#thanks to otis his tools!

[mistress-light]

I'm finally figuring out hotsampling, damn. 🤡

[preemshots]

ArchiveXL 1.19 update PSA: New 2.2 Photomode NPV+ QOL improvements

NEW FEATURES

add NPV/NPCs(s) directly to the 2.2 photomode character list, give them a custom icon

have up to 250 NPC installed and spawn up to 3 at once

PhotomodeEx: allows appearance selecting directly in photomode (and shows appearance names)

compatible with xBae expression pack, AMM lookat, otis tools

all photomode NPCs can now use poses with props

enables assigning weapons to NPC inventory for weapon poses

automatic synced poses: movement sliders are fixed so spawned characters all use same coordinates

TOOLS & WIKI GUIDES

how to add NPV to photomode with new wolvenkit tool

how to update custom pose packs for NPV compatibility. includes scripts to update all pose packs at once

how to add more appearances to photomode NPC (guide by xbae)

(links to be updated)

a million thank yous to psiberx for being willing to implement these changes with his magic, and manavortex for creating the wolvenkit tool to automate NPV conversions. thank you to everyone who helped test and give feedback for bug smashing.

i spent the last week requesting and testing without sleeping these new features for the 2.2 photomode from psiberx, as well as writing/editing the new wiki guides with manavortex.

something important to me before making requests was considering the existing workflow cyberpunk virtual photographers use between all the tools available, and what might now be possible with 2.2 that wasn't possible before. major updates can be difficult, so i'm hoping this will make VP even easier and enable more creativity. i'm excited to see everyone's VP in 2025 feature more characters and group poses!

sharing feedback or bug reports in the wolvenkit discord would be super helpful and appreciated.

enjoy!

[kedavravravra]

Hello!

I hope you don’t mind me asking, but would you ever consider sharing the poses you create? Or even sharing how to do it?

I’m very new to Otis and I can’t quite grasp how to move the characters around.

If not, I completely understand! I’m trying to learn how to create mods and share with the community as well. If you have any advice, I would appreciate it.

Thank you so much! I adore your work!

Hi there! As much as I'd love to share the poses I create, they're not very well done. 😅 I'm pretty lazy with it, so if it looks good at the specific angle I'm shooting it on, it's fine by me LOL. But if you do find a pose of mine you'd like, feel free to let me know and I'll see if I have it saved 😊 (just a heads up that they might look off in some angles)

I feel like Otis's posing tool is very intuitive. Although one thing I tend to do as a lazy person is use an animation as a base for the poses so that I only have to tweak it a bit:

1. Open the animations mod menu

2. Choose an animation

3. Pause the world via Otis at the exact frame you want your base pose to be

4. Open up the in-game Otis overlay, select your character, and enable pose mode

5. Once you unpause the world, your character will be stuck in that pose.

6. Stop the animation on the animations mod menu

7. Rotate the bones and change the morph targets as you please

As for modding, if you haven't already, I would recommend you join the modding server over on Discord. There are a bunch of tutorials in there and people willing to help out if you ever get stuck on something 😊

[cybervesna]

hi!! i love all of your virtual photography - quick question, how do you get the pictures in such a high resolution? the ones i take always end up just slightly lower then the clarity yours have

Omg, thank you 🥺🥺🥺 I use Otis' Camera Tools and I "Hotsample" to 4k! It takes some time and if you have a "weaker" PC it may crash your GPU, so the best way is to have just Cyberpunk running and all other background programs to be off. Tho, I'm raw-dogging my own PC having everything opened. Like literally, Blender, PS, doesn't matter.

To have that crisp smooth look at the end I use RealLongExposure from Reshade and CinematicDOF

That's literally all Reshade I use 90% of the time. Sometimes I do DirectionalDepthBlur or other stuff but it's really really rare. Depending on the picture I also do post editing. Sometimes it's just as simple as correcting colors (game has green tint that I HATE with my whole heart) and brightening.

And if sometimes I have creative fever it's more advanced with adding effects/merging more than one pic and whatnot. I call this process "fuck around and find out" because 90% of the time I just google stuff like "How to add puddle effect in PS" or click random things to figure out if something is working lmao

