Swaeft

It's been a while since the last update, (almost a month, I believe) and some things have changed in the meantime. I won't be doing "live" commentary, I will only be doing commentary for POTWs that have just ended (hence the name change of the blog). This is so I don't inadvertently influence the vote. This also means I can be a little more liberal in expressing my admiration for the pictures I like best In addition I won't be doing commentary during the weeks that I'm the competition manager (for obvious reasons). So without further ado, here is last week's wrap up!

GPOTW 115 Commentary

The thread where you can see the submissions and result of the vote is here - click me! Submission 1: A very intense picture, with pretty lights and melee action. The screenshot is well captured and from a lovely angle, showing us a lot of the characters without sacrificing perspective of the combat. Great shot! Submission 2: Re-vote, no comment. Submission 3: A very idyllic looking town scene, this makes me want to go there for a holiday, heh. Hanging banners, picturesque buildings and the lovely glint of sunlight makes this a beautiful screenshot indeed! Submission 4: Horror! Skip! Just kidding, though I will admit that I played this game and never finished it when I was younger. A somewhat ill-lit corridor of death as our main character engages the alien monstrosity. 3rd person camera angle, captured at the right time with the bullet hitting the monster and alien blood splattering off the impact. Submission 5: Stark contrast in this picture between the area lit up by the fire and the other tenebrous (I have been using this word too often lately ) areas. Some thugs brandishing weapons are idling about, perhaps ignorant of the danger about to befall them. The darkness is nicely punctuated by other small sources of light, save for the mysterious ball of white light at the top right of the photo. A very eerie atmosphere indeed. Submission 6: Re-vote, no comment. Submission 7: A car barrels down a mountain at high speed, throwing out chunks of snow behind it. A nice angle from which this screenshot was taken gives us a view of the surrounding landscape, which is pretty a impressive mountain range and a rather dense forest. The wintry landscape seems to be a favourite of this screenshot artist! Submission 8: A screenshot taken from a high angle, showcasing a breathtaking view of the world of Skyrim, complete with waterfalls, steep heights, and towering mountainous landscapes. I personally don’t recognize this part of Skyrim (shame on me!) but it looks great nonetheless.

POTW 556 Commentary

The thread where you can see the submissions and the results of the vote is here - click me! Submission 1: This shot has a dark and gloomy atmosphere, yet manages to give off a polished and clean look at the same time. The ranks of soldiers provide depth to the photo and gives us the feeling that a big fight is going on even beyond what appears on the screenshot. Submission 2: This screenshot is taken from the front, showing soldiers in the midst of a bayonet charge. Frenetic combat vibes aside, what is truly remarkable here is the level of editing as compared to the original photo. Great job! Submission 3: A vicious gunfight between two regiments of troops at very close range. I imagine them giving off a final volley before proceeding into melee combat. This is probably what ‘up close and personal’ meant in those times. Submission 4: Line infantry taking aim at a detachment of cavalry charging at them. It still amazes me that this was an actual stratagem used by commanders last time…jeez. The screenshot is taken at an angle above the soldiers, giving us perspectives of the battlefield as well as the environment. Submission 5: This screenshot is more focused on one particular aspect of the battle. Two soldiers stands guard over some field artillery as a large group of cavalrymen rush by, presumably into battle. A nice touch of editing makes it look as though this is a painting of some sort. Submission 6: A photo that is distinct from the rest, instead of heavy emphasis on the gunfire, we now have native horsemen chasing down line infantry (correct me if I’m wrong, I’ve never played Empire). The rays of sunlight shining down add a very nice touch to the picture, as do the matching colors of the uniforms and horses against the environment.

That will be all for this (last) week, have a good one! If you're interested, you can find other Picture of the Week stuff in the POTW forums here - click me! Thank you guys for your constant support and encouraging messages as well, they do inspire me to keep writing this

Cheers
Swaeft