Take Better Photos in Automobilista 2 In Four Easy Steps

In this high-level tutorial, I'm going to show you four easy to follow steps that will allow you to get more about of the race photos you take in Automobilista 2.

Automobilista 2 has all the elements to create gorgeous automotive photography. A selection of cars and tracks old and new, lots of weather and time of day options, and a dedicated photo mode leave you with near limitless possibilities for creating impressive shots to share on social media or create your next desktop background.

Here are four tips that can help you get more out of your in-game photography. This is far from a master class, but for beginners, this should help you find some hidden beauty within the shot you take.

To access the photo mode, either pause any offline game session and choose the photo mode from the menu, or click the camera icon while viewing a replay.

Set the Scene​

The first thing to consider is what you want to shoot. As the photographer, you’re responsible for all the elements that will appear in your shot. Do you want to bring attention to a specific car? Or perhaps a track? Is this a race with lots of cars in the shot, or a solo cruise? The weather and time of day will strongly influence the look of the final photo as well, so be sure to set the complete scene. There are no rules to what you should shoot, and the limit is your imagination, so have fun and be creative.

Set the Shot​

Professional photographers are sticklers for angles and positions within a shot. There are heuristics to bear in mind, but no hard and fast rules. One such heuristic is the rule of thirds, which tasks the photographer with setting the primary subject of the shot one third of the way from the top or bottom, and one third of the way from the left or right. But again, this is a heuristic, not a law. Shots from the front, side, rear or even top can also be aesthetically pleasing. Whatever angle you choose, be sure to experiment with height; shots from eye level often look unimpressive, whereas shots from near ground level can be a quick fix for making the shot look cinematic. Another easy upgrade for your photo is to fill more of the shot with the subject; fill 1/3 to ½ of the shot with the car you’re shooting to help emphasize what the viewer should be seeing. Rolling the camera can also look cool, and enhances a sense of speed within a photo. Use the W, A, S and D keys to move the camera, and the E and R keys to adjust height.

Focus on What’s Important​

You can guide the eye of the viewer to your subject using focus. Automobilista 2 allows you to manually adjust the focus distance and aperture. Your subject should be in focus, but what that subject is can be determined by you. If you’re showcasing a car chasing down its competitors, for example, try shooting from behind the pursuing car with only that car in focus and the other cars shown in the distance in soft focus. Another example might be a shot which features a section of a track; in this case, all cars may be out of focus and only a tiny section of track in focus to highlight the latter. Shutter speed and tracking adjustments have a similar effect, as blurred wheels and objects have the effect of drawing the eye to the subject, though using these parameters gives the shot a sense of speed as well.

Apply and Tune a Filter​

Automobilista looks great be default, but you can also apply a filter on the second screen of your photo adjustments which can take it to the next level. The filter you apply should complement the scene, so experiment with various filters to see which works best for the shot. Once the filter is chosen, use the tuning options below the filter selection to make minor (or major) adjustments. For starters, film grain can give a vintage look, and a vignette can trim out unnecessary background to further emphasize the subject.



Once you have the shot you want, either use the Take Photo button within the photo mode or click Hide UI and press F12 to have Steam save the photo. Experiment with minor adjustments to your shot until you get it exactly right. Once you’re happy with it, be sure to share your creation in the comments below.