"Red Dead Redemption ignited my love for virtual photography" - Rogue (r0gues fr0ntier)

Sharing over 600 game photos with 150+ of them from No Man’s Sky is the true definition of passion. Our chat with Rogue was insightful, from knowing thoughts behind being a console player to the things this admirable VPer loves to do outside of virtual photography and more. Even the advice shared at the end resonated and we couldn’t have had this chat a better way. So, cheers to reading and enjoying this conversation with Rogue!

What is your earliest memory of virtual photography and gaming?

I didn't start VP until I played Red Dead Redemption 2.

How did you come up with your username?

I wanted a username that would work with a variety of different games and online I go by Rogue, so r0gues fr0ntier fit.

You indicated on your Picashot bio that you play on Playstation and Xbox. What factors influence your gaming platform choices?

I've always been a gamer, since I was really young and I've always used consoles. I was never big on gaming with a keyboard; that was always too complicated for me.

Let’s talk about your photos. Your photos are mostly colorful open-world photos. How do you decide what photo is worth-taking? What is your process like?

I take all types of photos. I can usually see a great shot in my head before I even enter the photo mode. I'll take photos of anything and then if I don't like it, I'll delete it and start over.

Apart from colors and open-world style, how else would you describe your virtual photography style?

I like taking photos of everything in games from large landscapes to the smallest detail like a crack in the wall or even a cool rock.

After having played a lot of games, what game genres do you gravitate towards now?

I'll try any type of game as long as it has a photo mode or I'm able to take great screenshots without photo mode.

You've shared over 150 photos of No Man's Sky on Picashot. What makes this game special to you?

I've always been a huge fan of Space and anything Alien. I love the views and how free I feel when I play it. That's why I started a new weekly theme dedicated to it.

Do you have any favorite photos that you've taken? If so, what makes them special to you?

I have so many favorite photos it's hard to choose only 3, but here are 3 of my most recent favorites.

Are your photos inspired by anything/people i.e game devs or virtual photographers?

I am inspired by developers who show love to their fans by either sharing their photos or taking great care in their games to keep them going. Hello Games, which created the masterpiece — No Man's Sky, is one of those developers. They update their game and have kept it going smoothly for years for their fans, with free updates I might add. If there is ever a problem with their game, they fix it instantly.

There are also a lot of virtual photographers who have given me motivation and inspiration with their amazing photos. @theonlyjess_vp, @KeenEyeVP and @Internal_Solace are 3 of the top ones.

In what ways has virtual photography enhanced your gaming experience?

Ever since I found out about virtual photography, I have found myself playing games I never thought I would have before. Like, Spiderman, Forza Horizon and even Lost Records which was just released.

Do you have any other gaming-related hobbies or side projects? How do these activities complement your overall gaming passion?

I recently took over a couple of themes from someone who needed to put them on pause because they had become busy with life. I fell in love with doing that. So, I now run a few themes on X. One is dedicated to both Horizon games called #ShadesofHorizon, another is #EdgerunnerSaturday dedicated to Cyberpunk 2077 and the last one is #OurNMSuniverse that is dedicated to No Man's Sky. I create videos each week for each of these tags with everyone's photos who participate. I really enjoy doing that a lot because it actually helps keep me motivated each week and I love interacting with the virtual photography community.

What’s your favorite thing to do apart from taking game photos/gaming?

I really don't do much other than that. Watching movies and TV and taking care of my many cats are the only other things I do.

Is there a particular game you want to play but haven't been able to?

Quite a few actually. I have a huge backlog of games that I haven't started or finished. I keep starting games and not finishing them before I move on to another one. Typical gamer, right?

You can only play one of three sets forever. Which one will it be? —

A. Senua's Saga Hellblade II, Starfield, Stray.

B. The Last of Us 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage.

C. Horizon Forbidden West, Control, Gotham Knights.

I'm going to have to choose C. Simply because Horizon and Control have great replay value to me and i can take different shots each time I play.

Can you share a gaming/virtual photography experience that had an emotional impact on you?

So many games have had an emotional impact on me, but the ones that made me cry so much recently was Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. The main reason with this one is because I grew up in Michigan, in the 90s and I was the same age as Swann was in 1995. I resonated with her so much in her feelings and how she was treated as a kid by the bullies.

Do you have a favorite quote from a game?

No, I've never paid attention to the quotes in games too much. Sometimes I'll look up quotes to use on a photo, though.

When did you first learn about Picashot?

I don't know when I first learned about it, but I know how I learned about it. My favorite group on Facebook is The Virtual Photography Society and a lot of people in that group use the app so I decided to check it out.

What’s your favorite Picashot feature?

What I like most about Picashot is that it is specifically for VP. I don't really have a specific feature I like, I just like it as a whole.

Are there any features you'd like to see on Picashot?

I'm not very good at suggesting features. I'll leave that to the professionals.

Any advice for aspiring virtual photographers who haven’t found a style yet?

Just keep taking photos of everything that you find interesting in games. Edit photos on apps and play around with them for a bit. You'll eventually find your style. If you ever have questions about anything, feel free to ask a fellow virtual photographer.

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