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Creativity in a Sim Picture

 

This article won't tell you how to find ideas and be creative outisde of given themes, it is only about making the picture you set out to do be as creative as possible. Picture examples were taken by Tackshots on flickr and are not sims.

 

Creativity is the pet hate of many because it is in a lot of cases misunderstood. So truly, what is creativity? Put simply, creativity is how attractive your picture is, how appealing and interesting to the eye it is. It is not to be confused with editing however as no matter how much you edit a picture, you cannot make a boring picture become creative. A lot of times people seem to think the only thing that matters is the angle . This is a mistake. Of course an interesting angle is a plus, but frankly, you can achieve a terrific picture with a simple angle, if you hit other elements, which are in fact more important (and sadly often overlooked). 

So what are those important elements?

 

=> A simple but cohesive color palette

 

This is a very important element. Of course someone might like some colors better but if it is well put together it is sure to appeal to anyone. Word of advice, keep it simple and light overall. Choose several neutrals (you want at least 2, but probably 3) (in many cases those will be green from trees and grass, beiges from sand/dirt, browns or blacks from leather), and repeat them in different shades to create interest (for example, have a dark beige sand and an off white fence, and add a building with light but slightly more saturated wood tones). Keep your horse color in mind. This may sound silly but a horse that blends in completely with his environment is a bit boring. Of course if you are very good at creating backgrounds and have a great and natural eye for color any horse will look great in your picture, but if you are just beginning and aren’t quite sure of what you are doing think of contrasts (brown horse on brown background = boring). Finally you want to add some colors to your neutrals. Be careful though not to add too much (5 different types of flowers is generally not a good idea). Choose 1 to 3 colors (they can be declined in several shades of course) and apply them on your horse/rider and have them be echoed (and/or if you are a bit more advanced, complemented) in your background. Do only little touches. Avoid overly saturated colors (neons are not recommended) unless you are an advanced picture decorator and you know how to balance those.

 

Here is an example of a RL dressage picture which hits the cohesive palette perfectly:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tackshots/14555293217/

 

Notice how most of the picture is neutrals (whites, beiges, greens, blacks). It is only awaken by 2 little dots of orangey yellows in the background (2 different shades) repeated in the gold browband of the bridle and in the jacket, a little bit of pink (which could have been taken out but isn’t distracting here), a desaturated red lettering that balance/complements the navy of the jacket (which itself is somewhat repeated in the chairs in the background). Simple but efficient!

 

=> A well lit picture

 

Light is a difficult balance. You don’t want to have your picture too dark because it makes everything hard to see (and affects your colors negatively), but you don’t want your picture to be too bright because it makes everything saturated and hurts your viewer’s eyes.

If you are just starting and don’t want to be too adventurous, avoid early mornings or late afternoons and try to get the light to hit your horse right on the angle you are taking the picture from so that everything important is lit up and not hidden by some bad shadows. Avoid overcast days and gloomy atmospheres (obviously avoid rain/snow as well) as they darken the picture. In the event that your picture is too bright, you can open it in an editing program (like photoshop) and use the saturation adjustment tool to calm it down without losing the light (if you don’t know how to do that, ask someone whom you know edit pictures and they will show you how)(it’s a 5 seconds manipulation and requires no painting skills whatsoever). There is unfortunately not much you can do for pictures which are too dark without extensive editing (so better to avoid those from the start). Another thing you can do (and it is recommended but not always necessary) is to get a lighting mod (you can find a lot on tumblr and/or by help of friends/more experienced simmers who might point you to some they like or use).

If you are more experienced, play with light! Play with the direction it comes from, play with shadows of trees. Play with overcast/weather to create a unique ambiance and distinguish yourself from the average “it’s a perfect day” feel. Of course, as always, don’t go too far or you will hurt your picture more than you will improve it.

 

Here is an example of a RL cross country picture which has great and simple light:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tackshots/8955738420/

 

As you see the picture is soft to the eye but the horse is entirely in the sun and everything is nice and visible. It is the center of attention!

 

Here is an example of a RL cross country picture which has great but more “advanced” light:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tackshots/8920827480/

 

The light is hitting the horse from the front which creates an ambiance and can influence the emotion behind a picture (like the rise of a star, or a youngster jumping in the spotlight… that is if you are the kind of person who likes to really go deep into the meaning of things… but even if you can’t explain what it means, it will still impact your emotions). The rest of the picture is still well lit so everything is nice and visible, but the center of attention has shifted from the actual object (the horse) to the emotion/ambiance linked to that object.

 

Both are good but the first one is a safer choice (you can’t go wrong with it), while the other might create some extra magic, but can also be the death of your picture if you don’t do it right (use at your own risk).

