As the current COVID-19 pandemic continues and people are forced to stay quarantined, many have taken to the world of video games to fill their time. Many new games such asAnimal Crossing: New HorizonsandDragon Ball Z: Kakarothave become popular during this time, but there are also quite a few playing 2018’sRed Dead Redemption 2, and not just because of the freeTwitch Prime loot.
As fun as robbing trains and bounty hunting inRed Dead Redemption 2is, the game has become popular with a certain group of people for a different reason. Street photographers are taking pictures of the game’s world and people (and hopefully none of thecreepier thingsfound in the game) and sharing them online, in lieu of taking photos of the real world.
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One such photographer, Craig “Sixstreetunder” Whitehead, has posted a series of photos fromRed Dead Redemption 2on Instagram. As a professional photographer, all his pictures are incredibly artistic, as opposed to the average player who may just want to take a selfie of theirnew gator hat. Whitehead writes that he’s doing this “as a way to stay sane while stuck indoors,” noting that other photographers are doing the same thing with many of them adopting Saint Denis as their new surrogate, virtual city. Although they are not allowed to go out to the streets of their own cities, perhaps they can find some beauty and meaning in this wild west simulator.
Though he is a talented real-life photographer, Whitehead admits it took some time to learn how to take photos inRDR2. “It’s pretty tricky chasing light that moves at the in-game pace,” Whitehead noted, as the shorter game days means that sunlight moves faster and things get darker sooner than they do in real-life. He’s got a good handle on it now, though, capturing amazing silhouettes of cart riders that look like they belong in an art gallery. Taking photos of a 19th century city and posting them on Instagram almost makes it look like these photographers aretime travelers.
Fellow street photographer Nico “Nicofroe” Froehlich has also shared hisRed Dead Redemption 2photos online, including portraits of the Van der Linde gang and the citizens of Saint Denis. He’s even come up with a term for it, “virtual street photography,” which has become an increasingly popular hashtag on Instagram. Nick “sleepingastronaut” Fabian, meanwhile, has taken full advantage of the game’s shadows to make some really effective black-and-white shots. It’s not justRDR2, as several other photographers are also using the virtual streets ofGrand Theft Auto,The Last of Us, andUnchartedto practice their craft.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. The WHO has information and guidance on the COVID-19 virushere.