[minamill]

hii!! your soft spot post is gorgeous!! if it's not too much trouble, could you share how you edited it? thank you in adavance?? <333

thank you that's so sweet!! this is going to be really long, so i'll put it under the cut

resources: preset, gradient, clean and sharp action, letters and topaz clean

left is the unedited screenshot taken with srwe and right is after placing the gradient and setting the blending mode to color dodge and opacity to 7%

on the original layer i ran my personal action, then the clean and sharp action again, uniform monochromatic noise (not sure what percentage though) and two filters from the filter gallery i haven't tried before. it's been a while since my last edit, so i wanted to experiment more, especially with neon lights and colored highlights since i have very little experience with those, but i'll get to that later. i also fixed the glitch on talia's neck and some clipping on her forearm. using the liquify tool and the smile bar i gave eden and talia more pronounced smiles and otis a subtler one on a duplicated layer. then i erased the right sides of eden and talia's mouths to make it look more like a smirk

left is after the actions and filters and right is after i filled in the sims skins and eden's hair (erasing the clothes, eyes, teeth and jewelry) with a black brush on a new layer and set it to soft light 10%. the diffuse glow filter already lightened their skintones a bit and i wanted a base to stop it and the highlights i'll add on later from washing them out

now the fun part, shadows and highlights! i made a folder with two subfolders, one for shadows and one for highlights. it helps me keep it organized and for something i'll mention later on. i draw shadows with the basic soft brush in black, changing the size depending on how big the surface i'm shading is. then i use gaussian blur to soften the effect and erase the excess. the quick select tool leaves harsh lines, so i manually erase. usually i set the layer to soft light, but depending on the shadow sometimes it can be multiply or even normal. for this edit every shadow i mention will be soft light unless i specify otherwise. i try to keep shadows on separate layers to avoid accidentally blurring ones i'm already done with. usually i (try to) pay attention to the light source and add shadows and highlights depending on the angles, but since there are so many light sources in this one i just casually eyeballed it. besides the shadows on the sims themselves i also darkened the store window behind otis to bring more focus to his face with a black brush and layer set to normal and added shadows to the sides of the edit to create a subtle vignette effect. for the eyes i draw a thicker black line following the upper lash line, blur it, erase everything apart from the whites of the eye and set it to soft light. a subtle shadow on the upper eyelid crease also help the eyes pop

the process for highlights is almost the same as for shadows, i draw with a slightly smaller white brush, blur it, set blending mode to overlay (sometimes soft light, i'll specify when). i also tend to make the highlights softer than shadows and really focus on the layering. usually i'll draw a highlight, blur it, set to overlay, then on a new layer do the same thing with a smaller brush and less blur. for the eyes i focused on the middle of the eyelid, inner eye corner and just under the lash line. for the iris i drew a highlight on the brightest part (a half circle on the bottom part), blur slightly and set to overlay with low opacity to make the colors stand out. for the catchlights i drew over them with a really small brush, used no or very little blur and duplicated the layer two or three times, merged them, set blending to normal and opacity to 90% and then erased the excess. if the catchlights aren't visible i add them anyways, the bigger they are the effect will be more cartoony, but i personally like that to keep with the style of my default eyes. here's the difference with the highlights added and a close up of eden's eye before and after both shadows and highlights

now the light sources. usually i take a big brush in a light beige color and click twice on the light source instead of drawing, blur heavily and set the layer to overlay, then on a new layer do the same with a smaller brush and less blur. repeat that for a more intense look or lower the opacity for a subtler one. i did that for the lamp between eden and talia. the colored pixels and harsh look was intentional since i was going for a grainy, cluttered vibe for this whole edit, but if you want to avoid that, don't use the filters from the beginning, make less duplicates of the light source highlights and avoid having a light source right behind a very dark color (talia's hair). here's a before and after for that light

now the neon lights and colored highlights were a lot of trial and error, but overall i'm pretty happy with the results. hopefully i'm feel more confident in them after more practice. the process is different than the one for the lamp, not just because of the colors, but because i also wanted to give them that sharp intense led glow. i'll use the sign next to otis as the example, but the process was almost exactly the same for the fake neon sign and light between talia and otis. first i started by drawing over the sign with a white brush staying inside the lines of the sign, not blurring it and setting it to overlay and 50% opacity. duplicated that layer, set it to normal and blur it. then i made a new layer, drew over the sign with an orange brush and made that layer a clipping mask, both set to normal and 100%. then i duplicated that second white layer and blurred it even more and set it to vivid light, made another orange clipping mask and set it to normal. repeated that but instead of vivid light i set the white layer to hard light. duplicate that last white layer and clipping mask and set the white layer to 60%. do one blurred white vivid light layer with a red clipping mask for the red circle above it. then i drew a highlight on the side of otis' head and shoulder the way i did all the sim highlights, duplicate it and add a clipping mask with the matching colors

the colored highlights are very similar, (white brush, blur, overlay, duplicate layer) i just add a blue clipping mask to the top white layer and if there are spots missing a blue hue that aren't edges (of an arm in this case) i use a blue brush and draw it in changing the mode to overlay. this latter way will show the color, but won't be brighter than the background, so i used it for the area where the arm casts a shadow on the shirt under it. here's a comparison of the version without any highlights, plain highlights and with the clipping masks

i added some bits here and there like the lights from the openings in the door, the blue light above the sign left of the door, shadows under talia's breasts since the shirt was pretty flat, made the little circles by otis' hand fake lights... now that all the shadows and highlights are done i duplicated the folder containing both subfolders, hid the layers that were too dark/bright and played with the opacity of the folder until i was satisfied with how it looked. i settled at 20%. here's the before and after all the shadows and highlights

