{"id":1051,"date":"2021-07-31T11:19:43","date_gmt":"2021-07-31T10:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/participatoryworlds.org\/research\/press_start\/?page_id=1051"},"modified":"2021-09-06T01:59:05","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T00:59:05","slug":"lemfillyaw","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/participatoryworlds.org\/research\/press_start\/artists\/lemfillyaw\/","title":{"rendered":"Lem Fillyaw"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Lem Fillyaw<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lem Fillyaw, also known as Bad Gamer Elite, is an in-game photographer and streamer from the United States. He first started capturing images from videogames within Disney Infinity<\/em> (2013) for the social media channels of Rezd.TV\u2019s show Inside Infinity<\/em> (2013) in late 2013. Since then, he has worked on multiple games, creating an extensive collection of images from Horizon Zero Dawn<\/em> (2017), Warframe<\/em> (2013) and Overwatch (2016)<\/em>, and more recently, focusing on Fortnite<\/em> (2017) within which he can dictate what the entire scene will look like down to the smallest detail thanks to the Creative Mode, a sandbox game in which players can create their own maps. As a professional photographer, Lem enjoys reappropriating the stories of others and retelling them through his lens. With videogames he can achieve this on an unimaginable scale, ranging from exploring deserts and jungles on Earth to icy plains or beneath the ocean on alien worlds. Regardless of the setting, he generally tends to present images that encourage positivity and lead others to build stories from their own perspectives.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The market, as it were, is very saturated with capture artists. [\u2026] My motivation is to help others understand this art form and encourage them to be the best version of themselves in that task. The most remarkable [achievements] are not the contests I\u2019ve won or accolades I\u2019ve gotten online. The most notable is the relationships that I have grown with amazing individuals around the world that have come to be extended family because of it.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Lem Fillyaw<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
IG Photographer<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In addition, Lem has a family friendly Twitch.tv channel in which he streams his creative process, play along with some guests, and has discussions on games and life while introducing IGP to communities that have never heard of it. He also runs a gaming ministry called \u2018God, Games and Geekery\u2019 for a non-profit, which includes a streaming, social media and a monthly podcast.<\/p>

For Lem, the practice has rapidly evolved. When he started, he was basically taking \u2018fancy screenshots\u2019 with very little thought and tools. Now, he basically has an in-game SLR camera and, sometimes, lighting kits. However, he still finds limitations when compared with practicing photography in real life as a professional in the field, such as the subtle nuances in a human face. The possibility to use studio lights are still very rare within videogames \u201cbut when we get them….WOOOOO!\u201d. He has also perceived a change in the \u2018depth\u2018 of the topics represented, moving from more superficial themes towards more personal matters. According to Lem,<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Dad Stare<\/i>
God of War<\/i> \u00a9 Sony Interactive Entertainment. With thanks to Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Virtual Photography was as niche as playing D&D in the 80s. People laughed, scoffed, asked why. Now people are \u2018oohing\u2019 and \u2018ahhhing\u2019 and asking how. With the introduction of brands that have little to do with gaming doing photo mode contests, we are going to see so much of this niche become more and more mainstream. <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Lem Fillyaw<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
IG Photographer<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Certainly, the release of in-game photo modes has facilitated the performance of the practice to console-based gamers like Lem. He has founded a small community called \u2018The Gametographers\u2019 and many of its members have become best friends: \u201cpeople have become part of my family because of this. [IGP] has become more than a hobby\u201d.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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It Works<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart \u00a9 Sony Interactive Entertainment. With thanks to Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

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Just Fast Enough<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart \u00a9 Sony Interactive Entertainment. With thanks to Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

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Shine Bright<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Fortnite \u00a9 Epic Games<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

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Stargaze<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Horizon Zero Dawn \u00a9 Sony Interactive Entertainment. With thanks to Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited.\n<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t