I’m quite new to making realistic photos in Forza - I’ve never really played with the photo settings before now.
And I couldn’t find a thread about camera settings for realistic photos - so I thought we should share them to learn from each other so we atleast have a base to start with.
I know Focus (funny enough) changes from pic to pic, but this is about creating a realistic base.
Here’s my first try (not quite there yet) and also my settings used:
(you can copy/paste my setup and just edit the numbers)
Great thread idea. Wish there was something like this when I started taking pics.
Contrast,colour ,brightness,vignette are usually close to Jacks. The rest vary, depending on the type of shot I’m looking for and mood I’m in.
I only use shutter speed when capturing motion ie wheels spinning etc.
Will post a pic with settings soon.
This photo is my most realistic so far- and it’s taken with the “focus button” and these settings below:
Remember to post your settings with the photo.
Focus setting only matters if you don’t use the button. When not using the button, it refers to the percentile of the focal length that will be sharply focused (0 is essentially the lens surface, 100 is the most distant viewable point). To really appreciate how it works, try adjusting focus one increment at a time with aperture at 100.
Shutter speed setting only matters if the car is in motion.
Exposure/Color/Sepia should be adjusted based on lighting conditions (hence the presets, though they may not be ideal). Benja’s photos of the Focus ST in his OP show how exaggerating color & exposure can work to create the feeling of a bright, sunny day.
Contrast & Brightness settings correlate very closely (though not at 1:1). While there are certain effects that can only be achieved at the extremes, it doesn’t really matter whether you use 20/25, 50/55 or 70/75, the photos will look nearly identical as long as the ratio is similar.
Though the most realistic images will be at 1x (because it most closely replicates the human eye’s perspective), aperture will need to be adjusted based on your focal distance & zoom. A higher setting is required to achieve the same depth of field effect at higher zoom levels, because zooming compresses distance.
Here are 2 photos I took to illustrate the principle (these are from Horizon 1). The cars are in identical positions. The top photo was taken from very close to the Evo, at 1x zoom and 35 aperture; the bottom one much farther away, at 5x zoom (if I remember correctly) and 70 aperture. You can see that with half the aperture; the depth of field is actually shallower (more pronounced) at lower zoom, and that depth-wise, everything appears much closer together at the higher zoom level.
The most important thing to remember is that low detail environmental textures are the biggest barrier to realism. If you want to fool an expert eye, be very aware of what you include in frame & use perspective+higher aperture to draw focus away from textures that are noticeably unrealistic. Don’t forget about moving the watermark if would be less distracting in a different position.
I do have to agree with Serig0 - if only this thread was around when I was starting out. Even now I still struggle for finding different settings that work for me. Just a little note before I get my post underway - I would suggest making this thread about settings in general, not just realistic ones. I actually find that black-and-white, sepia, over-exposed, and other styles are harder to shoot than realism, so I’d appreciate any suggestions people offer.
Since this thread is primarily centered around realistic shots, I’ll start with a colour shot from my Lamborghini Countach set:
I tend to primarily stick to settings around this mark. I’ve found them to work best in the daytime. They are all approximates, but that’s roughly. I also recently discovered black-and-white settings that I’m really happy with.
I always change exposure settings from photo to photo depending on the light but my shutter is usually around 35 or so for rolling shots, with the aperture set to something lower like 10 or so. If the car is stationary I’ll adjust the aperture (depending on the distance I am away from the car with the camera) to get the depth of field I want to achieve. I like shooting with the sunset/sunrise behind me (back lighting) similar to how I do in real life…this is an example of my results. I also did some slight colour correcting in photoshop.
Lots of useful info in here. As for black and white photos, I find they look best at night time due to the reflections from city lights and the environment. I also usually use fairly high exposure and contrast to make the black appear very dark and the whites to appear very white. If you use lower exposure and contrast levels the photo tends to appear more grayish and seems fairly dull.
Here’s an example of using higher exposure & contrast levels v.s. lower levels
Also, I haven’t heard anyone mention it but paint is also very important.
One of the most important things to do is to plan out what kind of shots you want to take and change the car’s paint to match that. If shooting in a very bright environment maybe choose a darker paint of something that shows off the car’s curves of lines. Also, you can use the special colors like the polished metals or even chrome to give your car a cool look when shooting B&W.
Here’s a couple examples that I specifically painted the car a certain color for a certain effect. The last Bentley shot, the car is chrome to enhance reflections
Great stuff on here, I will get my settings when i get home but such a useful topic especially for people like myself who have a limited understanding of taking photos! Very helpful
I’m not the best at photos but my settings will change wildly depending on time of day, lighting, subject, angle and position.
But I have a few guidelines I learned from high school.
Aperture is used when you want to draw more focus to your subject. A higher aperture will blur the background and focus more on where your camera is pointed. Use a high aperture to give a sense of motion and I almost never have any for still shots. Which is wildly unrealistic.
Contrast is good for low lighting lighting to bring out details.
Brightness helps if your photo is coming out dark.
Color makes the photo more vibrant or black and white.
I can’t remember the other settings I adjust. Also, I’m a newbie so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Honestly, I feel as though it’s more trial and error about photography in Forza
One setting doesn’t suit all, you take a lot into account such as distance from your car, lighting, etc
This is one of the photo’s I’ve taken with my RX7
