[checks watch] Well, I make that October, so I figured that a reminder of the new categories for the 2022 Screenshot of the Year Competition would be helpful, especially since there are some huge games scheduled for release between now and December. If you're planning on entering, please keep these categories in mind whilst you're out there capturing shots!
Please don't start posting screenshots in this topic! This is just another heads-up, and the last one before the competition opens in early December. Please also refrain from asking for a pre-emptive opinion on certain shots, as this could be perceived as generating bias.
The new categories will be as follows.
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This is a broader replacement for the previous Action category which can cover any shot of any subject, so long as what's in the frame has a dynamic feel to it. Caught a character looking over their shoulder at a cool angle? Managed to capture a bolt of lightning in a thunderstorm? Those kinds of shots could also be considered alongside a bunch of brawls, chases and explosions, so long as they're dynamic.
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Many of you like getting a bit abstract with objects or environments, as well as character models, and it's about time we had a dedicated category for such shots. Again, this covers multiple pre-existing categories; we could be looking at a monochrome landscape here, or an extreme close-up of a particular protagonist, so don't panic about needing a degree in fine art to submit something to this category! It's all art!
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Perhaps the most popular request thusfar because hey, we could all use a good laugh in winter, right? Whether you've spent hours mucking about with a Photo Mode's pre-set character poses and facial expressions, or whether you've captured an unfortunate-looking glitch, or maybe even some ragdoll physics gone awry, share it with us in this category and we'll put some of the funniest forward for consideration.
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Since the rumoured integration of Discord hasn't radically changed PSN communication methods, we'll likely be asking you to post your shots in this topic once again. I'll include instructions when the competition goes live, but you can always send your entries to me via PSN, and I'll post 'em on your behalf. If you're not already a friend of mine, then my PSN I.D. is in my signature.
Any questions, please ask. Please also let me know if I've screwed up any of the username changes in the tag list up there, or if you'd like to be added / removed.
The competition is open to everybody, regardless of whether you're tagged or not!
Looking forward to seeing all of your entries come December!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
I don't think I've ended up taking many funny ones this year but I suppose I have an abundance of mass effect ones to select from for various categories 😀
This year is open to other platforms as well ain't it? I seem to remember that being mentioned but I can't see anything in this thread
I wish I could still enter shots when the time comes, but I'm pretty much exclusively a PC gamer nowadays. Unfair, haha! I'm excited to see all the beautiful shots from y'all show up come December. 🙂
@ralphdibny Yeah, apologies for not confirming that detail, but the competition will be open to all platforms, same as last year. Which means @Tjuz can enter their PC shots, if they'd like to! Unless the issue is that PC games don't have Photo Modes, in which case, that's a shame (although again, shots don't have to be captured in Photo Modes to qualify for consideration)!
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@Anti-Matter Yeah, as @Kairu correctly replied, please don't post your shots yet. The competition isn't open until December. I was just reminding everybody of the new categories!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger Oh, great then! I thought I remembered it being PS exclusive, but I suppose I was wrong. Luckily PC also has photo mode, so let me see if I'll be able to capture some fun shots.
@Tjuz Previous competitions had been PS4 only, because we used the PS4's Communities feature to submit people's entries, so your memory is correct. Last year, with Communities gone and no viable replacement, we were forced to change submission methods, which lifted the restrictions.
Really looking forward to what you capture! Best of luck!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger I'm very grateful for the invite, and that you remembered me! (I apologize for my late response to the post.) it's always such a a pleasure and honor to participate in this event. I'm very passionate about screenshots and virtual photography (though I'm but a novice). As such, I look forward to this time of the year ever since I joined this community.
However, unfortunately, this year I'm going to have to only stand aside and be an observer. I live in Iran, and I'm not sure how much of the news gets out (god knows connecting to the net right now is a miracle on its own!) but the political instability of the country has swayed me to set aside my passions for a while and stand with the people of my country for our freedom.(I deeply apologize for bringing these rather gloomy and political news to the community.)
I wish you all luck and I will be watching as much as possible. I'm ready to see some banger screenshots! This is exciting. I will return for nexy year.
