taking their in-game builds into real life. As automotive video games get more realistic as time passes, only the future could tell how much more authentic they could get.
Words and Photos by: Ezekiel Dionisio
Editor’s Note: We also tried our hand at taking photos in-game to add more to this topic. Here’s a few snaps we’ve taken on Need For Speed: Heat