now i picked the letters i needed from the pack i linked in the beginning and spelled out their names with them. i used invert on some of them (switching black to white, white to black) and added a lot of clipping masks with colors and splatter. i played around with a lot of different blending modes for the clipping masks (color burn, subtract, exclusion, darken, multiply, difference and normal). then i merged all the letters without the clipping masks, put them under the original letters, inverted them and moved them slightly to the lower left creating a sort of shadow. then i merged all the letters and clipping masks together, ran the clean and sharp action and added a lot of noise

and that's everything! hopefully this was helpful, i in no way consider myself an expert in editing, i just fuck around until i find something i like, but if there's any other question i can answer don't hesitate to ask. again, thank you so much for this ask and all the love i've gotten on this edit <33

[bearodyne]

Hi! I am absolutely in love with your photography and was wondering if you could tell a little about your process of taking virtual photography? I aspire to have photos as crisp and perfect as yours!

Hi there! Thank you for liking my photos☺️☺️For me, no matter it's in game or in real life photography, lighting+composition are the 2 keys.

So my progress is think of the image I want in head then photo shoot in game. During this time, the result mostly will different than what I imagined. In game maybe I find better angle or it is limited by environment that I can't get what I want. Then I have to make changes. For portrait I like dramatic lights, I achieve this with Otis's camera tool using Cyberlit for setting up ligts. For landscape/abstract, I look into specific shapes, lightings, shadows in game and with Otis's camera tool I can free my camera for looking interesting angle I want. When I get the result I like, hotsampling to the ratio that fits the image. Take the screenshoot.

After that is editing part, since I only use one main shades from reshade and not using any mods/shades to change the in game image/color. So the original photo looks pretty grey/yellow that I need retouch the color.

Most time the editing parts is only take 10%- 20% of the whole progress (unless I'm doing poster style photo that heavily rely on Photoshop that majority progress are editing work) Mostly 80%-90% is all about finding lighting + composition I like, since I've been taught have a good original photo is like having a good foundation when you build a house. So what ever you build next on the ''house'' it will always make it better.

At last is the most important part-- enjoy what you do, enjoy what you like. As long as you are happy for your own photo, it's a perfect work for yourself already. Having fun is the priority or we will lose our passion very quickly.

Sorry it's a long reply, but I think that's all what I'm thinking when I do my photos. Don't know if it can help you anything. But I wish you enjoy and have fun with this hobby☺️☺️

[aristenfromwarsaw]

Hey!!! Im a little shy (sorry for anon) but I was wondering how did you learn to take bg3 screenshots THAT LOOK SO AMAZING! I can’t seem to find anywhere on your blog if you already talked about it before. If it’s not too much trouble (and if it’s not your own creative secret) could you at least briefly describe your process? I get absolutely baffled and amazed when I see your posts. Like the angles, the lightning, the colors, the poses look absolutely stunning! I’m so glad I found your blog ❤️

Hi ! Thank you for the kind words :) . Technique depends on the photos - what kind of photo is it, what effect do I want to achieve. I have a tutorial on YouTube on how to take screenshots, but it is a bit outdated (I improved my skills) and it is in Polish. The topic is quite extensive, so it would probably be easier to explain how I achieved a specific effect in a specific photo. You can send me a DM - you don't have to be shy, I don't bite :D. I helped one person in taking screenshots, so I'll be happy to help you too :). From general information, the tools we use are important for taking screenshots. I use ReShade and Otis free camera mod. For editing Lightroom and Photoshop - I used to work as a photographer, so I know these programs. Sometimes I use ready-made presets from Nexus for ReShade, which I slightly modify, and then edit the screenshot in Lightroom and Photoshop. Lightroom and Photoshop is my main working tools.

A trick I can recommend to have nice, delicate light for portraits - talk to the character, make a quick save and do a quick load - then the light will be better for photos :) .

As for the rest, as I mentioned, the topic is extensive, so you can send me a DM and we will talk there, or you can send the questions about how I took a specific photo and how to achieve such an effect.

I hope everything is understandable - English is not my native language.

[cherryrockpops]

HOW do you get your pictures to be so HQ? i thought my bg3 photography was good but holy shit the CLARITY on these? 😭

Haha TY so much for the compliment. It's honestly all thanks to Frans Bouma's Software/Camera Tools along with the assistance of Reshade. I'll share a link below for both along with a brief explanation.

Otis_Inf Photomode/Camera Tool essentially unlocks a whole new level of taking in-game photos. Ranging from free cams, time control, and my favorite, resolution scaling. Basically it can push your game past your monitors limitations and hot sample at a higher resolution (aka clarity). To gain access to his tools, all you need to do is become a Patreon member, to which I cannot stress enough, is worth every penny. Check out his About tab to see the list of games his photo-mode tool covers!

