All my photos are like my children, and I like to show all of them to the world!
Lisa’s been gaming since she was a little girl, starting on a PlayStation 1 with her dad and following him through Tomb Raider, Max Payne, and Recoil. Today, gaming is still a part of her daily life, coming home from work, playing with friends, or visiting events like Gamescom. Her love for the gaming naturally grew into virtual photography, starting with The Sims 3 and photo contests, and now spanning over 1,400 shots, including deep dives into Once Human and Cyberpunk 2077.
Every shot Lisa takes carries a piece of herself. She experiments, she explores, she notices the small things that matter to her. For Lisa, virtual photography is less about the game and more about the moments she wants to hold onto. We caught up with Lisa to talk about how she got started, what drives her creative process, and why she keeps coming back to virtual photography year after year.
Hey Lisa! First off, can you tell us a bit about yourself, who you are, what you do, and how gaming fits into your life?
How do I start the best? Born in November 1991 in Germany and slipped right into Video Gaming as a little girl thanks to my Papa who had gifted me a Playstation 1. After his afternoon shift at work, he started playing games on his PC (e.g. Tomb Raider, Max Payne or Recoil were some of his favorite Games) and asked me to join him and watch him play. On PlayStation we even played games like Tekken together.
Now, in my thirties, I continue this life – come home from work and play games with friends or visit gaming events like Gamescom for almost 10 years regularly. Several tattoos, conversation topics, my license plate even has 1337 included. It became a solid part of my life.
How did you come up with synaktis as your username? Is there a story behind it?
Back in 2011 I was gifted a copy of World of Warcraft and, as we all know the issue, most of the usernames were already used. So, I decided to open a random name generator which gave me this name. And I somehow liked it so much that I kept it ever since!
Do you remember the first game you ever played or the first screenshot you took?
The very first screenshots I took were a long time ago, shortly after the release of Sims 3, right after they decided to allow mods in the game. There was this Sims forum with photo contests, including special themes such as portraits. At some point I even messed up my game so badly from all the posing mods that it crashed. But this was my very first contact with creating more "professional" virtual photography.
Your collection is massive with over 1400 shots! When you scroll through them, do you have a favorite photo or photos that you keep coming back to?
There is this one special photo. Shortly before Red Dead Redemption 2 was released, I lost my old job and fell into a dark void mentally. My brother wanted to cheer me up and lent me his Playstation 4. This picture always reminds me how much videogames saved my mental health – starting your console and just ignoring reality for a bit.
I've noticed that the largest collection of your photography collection is from Once Human (381 shots) followed by Cyberpunk 2077. What keeps drawing you back to these games for photography?
There was a time when I was part of the Once Human Content Creator Program, which helped me push my hobby to take pictures of this game. It used to be a great game with wonderful horror feelings and post-apocalyptic vibes – it felt like something different in my portfolio.
And Cyberpunk in second place with the most pictures... How do I describe it the best? Their photo mode is the best I've ever used. When you open it, you can clearly see that the developers know virtual photographers exist, and they are trying to give us the easiest way to get the perfect shot. Additional editing in different programs is (almost) not necessary anymore. I really fell in love with the world and environment, the dystopian future, the whole lore behind each character and the city. If I had the chance, I could talk FOR DAYS just about this one game. If I come back taking photographs for this game, it is because I FEEL this game with my heart and soul.
If you had to describe your photography style in one word or feeling, what would it be?
Each photograph represents my actual mood during the process. Each photograph contains part of my emotions.
Do you have a "signature" element that appears in many of your shots e.g a mood, color, or style choice?
Vignette. This option highlights the middle of the picture as the best. There was even a time I used cinematic black bars – which is now being replaced by Vignette!
Are there any photos you've taken that you're really proud of but feel haven't gotten much attention?
Honestly, I am proud of every single photo I upload. Each one is a piece of art that contains a part of myself, and I really love to scroll through my portfolio and look at them or show them to others. And to be really honest now, I'd say all of them don't get enough attention. It feels like they are my children, and I like to show all of them to the world!
Out of all your shots, is there one that made you stop and just think, "Wow, I didn't expect that to come out like this"?
I was in the middle of this boss fight, and the scenery looked way too perfect not to be photographed. It was a mess to take the shot during this fight; it took way too many times until I had a photo which I liked. And then I had this one. It was way better than expected! Small Aloy fighting (and winning) against one of her biggest and strongest enemies. Trying to show this in a picture was using all the capacity of my brain because it was something new for me – I had just "unlocked" a new experience for myself.
