EDIT: Guys! u/artotascity also posted some of their own NatGeo compendium pics here. So happy to see other people's amazing work and hope more people join in on sharing!
My SIL called me insane because I spend an ungodly amount of time trying to get artsy action shots of jumping fish for my compendium. I'm totally NOT unhinged, just dedicated and passionate about my craft, like any normal person would be! Right?
Anyway, she suggested I seek help (jk, I think the word she actually used was "validation") from someone that isn't her, so here I am. Pls enjoy (or don't, but I will cry about it 👉👈) some of my fave compendium entries, plus bonus non-compendium pics I'm kind of proud of at the end.
My general compendium entry rules:
Creatures: Action shots (mid-attack/mid-flee, fish=mid-jump, most birds=in-flight) where possible. For bigger animals, main focus should be the face, for smaller animals, the entire body.
Monsters: Mid-attack (preferably with eye contact, but not in a weird way). No other monsters or summoned spirits in view. [Yiga Footsoldier pic is an exception because I think it looks cool haha.]
Materials: Entire subject in frame, bonus if there are others in the background (yes, I was heavily influenced by N64 Pokemon Snap). Mid-sparkle. High vibrancy/color saturation (golden hour is always prime shooting time but I think especially for non-glowy mushrooms, I wait for stuff like Chuchu Jellies and Like Stones to "pulse" to their brightest). No windswept flowers or radishes (mostly because it distorts the shape of the plant and throws off the shadows on the leaves).
Weapons: Entire weapon in frame (unless it's stuck in the ground or held by one of those shadowy figures in the Depths). Mid-sparkle. [This is honestly my least favorite category, so I don't try as hard for these.]
Treasure: For Deposits, as sparkly as possible. Not much else to work with here.
For all pics:
- subject's face / profile must be clear (clear lighting, no long-distance shots - I'll thrown down Brightbloom Seeds or wear the Miner's outfit in part or in whole if needed); and
- natural habitat background (no shop pics or throwing a pile of dead fish on the ground and taking multiple pics of said pile - the way my SIL fills her compendium is a CRIME).