ReShade is my second weapon for in-game photography, allowing me to use filters, depth of field effects, color correction and many more. I use a variety of custom ReShader packs, including Otis' custom ReShade shaders. Saves me butt loads of time in post and it's free! Of course, if you end up loving them, I would also recommend supporting them on Patreon.

Final Notes to all those who take in-game photography/virtual photography. It's not needed to have fancy gadgets or the best gaming setup to take beautiful shots. Our art is our craft, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. As long as you love what you do and have fun with it, that's all that matters. <3

[pictureamoebae]

Is there a way to zoom in even more in the Otis Camera mod thing? Like when you’re just in game, not the cutscenes/conversation. I wanna zoom in on my character and take a piggare but downloaded the mod and it doesnt seem possible :( does it work for you? (Thinking of your Pic of Asterion with his back at the camera, maybe thats a cutscene tho?) thanks a lot!

Yep, you have full control of the camera in and out of cutscenes, moving back and forward, up and down, side to side, and changing the fov (field of view - that means zooming in and out essentially). Try scrolling forward with the mouse wheel, that should zoom in and reduce the fov for you. You can reset the fov by pressing numpad *

There's a list of keybinds on the camera tools page. It can be a bit awkward to use, with mouse and keyboard at least. But you can use a game controller for the tools instead. I haven't tried that yet, I keep meaning to because I think it'll be easier, but my controller is downstairs and my PC is upstairs and by the time I'm in the game I don't wanna. I'm incredibly, monumentally lazy.

The most important keybinds to remember are:

insert - activates the camera tools

numpad 0 - pauses the game

home - locks/unlocks camera movement (and helps reset things when you turn the camera off again)

delete - removes the hud

numpad decimal - blocks or allows game input while the camera tools are activated

numpad * - resets fov

numpad 2 - resets roll-tilt

Then the other numpad numbers control left/right/up/down and roll-tilt, and the arrow keys turn from side-to-side and tilt up and down. Numpad + and - control fov. You can also control all that with your mouse. Don't forget to check the various settings menus in the tools themselves, where you can do things like activate higher lods (so you get better details in the distance), and change the sensitivity of the mouse etc.

[astarionposting]

Hi! Anon from before (:

I was just wondering how you make the eyes so sharp, detailed and focused when taking a screenshot with the camera mod and Otis DOF addon? I’m using the same tools and use the magnifier on the eyes (so i’m setting the focus on the eyes for a picture) but they always come out somewhat blurry anyway :(( I also hotsample x2, maybe I have the wrong settings or something. I just wanted to ask if you had any tips to get the eyes really sharp and in focus? My tav’s face like her skin texture etc looks very detailed but not the eyes :(( it bother’s me a lot when the eyes should BE in focus, because I focus on the eyes you know, like you should (or what I read anyway from tutorials). Thank you!

Hello again! If you are still having issues with the blurriness and are following my tutorial, you may have to dm me so I can see what your settings are and to help you personally to see what is going on :)

A quick thing to check as well is “number of frames to wait per frame”. If things are too blurry, you will have to increase that amount. I usually do 7-10 frames. Try that, and if it is still coming out blurry, dm me and I can try to help you adjust your settings!

[preemshots]

Hi there, I adore your Cyberpunk shots (and your art in general)! Just wondering, do you happen to know of any resources that are a good start for learning to mod Cyberpunk for photo mode purposes? I've been struggling to figure out how to more fully customise V and nab those preem shots we all dream of. Regardless, thanks for the content!

hi, thank you so much 💕

a good place to start is the modding wiki if you're new to mods in general. i'm not sure your familiarity so i'm writing this from the POV of starting from 0.

whether you've never modded a game before or you're familiar with modding other games, i suggest start by building a habit of reading instructions and familiarizing yourself with the cyberpunk specific mod file structure. cyberpunk modding is not as easy to use as many modded games (such as the sims) and even mod managers require a basic understanding of how the files work. i love cyberpunk but it's the most temperamental of all the games i've ever modded lmao please note all of these suggested mods/tools have their own dependencies on other mods and instructions. this list isn't just able to be downloaded, plugged and played if you haven't prepped your game for it yet. if and when you're ready, i recommend the following:

for preem shots: ▶ reshade for filters and camera control ▶ IGSDOF by otis for depth of field control (this tool is paid; any DOF reshade addon such as quintDOF/cinematic DOF are free alternatives) ▶ CP2077 camera tools by otis for camera control and controlling what a character looks at (this tool is paid; AMM and photo mode unlocker are free alternatives) ▶ cyberlit by otis for adding lights (this tool is paid; char li is a free alternative) ▶ appearance menu mod for spawning props, also works as alternative for adding lights and character look at control for v customization: ▶ equipment ex for saving wardrobe options and equipping many items at once ▶ UV framework or VTK framework for custom bodies, tattoos and more ▶ appearance creator mod to access NPC only clothing for V and change NPC outfits ▶ clothes, makeup, skins, hair, poses etc. can all be found on nexus mods, they're the most abundant of mods, start browsing away! i also recommend joining any cyberpunk modding or cyberpunk vp focused discords for assistance, such as redmodding or lens and light hope this helps 😎

[spicyraeman]

HI i love your gifsets a bunch! do you use a mod to get some from different angles? (e.g. the shadowheart romance scene set, i loved that one!)

