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The Last Of Us: A Video Game That Lets Players Become Photographers

Aug 7, 2014 by Maaz Khan 5 Comments

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Released in the summer of last year, The Last of Us has quickly gone from one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2013 to the most awarded video game of all time. Just recently, Sony even announced plans to develop a full motion picture based off the story. Last week, The Last of Us was released as a remastered exclusive for the PlayStation 4; the game came upgraded in 60fps and 1080p HD, along with a handful of extras to offer. One of the biggest highlights to come out of them was something called Photo Mode.

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Originally inspired by an episode of Planet Earth involving the Cordyceps parasite, The Last of Us is a survival-horror game that tells the story of two people trying to make it to the other side of the country in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombie-like creatures.

One of the most acclaimed aspects of The Last of Us was how vivid and rich the storytelling in it really was; it’s not normal for a game’s story to be focused on as much as the gameplay itself, if not more. But when it came down to it, Naughty Dog went above and beyond in it’s development – ironically, it’s a game about lifeless zombies that ended up having the most soul I’ve ever seen in a video game. I didn’t use the phrase “tells the story” lightly; The Last of Us is literally what you might consider a playable movie. And the cinematic quality it has is exactly what Naughty Dog showcases in the new Photo Mode that comes with the remastered release.

Developed by Jason Gregory and Artem Kovalovs, Photo Mode allows you to pause the game at any time and capture stills of the action frozen in place. Giving control of the angle, depth of field, field of view, dolly, and focus, Photo Mode allows you the freedom of an actual photographer when composing your shot. Given how much is possible with the mechanics, there have already been countless players showcasing their creativity online; here’s just a few of some brilliant shots I’ve come across on /r/thelastofus.

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You’re probably not alone if you’re wondering what this has to do with photography at all, or why it’s on this website in the first place. When it all comes down to it, isn’t it basically taking screenshots of a video game? Lately, I’ve seen a lot of debate take place over what qualifies as art and what doesn’t. Video games have been caught under the “Is it art?” argument for a long time, now. Is there any actual value that ever comes out of it?

“To my knowledge, no one in or out of the field has ever been able to cite a game worthy of comparison with the great dramatists, poets, filmmakers, novelists and composers. That a game can aspire to artistic importance as a visual experience, I accept. But for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic.”

– Roger Ebert

On one side, film critic Roger Ebert believed that video games couldn’t be considered as an art form, and even Hideo Kojima, the creator of Metal Gear Solid, agreed with him. On the other side, organizations such as the Smithsonian have openly put up exhibits displaying the artistic merit video games have to offer. With how fresh the debate still is, it’s still hard to answer whether a game can ever be accepted into something like the US Library of Congress.

And even up to today, photography’s faced the same exact debate.

Back in the 1850s, photography was considered “too literal to compete with works of art“. It was considered as a medium that doesn’t help elevate the imagination at all. To this date, photography is still considered as too much of an easy route. Do you still think it’s a form art? Does it really matter if someone else says it isn’t?

Normally, I don’t ever have time to sit down and play video games at all anymore. Playing The Last of Us reminded me of all the hours I would sit in front of my Gamecube as a kid, being blown away by how awesome Metroid Prime looked on my small 24 inch TV. Here I was, sitting in awe again at a new story. After finishing it, I started taking more pictures. I started drawing, and I started finding inspiration all over again.

With The Last of Us, Naughty Dog put a serious amount of heart into their storytelling. They put a serious amount of effort into the vivid world of the game itself, and they gave us a way to become photographers in that world. With the bridging of one art form to the other, I think this is something you guys would truly appreciate. It’s not typical for a video game to sport full-on DSLR mechanics, but this one executed it perfectly. It’s awesome to see a video game that can teach a thing or two about photography, and it’s awesome to see it generate so much photographic inspiration in the gaming community.

Thanks to Redditors /u/rantinghobo and /u/joshuabitess for the pictures!

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Filed Under: Inspiration, news Tagged With: art, naughty dog, the last of us, video game photography, video games

Maaz Khan: from diyphotography.net

About Maaz Khan

Maaz Khan started off teaching himself photography with a disposable Kodak camera he got for his 7th birthday. His main weapons of choice are now the 5D Mark II, and an LG G2 when mobility calls.

You can find some of his work at his website, twitter Twitter @drcon and Instagam @maazcon

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Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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