Have you ever had any funny or frustrating stories while getting a shot?
The most frustrating shots are from Once Human as it is a live gameplay which can't be paused. You always had the risk of having the perfect scene – but never the chance to hit the "take photo" button because some random monster attacked you.
Do you usually take shots in real-time as you play, or do you pause, explore angles, and really set the scene?
It always depends on the situation. Sometimes I have ideas in my mind which have to be implemented, and I try to recreate the picture and take all the time I need. On the other hand, there are also situational moments, mostly during fights, where you just hit the "take photo" bottom because everything around it looks already perfect enough. Mostly happened to me during my gameplay in Ghost of Tsushima or Horizon Forbidden West.
If one of your photos could come to life tomorrow, which one would you pick?
Strawberry. My beloved Strawberry in Red Dead Redemption 2. Cozy, lovely, with a little stream running through its center. My favorite place to spend time and get comfortable during my Gameplay.
Imagine a publisher reached out and said you could officially partner with them to create screenshots or promote a game, which studio or game would you pick, and what would you do with that opportunity?
CD Project Red with Cyberpunk (or hopefully Cyberpunk 2 in the future 😉 ). Definitely. There wouldn't even be a second thought! What I'd do with this opportunity? I don't know – life always has got many surprises and as long as I'm able, I'll try to .... "go with the flow".
If you could spend a whole day creating the perfect photo scene in any game, which one would it be, and what would you do?
I think I'd choose Cyberpunk 2077 and spend the day exploring every corner of Night City, capturing the perfect moments that show the contrast between the neon-lit streets and the darker, more intimate moments. There's so much detail in that world that I could spend hours just finding the right angles and lighting to tell different stories.
If you could only keep shooting in 5 of your favorite games forever, which ones would make the cut?
Oh, that's a really difficult question. First place is shared between Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077. After that I'd like to pick Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. It's not only about their photo mode in particular – it's the variety in each game. The life and soul in their games which we can represent. Nothing feels repetitive; everything feels alive.
Between all your games, do you lean more toward cinematic/naturalistic shots or stylized, experimental shots?
I think I've found for myself the perfect middle in portrait shots, cinematic shots, and naturalistic shots. Each game has its nature or characters that can be represented in pictures.
Have you ever tried to capture a shot that felt impossible at first? How did you pull it off?
Heck yes! This one! Sometimes I love to call myself "Dora the Explorer", running around without any particular thoughts in my brain to find the perfect spot.
Night City. At night. I found an elevator in a hotel that took me up to the roof. First of all, there was an easter egg from Blade Runner
When did you first discover Picashot, and what made you stick around?
I was tired of saving my pictures on my hard drive or uploading them on social media. I wanted to dive deeper into a more "professional" way of showing my pictures and starting a portfolio. I asked X for recommendations on which platform is the best and many creators recommended Picashot. Why did I stay? The easy and understandable use of this platform for creators, the content by photographers for photographers, friendly and lovely support, and my favorite one: We can sort our shots in different categories such as games, platforms or even special themes. This platform is particularly designed for Virtual Photographers.
What's your favorite Picashot feature that you use all the time?
I love scrolling through the Games section from my current most played Game to find someone else to maybe chat about the game, play the game or create content together in an available multiplayer mode. Or to just get inspired by other shots to add new experiences for myself.
Are there any features you wish Picashot had to make sharing shots easier?
Not really! I think it's perfect just the way it is.
Finally, if someone wanted to dive into virtual photography like you did, but they're completely new, what's one unconventional tip or approach you'd give them that you've learned through your own shots?
Most important thing in photography is: Never compare yourself to others. Never, never ever, feel sad because your artwork does not have as many views or likes. Sometimes the algorithm on social media is not working as we wish it would be.
Look for inspiration from other artworks and find your own style. As I said before, it is a form of art and every artist is bringing part of their soul into their artworks. Keep playing the games you like and don't pressure yourself into playing a game just because it's currently trending. And never hesitate to ask for help!
We are artists and social media is the museum representing our art. Some people like it, others don't - just as we don't like everything we see.
For Lisa, every screenshot is a way to slow down and notice the little things she cares about. Her work isn’t about perfection, it’s about expression, exploration, and the joy of capturing moments that feel meaningful. And through it all, virtual photography has become more than a hobby, it’s a way for her to create, connect, and share a piece of herself with the world.
Explore Lisa’s world of virtual photography and see her full collection here - Synaktis