Ayo, thank youu!

I used Otis camtools for those gifs, you have to pay to get it unfortunately but it's a really useful tool for virtual photography and gif making

[eva-taash]

Hi! How do you take such nice pictures in bg3? Thanks a lot!

Hi! I play my game with a personal reshade I made to tweak the coloration and add some different lighting. The screenshots are taken using PhotoMode tools by Otis, so I can change angles, FoV, and the camera direction. I don't use outside editing after the fact.

[dark-breakers]

Shattered Star: Chapter 3

"Is he better now, Mr. Fix It?" Marle asked as she sat on a blue chair while idly swinging her legs.

The room seemed to be a workshop of some sort with a brown wooden floor, burgundy red walls, a large window with a black curtain that was currently tied back with a brown rope, a large metal table that Sundrop, who had a large black blanket covering him, was currently sleeping on, a brown wooden desk where a silver laptop that had celestial-themed stickers on the outside of it that showed Sundrop's data on it and a red metal toolbox that was open which revealed some tools left in it, a brown wooden bookshelf that held books on mechanics, animatronic design, and encyclopedias on digital technology, and a black leather roller chair where the man Marle referred to as "Mr. Fix It" sat in.

He was a man who was twenty-three years old, had long black hair that he kept in a low ponytail with a blue hair tie, dark skin, and green eyes.

He wore a black polo shirt, a pair of blue skinny jeans, a pair of black rubber boots, a pair of black latex gloves, a brown apron that had pockets and tied around his waist, and a pair of black and gold goggles that rested on his head.

"Well... Definitely a lot less damaged than he was last night... Still can't believe there were any animatronics left. Doesn't look like one of Ms. Vuillemot's or Mr. Klase's," the man replied as he tapped on his laptop. "Now... To turn you back on."

Once he pressed a button on his laptop, Sundrop suddenly opened his eyes and screamed, "LUNAR!"

Marle almost fell over in the chair but the man managed to catch her in time.

Sundrop pulled himself up into a sitting position and looked around his surroundings.

He sighed in relief as he thought that he was probably just dreaming.

He looked down and saw he was not wearing his uniform but still had his bells on his wrists and the bow on his tail.

When he saw that Marle and a man he did not recognize were staring at him, he immediately covered his body up with the blanket.

"Easy, big guy. Marle told me about how she found you in the field. My name is Otis Mossbarger. I'm a technician here at "Precious Gems Orphanage". I was able to fix your right leg," Otis explained as he took his gloves off and put them on his desk, revealing some scars on his hands.

"Precious Gems Orphanage... I've never heard of this place..." Sundrop thought out loud.

When Sundrop looked into his memory bank to see if it was an actual location, it came back as negative.

'I guess I really AM in another dimension after all...'

"I can't blame you. Briar Glen is kind of far away from the big city so not a lot of people outside here know," Otis said as he unplugged a cord that was in Sundrop's back that was connected to his laptop.

"Do you feel better now, Sundrop?" Marle asked as she got off the chair.

"Very much, Marle. And thank you for fixing me, Mr. Mossbarger," Sundrop replied with a small smile.

"J-Just call me Otis. Mr. Mossbarger is a little too formal for me," Otis said while scratching the back of his neck.

"Alright, Otis," Sundrop said.

Suddenly the door opened and a boy who looked to be no more than ten years old appeared.

He had short brown hair, fair skin, and turquoise eyes.

He wore a plain black tank top, a red and white plaid flannel overshirt that was completely unbuttoned, a pair of black jeans, a pair of white socks, and a pair of red tennis shoes with black laces and soles.

"Hey, Marle. Ms. Sunshine says breakfast is going to be ready soon," the boy said.

"Okay, Dominic! Bye, Otis! Bye, Sundrop!" Marle said as she ran out of the room.

Dominic merely glanced at Sundrop and left the room as quick as he came.

"Is Sunshine really an animatronic like me?" Sundrop asked.

"Yeah. It actually surprised me how much you two almost look the same," Otis replied.

"Are you... An orphan as well?" Sundrop asked.

"Nope. My Mom and Dad are still breathing. I just work here because Dad used to work for Fazbear Entertainment but got laid off once the company shut down," Otis replied as he went to the door. "I'm going to get you a bathrobe. You probably don't want to scare the other kids, yeah?"