@XOF Blimey. Rest assured, news of your country's current situation is indeed being widely reported beyond your borders; knowing what's going on over there, I'm rather honoured that you used some of your limited time and connectivity to reply. Please don't apologise for your courage and nobility. Fight hard and smart, and stay as safe as you can. I wish you and your people well.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@AdamNovice Hey buddy, am I correct in thinking that you didn't wanna be a judge this year? Apologies if I've gotten that wrong, I just thought I'd check before getting the ball rolling next week. I recall having a conversation with @BearsEatBeets offering them a spot on the panel. Assuming that @HallowMoonshadow is also happy to return... oh heck, before this gets too confusing, who's up for being a judge?!
No pressure on any of you, of course! I'm happy to judge the whole thing by myself if needs be.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
I'm having some internet problems on my end (hence why I haven't been on the past week) but it should be cleared up by then @RogerRoger.
I admit the vaguer categories this time around are a bit more intimidating to judge compared to the previous "Action", "Landscape" & "Character" but I'll try my best 😄
@AdamNovice No problemo; thanks for confirming and apologies for the hole in my memory.
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@HallowMoonshadow Eek! Internet problems are never fun. I hope your connection stabilises soon (if it hasn't already). Thanks for still volunteering to judge regardless; if anything becomes a problem, don't panic, as there are always fallback positions. Judging won't be for another couple weeks anyway!
I'm gonna put up some extra guidance with regards the categories, particularly for comedy shots. As before, I was gonna draw judge assignments at random, but if you get stuck with a category you're not comfortable with, let me know and I'll be happy to swap with you.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@evildave333@Clankylad Given your recent activity in the dedicated screenshot topic, would you like me to add you to the tag list for this, the forum's friendly screenshot competition?
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
Welcome to the 2022 Screenshot of the Year competition!
You all know the drill by now, right? This contest is designed to share and celebrate the screenshots we've all been busy capturing these past eleven-and-a-bit months. Shocking, I know!
It's open to everybody (the tag list above is just used to inform the interested, as well as keep past participants in the loop; if you'd like to be added to it, then please let me know) and submissions can be made from all consoles and platforms, not just PlayStation. If you've captured something worthy on your PC, Switch, Xbox or heck, even a smartphone or tablet, then it's also welcome here!
Read on for the rules, instructions on how to submit your shots, and some helpfully hopeful hints.
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Categories
As you'll be aware from my random pestering reminders, we've introduced new categories this year, based on previous feedback. They are as follows:
This is a broader replacement for the previous Action category which can cover any shot of any subject, so long as what's in the frame has a dynamic feel to it. Caught a character looking over their shoulder at a cool angle? Managed to capture a bolt of lightning in a thunderstorm? Those kinds of shots could also be considered alongside a bunch of brawls, chases and explosions, so long as they're dynamic.
Many of you enjoy getting a bit abstract with objects or environments, as well as character models, and it's about time we had a dedicated category for such shots. Again, this covers multiple pre-existing categories; we could be looking at a monochrome landscape here, or an extreme close-up of a particular protagonist, so don't panic about needing a degree in fine art to submit something to this category! It's all art!
Perhaps the most popular request to date because hey, we could all use a good laugh in winter, right? Whether you've spent hours mucking about with a Photo Mode's pre-set character poses and facial expressions, or whether you've captured an unfortunate-looking glitch, or maybe even some ragdoll physics gone awry, share it with us in this category and we'll put some of the funniest forward for consideration.
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Judging assignments are to be confirmed during the submission window.
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What to Submit
Each individual can submit a total of four shots. You don't have to submit four; you can just submit one, or three, or two-and-a-half if you're feeling particularly esoteric.
There is no category limit. If you have a particular preference, you can submit all four to one category.
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How to Submit
Since that whole PSN Discord thing didn't come to pass as promised, we're gonna do what we did last year and ask you to upload your screenshots directly to this topic, here on the forum. Specific instructions on how to do this can be found in the next post.
Alternatively, if you'd prefer, you can send me your entries via PSN and I'll be sure to get them posted here before the deadline. My username can be found in my forum signature.
When submitting each screenshot, please remember to include the following information:
1) The category to which your shot belongs (Dynamic, Artistic or Comedic); 2) A title for your shot; 3) The game in which the shot was taken.
Those with low bandwidth connections or browsing on a limited data plan should be warned, as all these entries are gonna make the topic quite data-intensive. Sorry about that!
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When to Submit
You should have submitted all of your screenshots by 7pm (GMT) on Saturday 10 December.
