OFFICIAL Eorzea's Next Top Model Discussion Thread

[Wings]

Rhaya Rhelena: This isn't from a c/s? You continue to impress/inspire me with what can be done with screenshots. I don't want you to give all your secrets away during the competition but I would love some insight into how you go about your screenshot process just to improve upon my own hobby.

Thank you ♥ But they're not really secrets - they're actually just tips that Epsil gave way back in this thread! Usually I don't show outtakes and describe the process until after a round is up, but I'll do it this time. Maybe it'll give someone else ideas for the next round.

First trick I use is of course the sun minion. If someone you know has one too, you can ask them to borrow it. They just need to be prepared that it'll likely take time... A lot changes with the distance to the the sun(s), and the time of day affects that a bit too. In the first of these pictures I'm leaning away and have a tad more natural skintone, while in the second I'm closer which gives a more satin-like complexion:

The second thing I tend to use is the lock-on trick he described, which took so much searching to find where it is! I went through all the menus and settings, I googled, I asked friends, but there was nothing on how to do it on a PC. Finally a friend found it by experimenting: you press 5 on the numpad. The lock-on comes with its own little quirks, and limits some of the things you can do, like whole body emotes and attacks. Distance is a factor here too; if the lock-on point is in front of you, it swings the camera around, and if it's too close, you won't get the leeway needed to position the camera properly. On the Smurfette picture the sun is actually out on the road behind me.

Because I'm located on a narrow bit of rock, lock-on wasn't possible, so I had to use a third trick: let someone else be the camera. It's a lot more cumbersome, since I had to give directions, have them show me what they got, then make adjustment after adjustment, showing pictures in between, but you can change positioning in the frame that way.

Here's a picture of how the setup was near the middle of the shoot, before my body angle change:

I hope that solves some mysteries!

Some outtakes:

Armpit, ahoy!

The shoot really had me stumped, until I found a new location and a friend stepped in as camera.

This is one I considered until I realized the pose was so similar to my Round 1 shot:

A nice version until you notice some questionable crotchlight:

While waiting for daytime and the town to be lit up, I tried to get a bit further from the camera, and my friend snapped an extra shot. I found the angle brought something new and interresting, and decided to do that one instead:

In all it took well over four hours and 244 shots (not counting those I tried on my own first) to get the one I finally picked. This round was hard!

[Sangriah]

Thanks so much for all your insight Rhaya! I'll try and figure out this lock on thing you are talking about. I didn't even have a sun minion before this competition >.< I also use the in game, print screen method of taking ss. The delay is overwhelming at times but I've had some awesome accidents because of it.

[Sangriah]

Omg! I figured out the lock on thing Thanks so much!

[Sandoria]

I ♥ this picture Sang. It's quintessential scholar.

This was a difficult theme it seems. I could tell some folks weren't sure what they should do, even amongst the better pictures. :/

This is so very true. I didn't think this round would be all too difficult until I got out to Revenant's Toll and it was mostly completed. I wanted to look like I was actively helping the domans but most of them were just chilling out on break. Hence the reason so many people are telling dem bastids to 'get back to work!' All of the shots I tried to take with the domans looked awkward and ill-fit. There are some NPCs out in the world that will turn their head to face you as you near them, but the Domans are stationary. Because of this, I have an extra appreciation for all the entries that actually make it look like they are interacting with the npc's. Luckily the next round takes place in one of my fave zones and has a concept that should produce some pretty darned spectacular screenshots.

[Sadana]

Thanks so much for all your insight Rhaya! I'll try and figure out this lock on thing you are talking about. I didn't even have a sun minion before this competition >.< I also use the in game, print screen method of taking ss. The delay is overwhelming at times but I've had some awesome accidents because of it.

I've tried playing around with lock-on and I don't get it. ><; I usually end up with my back to camera, or zoomed too far out, or something and it just looks bad. Not sure how y'all do it.