Sundrop nodded.

Otis then left the room, leaving Sundrop to ponder what the technician said.

'So in this dimension, Fazbear Entertainment shut down. But when and how?' he thought as he shook his bells on his wrists.

"I'm back. Sunshine already set a bath for you," Otis said as he came back with a white bathrobe and set it on Sundrop's lap.

"A bath?" Sundrop asked as he got off the table, took the blanket off, and put the bathrobe on.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I already checked if you were waterproof and it came back as a positive," Otis replied.

"Are there any other animatronics here?" Sundrop asked.

"There's Midnight who's Sunshine's husband, both literally and figuratively, and Zaniah, who's like their daughter," Otis replied.

'Wait... So Moondrop and I aren't brothers in this universe, but MARRIED and already have a KID?!' Sundrop thought with disbelief.

"You okay?" Otis asked.

Sundrop nodded quickly.

"Okay... Sunshine's room is upstairs. You'll know it's hers when you see a door with a pinkish-yellow sun on it. That's where you need to take your bath. She left you some of Midnight's clothes because she said that her clothes probably wouldn't fit you," Otis explained.

"What about my uniform?" Sundrop asked.

"It's currently in the laundry. Should be done by the time breakfast is over," Otis replied as he stepped out of the way.

"Alright. And... Thank you again. For fixing me," Sundrop said as he began to walk up the stairs.

"No problem. It's my job," Otis said as he walked back into the workshop.

Sundrop finished walking up the stairs and saw that there were three rooms.

The first door had the same pinkish-yellow sun that Otis described on it.

The second door, who Sundrop had assumed belonged to Midnight, had a bluish-black moon on it.

The third door, who Sundrop had assumed belonged to Zaniah, had a green star on it.

'Right! The Newton Star! Last thing I remember was it shattering... Did Eclipse really erase our world? If he did, then how come this dimension is still around?' Sundrop thought as he opened the door to Sunshine's bedroom.

When he entered and decided to take a look around.

The room had the same wooden floor as the rest of the orphanage but had pink walls instead of burgundy.

There was a queen-sized bed with yellow sheets, a pink comforter, and pink pillow cases, a large pink wardrobe that contained what Sundrop assumed to be dresses, a yellow wooden desk that had a pink wooden chair in front of it and two white picture frames that each contained a photograph, and a long rectangle-shaped mirror on the wall that had a pink border around it.

Sundrop walked closer to the bed as he took off the bow on his tail and saw that there was a white button-up shirt, a pair of black dress pants, a pair of white socks, and a pair of black loafers on the bed.

He placed the bow on the shirt and got to untying the ribbons on both of his wrists.

'That dream... Was it an actual dream or did I have a premonition?' Sundrop thought as he finished untying his ribbons and put them on the shoes.

Sundrop turned around and opened the door to Sunshine's bathroom.

There was indeed a bubble bath already made in the white bathtub that had a gold faucet on it.

Sundrop took off the robe and put it over the white towel rack and got into the bathtub.

'This is actually pretty nice! Maybe I should start doing bubble baths if I ever go home...' Sundrop thought with a smile as he settled in.

After he got himself clean enough, he drained the bath water and got out of the tub.

He then grabbed a large pink towel and used it to dry himself off.

He made sure that none of his paint had chipped off as he put the towel into a bin that was labeled "Dirty Laundry".

He also put the robe into the bin to make sure he did not leave it on the rack by accident.

Sundrop then left the bathroom and began to change into the clothes on the bed.

Once he was finished changing he put his ribbons and bow back on.

He looked into the mirror and was surprised at how different he looked in Midnight's clothing.

"I actually don't look that bad..." Sundrop thought out loud as he began to pose in front of the mirror.

He stopped himself after realizing he was acting like Roxanne, which made him remember that she was gone too.

'Roxanne... I actually miss her...' Sundrop thought as he glanced at the two photographs.

He picked the first frame up and looked at it.

The photograph showed a young woman with a animatronic like Sundrop but was instead a female.

The woman seemed to be around twenty one years old by the time the photograph was taken.

She had long red hair, tan skin, and green eyes.

She wore a green long sleeved sweater dress, a pair of black tights, a pair of green pumps, a gold bracelet on her right wrist, and a pair of gold hoop earrings.

The animatronic looked almost like Sundrop but she had light yellow skin, seven golden yellow triangles that acted like sunrays around her head, pink LED eyes, white teeth, a dark pink tongue, and a long pink tail with a light yellow sun that had seven dark yellow triangles that acted like sunrays on it on the tip of her tail.

She wore a pink tulle gown with a corset and a sweetheart neckline, a pair of pink platform sandals, a pair of pink gloves, a pair of pink star-shaped stud earrings, and a white bow with a gold star-shaped gemstone on the center of it on her tail.

