Screenshot Effects 101 [Lighting]

[TXGhost]

Screenshot Effects 101

-Screenshot by Tesai

Changing the color of the background can affect your screenshot dramatically. It can make it more vibrant or can darken it to give it a different mood than the level could bring. This guide will discuss how to better your screenshots by enhancing them with these effects.

Frag Effect:
The easiest and accessible effect to use would be the frag grenade effect. To do this effect, the grenade has to be exploding, and when you take the screenshot you have to be in the explosion. The further in you are to the center of the explosion the brighter your picture will get, being closer in the explosion is great for adding silhouettes. The Frag effect will add brightness and an orangish color to your screenshot. This may be the easiest way to add an effect to a screenshot because during a match grenades are constantly exploding.

-Screenshot by TXGhost

Power Drain:
The Power Drainer and Deployable Cover gives off a nice blue tinge to your screenshot. This can also dim your surroundings. To take a screenshot with the Power Drainer effect you again have to be within the radius of the power drainer.

-Screenshot by TXGhost

Deployable Cover:
The Deployable Cover offers a very nice blue background for a screenshot. But not only can it be a blue background, but it can change to be Orange, Red, and I think Purple. This can make fore a vibrant background. See screenshot for Power Drain for the blue background version of Deployable Cover.

-Screenshot by Furious D 18

The Deployable Cover also can distort your image, this is less practical for non staged shots since the time frame for this will only be for a second or so. But hwat this does it when the Deployable Cover is destroyed it gives off a distortion effect.

-Screenshot by Killamanjaro123

Bubble Shield:
The Bubble Shield is one of my favorite effects, it illuminates the scene. You can either take the screenshot when the Bubble Shield is deployed or when the Bubble Shield is deploying. The Bubble Shield deployed will give a goldish glow over the scene. The Bubble Shield being deployed gives off a great illumination on the screenshot.

-Screenshot by Furious D 18

Wraith and Plasma Grenade:
The Wraith Shot and Plasma Grenades give off the same sort of effect. Both of them give off a bluish explosion. Note, do not take a screenshot while the Wraith Shot is in mid-air, it shows as choppy weird looking line thing. The explosions of both are what you want. The Wraith Shot gives off a huge explosion of blue. When the Plasma Grenade explodes it gives off a nice blue explosion to a lesser degree of the Wraith Shot but with greater definition, the plasma grenade explodes and gives off blue spikes.

-Screenshot by Tender Biscuit

Regenerator:
The Regenerator is the exact same as the Power Drain when it comes to how to take the picture and what kind of effect you will get, the only difference is the color, which is green. I personally do not like the color it produces but that is just my opinion.

-Screenshot by LIGHTSOUT225

Fuel Rod Gun:
The Fuel Rod Gun offers a similar effect to the Wraith Shot, only a little bit smaller and a different color. This shot also allows for linearity rather than the arch that the wraith shot gives. The FRG brightens up the scene with an intense green blast. I am not sure if it is a different shade of green from the regenerator but I think it is.

-Screenshot by Predicide

Needler:
The Needler gives the same kind of explosion as the plasma grenade. The only bad thing about this effect is that you have to shoot and kill somone to get the explosion. That reason is why you will rarely see a Needler Explosion as someones main view on their screenshot.

-Screenshot by TXGhost

Grav Hammer:
The Grav Hammer gives off a radius of distortion allowing for a wave like effect to your screenshot. Also it will dampen your screenshot to a lighter blue.

-Screenshot by LIGHTSOUT225

Fire Grenade & Flamethrower:
The Fire Grenade and Flamethrower both produce fire which can be great for some pictures.

-Screenshot by mipmaker

Spike Grenade:
The Spike Grenade gives off the same sort of effect that a Frag Grenade gives off. The only difference being is that the Spike Grenade creates little spots of lights due to the spikes. This can add an artisitic flare to your screenshot.

-Screenshot by Wii60 Owner

Flare:
The flare just like for battle does not change its use from illuminating areas. This can be used to get a very bright picture or for illuminating dark areas. This will sort of give your picture either a very light effect or make it white.

-Screenshot by Faceplanter7774

I hoped everyone appreciated this tutorial in how to make screenshots a little cooler with some easy to do effects. A lot of these effects can be used in combination with each other. Also on the Legendary Map Pack you can use filters and combine these filters with the effects you have learned here.

Here are a few combination pictures:

-Screenshot by TXGhost



-Screenshot by Roche178

[Aclopolipse]

I need to ask your permission. Can I use this information in my screenshot FAQ?

Oh, and don't forget the Forge Filters!

[TXGhost]

I would rather you just link this info in your post.

[rusty eagle]

I think that rocket and fuel rod explosions add some interesting effects as well. Also might as well add teh forge filters.

[TXGhost]

Forge Filters are lame sauce. And I will add some rocket/fuel rod stuff as well.

[Kronos001]

If you get 2 people with swords to hit each other at the same time, the little blackish-blueish cloud that comes from it (its really small) gives a darkening effect, try it and see what I mean.

[Reynbow]

Firstly, nice lil' tutorial you have there and secondly, do the shadows in this picture look completely wrong or is it just me...?

Originally Posted by TXGhost

Bubble Shield:
The Bubble Shield is one of my favorite effects, it illuminates the scene. You can either take the screenshot when the Bubble Shield is deployed or when the Bubble Shield is deploying. The Bubble Shield deployed will give a goldish glow over the scene. The Bubble Shield being deployed gives off a great illumination on the screenshot.

-Screenshot by Furious D 18

[opothehippo]

No the shadows are correct, but the bright light on the mongoose is coming from the light the bubble shield gives off. Get it?

[Wakko45]

Originally Posted by opothehippo

No the shadows are correct, but the bright light on the mongoose is coming from the light the bubble shield gives off. Get it?

Yeah, but the shadows wouldn't be there due to the bright light of the bubble shield.

[LIGHTSOUT225]

Ghost, Here's a pretty good Grav Hammer pic, thought you might could use it.