 

=> A good composition

 

Composition can mean background work and/or photography technicality. They definitely go hand in hand. Composition can really differ from picture to picture and what might work for one, might not for another, which makes it very difficult to learn and teach.

 

However, here are some generalities that will almost always be true.

• a layered background. In “open” sceneries, a background with depth and distinctive parts is almost always more interesting. That layering effect can be done in a close field (each layer is very close to each other) or in a far field (layers go from near the object to very far from it)

 

examples: Close field layering depth: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tackshots/8696757367/

               Far field layering depth: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tackshots/8662166424/

 

Both have different layers (fences, spectators, grounding structure (trees in the first picture, building in the second)) but their effects are different. What works for one picture might not work for the other. Think of your intentions and what effect you would like to produce.

 

• a thought out use of space. Let’s not go and talk about rules of 3 and all that stuff.. let’s keep it simple: The basic photography trick is to have your horse be towards the center of the picture, neither too close nor too far. This is a simple way to inhabit the space and with a layered background is sure to give you a great looking composition. If you want to be a bit more adventurous, you can try to have your subject be offset from the center. However, the weight created by your horse on one side must be matched by something else on the other side (in cross country or stadium, a simple way to work this out would be by putting a jump on the other side of the picture). This is not always true: you can have your horse be a tiny piece “lost” on one side with nothing on the other and have a wonderful picture out of it, but those compositions aren’t really recommended for competitions as it creates a loss of focus on the object at hand (the horse) but more of a global intention (try it at your own risk).

 

examples: Subject in the center: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tackshots/8481172780/

                Subject on the side: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tackshots/7913602698/

 

The one on the side decentralizes the focus but still works because the main subject is balanced by the horse in the background. It is more creative but not better for a competition shot and is not recommended if you consider yourself a novice at photography.

 

=> An angle that works

 

Here we are at the angle thing you hear so much about. By now, you have noticed that angles are just one little part of creativity. There are three types of effects you can create with angles. None of them are better than the others; they are just different.

• the realistic/objective effect. It is created by any angle which is at horse level. It doesn’t create any emotion or any additional effect of speed/action than what the horse is already doing. Most competition pictures (in RL and in sims) use that type as it is simple but efficient.

• the intensity boost effect. It is created by angles which are below horse level (imagine your camera is close to the ground tilted up towards the horse). It creates an intensity and potentially a boost to the speed/action of the horse that wouldn’t be here otherwise because it gives the feeling to be at the horse’s feet. However that type can sometimes hurt your form by making the rider look squished against the horse. Thus if used wrong will hurt your scores more than it will help them.

• the intruding/peeking effect. It is created by angles which are above horse level (imagine your camera is in a tree, tilted down towards the horse). It creates a feeling of remoteness accompanied by the idea of observing/intruding on a private moment. Just like the intensity boost angle type, it can also have negative effects. It may hide some elements in form, and can hurt some other aspects of creativity, so use carefully.

Once you have chosen which type of angle will work the best for your shot, you can now turn around your horse to decide on the actual angle you want to take the picture from. The preferred angles depends on the discipline and movement (dressage) or jumping phase (cross country/stadium). In dressage you are going to want to privilege side angles (it doesn’t have to be exactly straight from the side but close) for almost all movements, or front/back angles (lateral movements only). In cross country and stadium, 3/4 angles are going to be your best bet as they generally allow for all the horse and rider to be visible (3/4 from the back or from the front depending on the jumping phase). When choosing an angle, make sure that your form is as good as it can be (angle that makes the poses look their best) and that your horse is as visible as it can be. When you are dealing with a jump (especially in stadium), it can be difficult to have all parts visible, but try your best to have what matters left unobstructed (more on that in the form section). If you have several possibilities, use the most unusual/creative one.

 

=> Details that make the picture more alive

 

This is the little plus that can take your picture from great to wow. Details you can add are:

 

• jumps in the background. If you are doing a stadium picture try to choose an angle that shows part of the course behind your horse. If you are doing a cross country picture, and you have large portions of grass that extend far from your horse, try to populate those with some cross country jumps (they don’t even have to be the right size) to give the appearance of a course.

• crowds. How many people are there is up to you (as it depends on the picture and the level), but you really ought to think of giving them a bit of life. 5 sims standing there with a blank stare isn’t the most attractive thing.. There are many poses out there, and you can use pretty much anything (it doesn’t have to be spectator poses at all). Create a scene; maybe someone is on the phone, next to whom, a pair is talking while petting a dog. A horse fan is taking pictures enthusiastically while her non horsey boyfriend she dragged to the show is taking a nap. Two or three people are walking away, holding jackets/backpacks.. The possibilities are endless.

 

Creating a gorgeous scenery takes quite a bit of effort for a small reward, but sometimes it’s the couple extra things that make the difference. No pain, no gain.