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Finalists and the Public Vote
The best three shots from each category will be selected to proceed, along with a wild card runner-up that'll give us ten finalists for the public vote. I'll use the tag list above (and add anybody else who's participated) to notify you once it gets underway, hopefully on or around Monday 12 December.
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Really looking forward to seeing everybody's entries! Best of luck, y'all!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
You'll need to get your shots online somehow, so that they've got a dedicated web address. One of the easiest ways to do this is to link a Twitter account to your gamer profile, so that you can upload your shots directly to it (that's assuming Twitter doesn't destroy itself in the next ten days, of course). According to Google, you can do this on PlayStation, Switch and Xbox.
Otherwise, you're gonna have to manually transfer your shots to a PC or tablet (using a USB stick or, in the Switch's case, a MicroSD card) and then upload them to an image-hosting website. ImgBB is free and anonymous to use. You can also create a free account at either Imgur or Postimages and create separate albums for your uploads, although both of these sites do require an email address to sign up with.
Once your shot is online, copy its direct link (ending in .jpg or .png) into a forum post and surround it with image tags. These look like the following, only with square brackets instead of round ones.
(img) (/img)
If you wanna see an example, quote this post, and you'll see how I've done it below.
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What category does my screenshot belong to?
That's totally a "you" question, but remember to keep in mind that each shot will be judged on its merits as an example of its category.
What does that mean? Well, consider Aloy's predicament in this shot:
It's an action freeze-frame taken at a dramatic angle, which might make it a good fit for the Dynamic category, but you could also argue that the mirrored pose, combined with Aloy's facial expression, makes it more amusing than anything else, which means it could end up being a Comedy contender.
Think about why you took your shot, what you wanted it to say, and how you'd like it to be judged.
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Isn't comedy subjective, though?
Absolutely. We get that the Comedy category could end up being divisive. You should feel free to submit anything you find funny, but please remember the fact that you're trying to win a public competition; obscure in-jokes you share with your friends might not stand much of a chance. Whichever judge is assigned the Comedy category will be asked to keep an open mind, but please don't be disappointed if they simply don't "get" your sense of humour. We'll do our best, though!
It's also worth noting that this is a competition designed to celebrate creativity. There are plenty of superb jokes, references and Easter Eggs to be found in hundreds of games, but simply pointing the camera at them and thinking "that'll do" probably won't.
There's a big difference between "a screenshot of a funny thing"...
...and "a funny screenshot".
Finally, it should go without saying that offensive humour will not be tolerated. Again yes, this area can be subjective, so I reckon the fairest solution will be that, if your shot generates enough reasonable criticism, I'll instruct the judges to ignore it (and the mods'll likely delete it anyway).
This is just a bit of informal, community-organised fun. Let's not wreck it!
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What makes a "good" screenshot, then?
We all know what we like, so trust your instincts. If you think something looks good enough to capture, then chances are others will agree with you.
That being said, please don't be lazy. Take this for example:
It's a pretty cool shot (ba-dum-tssh) but I snapped it during a cutscene, so it's been framed and lit by one of the talented cinematography experts over at IO Interactive. All I did was press a button at the right moment, and I'm sure there are thousands of players out there who did the same. We're not here to give professional developers yet another award. Do your own thing!
We've had some debate about pre-set character poses before, but this isn't an issue (especially since most Photo Modes include a "pose" toggle anyway). So long as you've made an effort to move the camera and frame a shot by yourself, then y'all good.
That being said, please be aware that, if your shot is clearly taken from a character model gallery, it'll likely be overlooked in favour of more impressive in-game captures.
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So, do I have to use Photo Mode for my shots?
Absolutely not. A good Photo Mode can obviously add flair, but there are plenty of games out there which don't feature them (yet). If you position an in-game camera for maximum effect and get lucky with your timing, it's still possible to get some great shots.
Just be warned that nothing, and I mean nothing, ruins a good shot like an on-screen HUD. Please be sure to deactivate the HUD wherever possible!
Take your time, apply a little effort, and the results'll speak for themselves.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
In previous years, you've kindly promoted this competition on the front page, so I'm just letting you know that it's rocked around again. You're also more than welcome to participate!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger Fantastic, Rog! You’ve put together an excellent framework for this event and I’m excited to see the results! I’ll even submit some of my feeble attempts again this year! 😅
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
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Topic: WE HAVE A WINNER! - The 2022 Screenshot of the Year Competition
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