'So that's Sunshine... The resemblance is almost uncanny...' Sundrop thought as he put the picture back and picked up the other.

It seemed to be a wedding photo that showed Sunshine and another animatronic that looked like Moondrop, who Sundrop assumed to be Midnight.

He had highlighted white skin on the right side of his body and dark black skin on the left side of his body, blue LED eyes, white teeth, a light blue tongue, and a long light blue tail with a white full moon on the tip of his tail.

He also wore a black suit over a dark blue shirt, a light blue tie, a pair of dark blue dress pants, a pair of brown dress shoes, and a black bow with a blue star-shaped gemstone on the center of it on his tail.

Sunshine wore a white long-sleeved wedding dress with an ankle-length skirt, a pair of white strappy sandals, a pair of white gloves, a white veil, and a pair of white rose-shaped stud earrings.

'They look so happy here...' Sundrop thought with a small smile as he put the photograph back.

"So, this is what your life would have been like," a female voice remarked.

Sundrop gasped as he fell onto the floor.

He groaned in pain as the voice giggled.

"Ow... Who-"

His voice faltered as he looked up and saw a humanoid figure who looked as though she was floating in the air and sat in a cross-legged position.

She had waist-length bahia red hair, fair skin, and velvet red eyes.

Her makeup consisted of red blush, black mascara, dark red eyeliner, light red eyeshadow, red matte lipstick, and red nail polish on her fingers.

She wore a white long-sleeved dress with a red ribbon tied around her waist and into a bow on her back and an ankle-length skirt, a pair of white ballet flats with red sequins all over them, and a silver necklace with a red ruby star-shaped gemstone pendant hanging from it.

"Sorry! It's just... You're actually really funny. Just like Father always said," The girl said as she uncrossed her legs and got into a standing position.

"Who the heck are you? And how'd you get in here?" Sundrop asked as he got off the floor and pointed a finger at the girl.

"Careful! You might shoot out some unneeded magic!" the girl said as she put her hands up in a surrender.

"Unneeded magic? I don't even know any magic! My brother is the only one who does it," Sundrop said as he put his finger down.

"Well, technically you have magic now..." the girl said as she put her hands down.

Sundrop was confused.

He didn't know how to use magic nor ever wanted to use it.

"You might want to look into your pocket..." the girl said.

Sundrop complied and went into the pocket of his new pants and pulled out what appeared to be a red crystal shard with a black cord tied around it and a silver clasp on the tips, making it seem like a necklace.

"What is..." Sundrop began to say until he touched it.

Suddenly, a jolt of energy went through his body.

Now he knew why it felt so familiar.

"Is this..."

"Yes. That's the Newton Star. At least, one of its shards. My shard to be exact," the girl explained as she pointed to yourself.

"Are you..." Sundrop trailed off.

"Yes. My sisters and I were once a part of the Newton Star. When Eclipse shattered it, we ended up being scattered. I also gained a humanoid form. I tried to speak to you the other day but you ended up becoming unresponsive until now," she explained.

"I am so sorry... This is all my fault! If I had just been stronger..." Sundrop said with anger.

"It's not your fault, Sundrop. No one could have known what Eclipse really wanted, not even myself or my sisters," the girl said as she placed her right hand on Sundrop's left shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Thanks..." Sundrop said with a smile as he put on the shard necklace. "By the way... Do you have a name or do I just call you Star?"

"You can call me Starlight. Or Star. Either one's fine," Starlight said as she took her hand off of his shoulder.

"Um... Don't want to be rude either but... What are your pronouns?" Sundrop asked.

"She/Her. Though, me and my sisters are technically genderless. So, I don't mind," Starlight replied with a smile.

Sundrop smiled back.

"By the way, do you-"

"Mr. Sundrop? Are you done with your bath? Ms. Sunshine told me to tell you that breakfast is ready!" Marle said through the door.

Sundrop panicked.

"Starlight? Quick question... Am I the only one who can see you right now?" he asked, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"Only you and anyone else who has a Star Shard. Although, children are known to be more connected to the "spiritual side". But we should be okay," Starlight replied.

"Alright," Sundrop said as he walked to the door and opened it.

"Wow... You look great in Mr. Midnight's clothes!" Marle complimented.

"Thanks, Marle. By the way... Is Mr. Midnight here right now?" Sundrop replied.

"Yep! He just came back from waterfowl hunting! Come on!" Marle said as she ran down the stairs.

Sundrop was about to yell at Marle to not run, but stopped himself.

He reminded himself that this was not his home, meaning he did not have any real authority right now.

He sighed as Starlight floated behind him and they both left Sunshine's room.

[cybervesna]

Hi! I’m newer to vp and I really love your photos. Especially how they tell a story. Do u have any advice for setting up lights for 2 or more people in a photo with just AMM and photomode (or anything available on nexus)? Thank u :)

Omg, thank you so much! I always think my light game is awful 😬

I use CyberLit addon from Otis Camera Tools, so I don't know how to use other light tools. I know there's AMM light spot and Charli on Nexus, tho.

