Manual 4.60.
2024-...
Virtual Photography
Heliography
20x30,5 cm
Archive
Manual 4.60. is a series of in-game photographs, meticulously recreated using the oldest photographic printing method-heliography-that explores the intersection of virtual and analog photography. The project consists of 60 photographs taken from 60 selected games, spanning from 1979 to the present, chosen based on their use of photographic mechanics, integration of photography into gameplay, reliance on real photographs in their production, or innovative ways photography influenced game progression, puzzle-solving, and storytelling. By reinterpreting photographic manuals and guides from iconic video games, Maxim Zmeyev revisits the origins of photography and engages with contemporary questions surrounding authorship, originality, and the nature of the photographic medium.
In developing Manual 4.60., video games were carefully selected for their significant influence on the evolution of in-game photography mechanics. Each game represents a milestone in how photography has been integrated into gameplay, reflecting the evolution of this unique art form. For instance, Safari (1979) was the earliest known video game to feature photography as a core mechanic, simulating an African safari where players earned points by capturing images of wildlife. Nessie (1984) continued this approach, tasking players with photographing the Loch Ness Monster. Pokémon Snap (1999) brought virtual photography into the mainstream, introducing scoring systems based on composition and subject placement, making the camera an essential gameplay tool. Afrika (2008) simulated a wildlife photography experience in the African savannah, pushing players to use real-world photographic techniques to capture images of animals, while Gran Turismo 4 (2004) blended virtual and real-world photography through its photo mode, allowing players to capture high-resolution images of their cars.
Other games, such as Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions (1999), Beyond Good & Evil (2003), and Dead Rising (2006), further integrated photography into their core mechanics, allowing players to engage in photographic creativity within tactical espionage, narrative investigation, and survival horror contexts. Games like Gekibo: Gekisha Boy (1992), Paparazzi! Tales of Tinseltown (1995), and Fatal Frame (2001) explored the ethical and immersive aspects of photography, whether capturing humorous scenes, navigating the moral dilemmas of paparazzi culture, or using a camera as a weapon against ghosts. By incorporating photography into their gameplay, these games transformed players from mere participants into creators of visual stories within virtual worlds, shaping the development of in-game photography as an art form.
For each of these video games, official game manuals and guides were also found, explaining how to take photos and use photographic mechanics. By strictly following these instructions, images from these guides were meticulously reproduced, aiming to replicate the photos exactly as they appeared in the original manuals. This strict adherence to the game manuals could be seen as a relinquishment of personal creative control, where the author’s role is minimized, and the meaning of the images is shaped by the viewer. This approach disrupts traditional notions of authorship in both digital and analog mediums, as it blurs the line between creator, interpreter, and the original content. Through this process, Manual 4.60. explores the evolution of virtual photography, combining traditional photographic principles with digital gameplay mechanics, while reflecting on the shifting roles of authorship and creative control in both virtual and physical contexts.
The concept of windows is central to this project, drawing a powerful parallel between historical and digital realms. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce’s View from the Window at Le Gras (1826–1827), the first known photograph, captures a scene through a window, serving as both a literal and metaphorical portal to the origins of photography. In Manual 4.60., the windows of computer and video game screens act as modern equivalents, framing virtual worlds through digital viewfinders and camera interfaces. This interplay between digital windows and the ancient technique of heliography bridges the gap between the first photograph and contemporary digital imagery, demonstrating how photography has evolved while maintaining its fundamental principles.
One of the key theoretical frameworks guiding Manual 4.60. is Lev Manovich’s exploration of new media. Manovich, in The Language of New Media, emphasizes the transformation of visual culture in the digital age, focusing on how databases and algorithms shape media creation. For Manual 4.60., the game manuals themselves become databases of visual moments, which are carefully followed to recreate images through heliography. This echoes Manovich’s concept of database aesthetics, where the collection and categorization of media fragments play a central role in meaning-making. In this project, the manuals are used to question the boundaries of creative authorship, as they serve as predetermined instructions rather than subjective creative impulses.
Alexander Galloway’s theory of algorithmic culture, particularly from his work Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture, aligns with the procedural nature of in-game photography. Galloway argues that video games, and by extension much of digital media, operate as systems of rules that dictate player behavior. In Manual 4.60., strict adherence to game manuals can be seen as an extension of Galloway’s concept: the "operator" executes the instructions provided by the game's design. This removes personal creative control and reflects the idea that digital culture often requires participants to act within algorithmically determined frameworks. The heliographic prints then symbolize a transference from one procedural system (the digital game) to another (the physical world of heliography), blurring the line between the virtual and the real.
The choice of Heliography-the oldest known photographic printing method-underscores the contrast between virtual photography, which technically does not involve light exposure, and the first process that relied on sunlight to create a permanent image. In-game photography lacks the physicality of traditional light painting; no real light interacts with a sensor or film, and no tangible exposure takes place. The digital screenshot-cold and confined to the artificial window of a monitor-undergoes a profound transformation when exposed to the sun during the heliographic process. This method uses sunlight, the same source of life and growth in the natural world, to turn the sterile digital capture into a warm physical print. The convergence of these two worlds—one purely virtual and one grounded in the elemental forces of nature-symbolizes the merging of the earliest photographic practices with the contemporary evolution of photography.
Another crucial lens for understanding Manual 4.10. is Mark Boris Nikola Hansen’s work in New Philosophy for New Media, which focuses on the embodied experience of media. Hansen argues that digital media often lacks the tactile engagement associated with traditional forms of art. By transforming digital screenshots into heliographic prints, Manual 4.10. reintroduces a physical, embodied interaction with the image. This process brings a human, sensory dimension to in-game photography, which is typically devoid of such qualities. Hansen’s ideas on how the medium of reproduction changes the viewer's experience are reflected in the project's core: the sunlight-exposed heliographs transform the flat, detached screenshots into tangible art pieces that invite a more intimate and reflective engagement.
Ultimately, Manual 4.60. explores the rich history of photography, from its analog roots to its digital evolution, while questioning the role of the artist and the nature of artistic production in a virtual age. The project respects both photographic history and analog practices, demonstrating how photography can transform in response to technological changes that influence not only everyday life but also artistic disciplines. Through heliography-a process that combines sunlight and physical exposure-the project reflects on photography’s ongoing transformation as a medium and a means of expression, blending past and present to create something new. It also examines how we interact with and explore virtual worlds, reinforcing the evolving role of photography in contemporary digital culture.
