Artist Recognition: @LUCEFER_DW

It’s that time again, the end of the month when we celebrate a member of our community for their awesome work! This is our sixth time recognising an artist for their work, can’t believe we have been going for half a year now! So far we have had @Dpruttz_VP, @scionjay96, @calisarah1998, @Chris25551 & @KeenEyeVP, and this month we can add @LUCEFER_DW to the list. He has created some jaw-dropping VP using in-game photo modes as well as using camera tools. Scroll down to see his 12 favourite pieces of work he has created as well as a Q&A session.

VPGamersUK: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
LUCEFER_DW: Hi, my name is Max, in the VP community I’m known as LUCEFER_DW. I study engineering in the morning, and in the evening I run with my virtual camera through all kinds of worlds and universes. Photography has become a part of my life and already transcends virtual worlds!

VPGamersUK: What got you into video games?
LUCEFER_DW: It’s really hard to give an exact date, but what I can say for sure is that the culprit is my dad and his love for Diablo 2 🙂 Haha, I can still remember those moments when I was a kid, sitting next to my dad and watching him incinerate enemies with chain lightning. It wasn’t long before I was promoted to health potion mentor, and then I took the helm from my dad. We spent a lot of time playing games together as kids ❤

VPGamersUK: What is your favourite video games, and console?
LUCEFER_DW: My dad is a big fan of all kinds of strategy games, so it’s no surprise that spending time with him got me interested in this genre. I won’t turn my answer into a list and just highlight the party, RPG and hack and slash genres. After I started getting into game photography, I started favouring games with more appealing shooting environments, for obvious reasons. For gaming and shooting, I use a PC.

VPGamersUK: How did you get into VP?
LUCEFER_DW: I think most people started their journey as a virtual photographer on Steam, as I did. I first tried VP when I saw a popup about NVIDIA Ansel while playing The Witcher 3. Judging by the dates of the first screenshots on Steam, I started posting them in 2018, and I mostly used photo mode to capture some funny moment or cutscene, over time I watched the community activity, watched the work of others, and gradually the idea of doing something like this came to me more and more often. Then a few years later, with the release of Cyberpunk 2077, I decided to get serious about photography.

VPGamersUK: How do you feel about the VP community?
LUCEFER_DW: It’s a really unique community, bringing together all kinds of people from all over the world, and I’m glad to be a part of it!

VPGamersUK: If you had 1 day to live, what would you spend it doing?
LUCEFER_DW: I wouldn’t change anything and spent that time with my family.

VPGamersUK: What is next for VP? Where do you see it going in the future?
LUCEFER_DW: Now we’re seeing a trend where developers are paying a lot of attention to Photo Mode and are happy to add it to their projects, listening to the wishes of fans. They’ve become an obvious necessity for creative gamers. Photo Modes have become another bridge between developer and gamer, and it’s good for both sides! Virtual photography evolves every day, and we can only guess what the future holds.

VPGamersUK: What makes a good photo mode in your opinion? What photo options are a neccessity?
LUCEFER_DW: The more freedom a photo mode offers, the better it is, no one will argue with that. They get better and better every year, and for me, the indicator of a perfect photographic mode is the ability to add and adjust light sources. The effect a photograph has on the viewer is largely dependent on the lighting. By changing the direction and the strength of the light, you can work with depth and emphasize or diminish the colors and shapes of objects. Photography and light go hand in hand. Simply put, if there is no light, there is no photography. Therefore, full control of light will untie a photographer’s hands and allow him or her to make the most of his or her creative talents.

VPGamersUK: What games do you wish sequels for? (or comebacks)
LUCEFER_DW: I would love to see a sequel to Mortal Shell on UE5. Thanks to Mortal Shell, I made a lot of acquaintances and redefined the Souls-like game genre. I was introduced to this game early in my career as a virtual photographer, and it brings back many fond memories. It’s been a long time, but the shots from this game are still some of my favorites. The visual style of Mortal Shell is something incredible, and with the new technology, it will just blow your mind.

VPGamersUK: Do you have anyone in the community you want to give shoutouts to? Whether someone has guided you in becoming better, you love someone’s work, or you’ve seen someone helping others.
LUCEFER_DW: It’s been a little over a year since I started exploring photography and becoming part of the VP community, and in that time I’ve made many new acquaintances, often unexpected ones! Perhaps I’ll mention someone who has made unimaginable contributions not only to my work and over a thousand people but to the community as a whole.
@FransBouma aka Otis_lnf – that person! Frans does photo mode development and a lot of other IT-related stuff. Thanks to Frans’ work, we’ve seen amazing shots of our favorite games and gained control over one of the most important components of photo mode – lighting. Complete control over lighting in all games on UE4. You are limited only by your imagination is it not a dream? Insane convenience and functionality are the words that come to mind when using Frans tools.

VPGamersUK: What is your favourite film/TV series?
LUCEFER_DW: Movies are an integral part of my life, I’ve seen countless different films and I could talk about this topic for hours, but I’ll try not to turn my answer into a review 🙂 Two movies that have been in my heart since childhood are Gladiator and the LOTR trilogy. But my favorite movie, which I am ready to rewatch at any time and at any age and to listen to the soundtrack over and over again, is “The Lord of the Rings”. The plot of the trilogy is both simple and fascinating. Each of the characters has its own unique personality, memorable on-screen images, and great accomplishments. The visuals of the film are rich and naturally shot. Every scene boils with life, and the details are given unimaginable attention. “The Lord of the Rings” is living proof of a masterpiece in every aspect. Watching any movie from the trilogy brings me sincere emotions and delight.

We would like to thank @LUCEFER_DW for taking part, we all love the VP that you create! He is the sixth artist we have recognised since we started back in January. We love getting to know not only members of our community but the wider VP community as a whole. We hope to be able to do one of the Q&As with a game developer at some point, so stay tuned for that.