What I can do is to show a bit of my theory I guess? Some time ago I was explaining my light game to a friend so I'm gonna copy-paste it here and expand with screenshots.

(Please keep in mind that I'm not a professional and I learned everything from fucking around and finding out + reading some articles here and there)

So what I do is observe the environment my characters are in, and based on that I "extend" the lights that are around them. For example, here in this specific shot, you don't see any light sources, but having the bigger picture in mind I set them in a specific way

Most of the time I have 2-3 lights spawned, I use CyberLit so it's a 90% "point" option. I sometimes go for "spotlight" when I don't want the area to be lit up too to make it seem more natural like the light source comes from something natural.

Here (the bigger picture) I used the environment to make it seem like the light goes from a skyscraper:

Even tho, if I changed the perspective it would show that the actual light is pointed somewhere below and not even there. Getting the right angles allowed me to bend reality to what I needed.

I also use the environment to enhance what is already in-game, for better effect:

Here I put yellow light in the same color as the table but from above to make it more unified and simply more flattering. It still looks natural, as if there's a second light source off-frame

(also here you can see the big screen from the pic above that is off-screen, it has white light mostly so I used that in my pic as an extension)

You can also take some creative liberty in what you do, and add things as you need, following the "natural order of things". It's hard to explain honestly so I hope you get what I mean.

When situation is dynamic (characters move) it's good to keep the light coherent, in the same place:

However, you can still adjust it to be flattering for the pose yet keep it looking natural. I usually move it a bit left and right to get the best results.

Even tho the perspective changed, the light is in the same place, naturally since now she has an open position towards the source of light, more of her body will be covered.

To end this, more on liberty. Here's an example of the environment I built entirely which is Kurt's apartment.

By having any "natural" source of light off-frame I can do whatever I want, and our mind will assume that some source is somewhere we can't see it. I headcanon Kurt has a colorful LED above his bed and a chandelier in the middle of the room, hence I follow the "physics" of it, which looks natural. I also keep that in mind while taking other pictures in this location

Perspective changes, but the light source remains in the same places (chandelier and above the bed).

Also I love this pic - honestly, don't be afraid of straight lighting things up from the front. When I take pics like this I have in mind that the camera has flash on, and it looks absolutely cool too.

I hope that helps!

[agentcable]

Chicago Fire Season 3 Ep. 4 "Apologies Are Dangerous"

Severide gets involved in a shooting on the subway, which makes him question his position at the firehouse. Meanwhile, Dawson starts at Firehouse 51 as a candidate and Mills becomes a paramedic. Brett's ex-fiancée comes to town to win her back.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

After drinking, Severide goes to the nearest CTA station on his way home. Gunshots and screams interrupt the ride. He finds the shooter and a wounded train conductor in the front car and is shot at. When the kid won't back down, Severide takes him by force and knocks him out. He takes the conductor to a nearby station and puts a bandage on her wound. Then he sets off the fire alarm to get the police. Before the alarm sounds, the shooter finds him and his partner is angry. With a hun to his head, Severide braces for the worst. He is saved by Burgess and Roman from Chicago P.D.

Back at 51, Severide stays silent about his crazy night until Boden calls him to his office. The chief is unhappy with Severide's recent behaviour and threatens to fire him if he doesn't shape up. Being a firefighter is more than just doing the job. Casey also goes to see him and says the firehouse needs him, but Severide only gets comfort from the injured conductor. After she leaves the hospital, she goes to 51 and thanks him for saving her life. When Severide says Shay taught him the right skills, the conductor takes his hand and says Shay is here. She can feel her presence.

Another food truck gets inspected and is found to be faulty. This costs about $30,000. Boden tells Herrmann that he lost his lieutenant position at another firehouse. Later, Herrmann learns that the inspector's boss, Chief Hale, is angry with him. When the chief won't meet at the office, Herrmann confronts him at home. There, he learns why Hale holds a grudge: he owns a garage full of Energy Water, a failed product from Herrmann's past.

Meanwhile, it's Dawson's first day as candidate, and she avoids the usual pranks, much to the chagrin of Herrmann, Cruz, Mouch, and Otis. She also struggles to find the right tool during an intense rescue and apologizes to Casey. She saves 15 kids from a sweatshop situation after finding a water source after vandalism. The station celebrates, and she gets pranked with confetti in the fire truck.

Sylvie Brett is in a bad mood. She thinks about the fire victim and can't forget her ex-fiance Harrison. He called off the wedding, not Brett, but now he wants her back. Brett wonders if returning to Indiana is the right thing after her intense work in Chicago. Brett knocks on Harrison's hotel door in tears after Mills warns her to stay focused.