Marvel fans and gamers alike have been taking around 30–35 hours on average to platinum Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. However, that time is doubling for Photo Mode sessions alone, as the feature has become a staple in Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man series.
In order to celebrate the artistry captured in Spider-Man 2’s Photo Mode, we’ve collected a handful of shared images from the player pool, and while the featured images are impressive in their own right, they are but a taste of the talent on offer. Here are 10 of the best Photo Mode pictures taken by players from Spider-Man 2.
~ Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Spider-Man 2. ~
Symbiote City By @sdlr__
Kicking off the showcase is a striking but ominous photo by @sdlr__ taken during the height of Venom’s uprising, and it’s an atmospheric piece to start the list. Peter Parker’s Spider-Man can be seen wearing his Anti-Venom Suit while crouching on a symbiote vine and looking at the camera. This shot is dark and moody and perfectly illustrates the chaos New York was plunged into during the main story.
Use Natural Lighting To Your Advantage
This shot was achieved by capturing the natural, cold light of Midtown on offer during the game’s It’s All Connected main quest, which also triggered the surplus of symbiote vines on show. A slight Dutch angle has been achieved by rotating the camera and Peter’s pose is the character’s default after a mission has been completed with the shot being captured as he looks to the side.
Bug Laughs By @Joshdachu_
This comical addition to the list by @Joshdachu_ shows a freakish bug being encountered during gameplay. Peter Parker’s Spidey can be seen posing on the train tracks surrounded by symbiote goo and three civilians who are having a tough time standing up. Photo Mode doesn’t have to be all about the dramatics and this shot makes the list for turning an unfortunate situation into a better one with stickers.
Create Your Own Comic Panel
This photo was achieved by visiting the train tracks within the suburbs of the Astoria district, rotating the camera to give an extreme Dutch angle, and setting Peter Parker in Character Pose 5 while wearing the Advanced Suit 2.0. The onomatopoeia stickers can be added via the Sticker Mode option to make your image look like an action shot straight from the pages of a comic book.
The Amazing Chinatown By @Slattsoldier
This stellar snapshot by @Slattsoldier made the list for its attention to detail, flaunting a close-up image of Peter Parker’s Spider-Man crouched in front of a Chinatown pagoda-style building. The setting sun highlighting the pattern of the suit is particularly impressive—especially if you’re a fan of Andrew Garfield’s web-slinger.
Don’t Be Afraid To Zoom
You’re able to zoom effectively in Photo Mode, which is how the detail of Spider-Man’s suit has been exposed in this shot. Peter is wearing the Amazing Suit and is sitting in a standard crouched pose in front of the Chinatown building, and the natural lighting of gameplay, during sunset, has been used to achieve the golden glow.
Miles Morales’ Profile By @Poognasty2
Sometimes less is more to make a terrific photo, and thanks to Miles Morales’ natural aesthetic and style, this simple shot by @Poognasty2 has made the list for its depth of field, character color palette, and its city life ambiance.
Use Additional Lighting To Set The Scene
Photo Mode offers additional spotlights and sphere lights to illuminate your chosen subject or character, and this shot added said lighting to illuminate Miles’ face. Spider-Man is crouched on top of a streetlamp and this composition can be recreated in front of any storefront in New York City with an illuminated sign.
Meanwhile By @The_BossRoom
Before Spider-Man became a photographer’s dream, he was the watchful protector of the city in comic books, and this subtle shot by @The_BossRoom illustrates just that, and it’s worth a mention on this list. The Meanwhile border elevates the beautiful skyline at night with Spidey standing by, and the shot perfectly captures the superhero’s role.
Turn Your Photo Into A Postcard
Thanks to the Filters and Frames menu in Photo Mode, all of your shots can be turned into postcards or comic-book panels demonstrated by this “Meanwhile” border. Peter Parker’s Spider-Man is shown wearing the Advanced Suit 2.0 while crouching on top of a building with a red light situated in front of the Manhattan Bridge.
The Amazing Spider-Man Comic Cover By @bishtweets
This next photo by @bishtweets demonstrates how creative you can get with your shots, as this player has turned one of their snapshots into a vintage comic-book cover and used one of the various frames on offer to make it seem like it’s sitting on an artist’s desk. This is an inventive way to showcase your photos and a great addition to the list.
Create Your Own Comic Cover
This image was achieved by capturing Peter’s Spider-Man mid-swing on the Manhattan Bridge at night wearing the Classic Suit, and Frame 24 from the Frame Selection menu will display your photo inside a comic book cover.
Sam Raimi’s Symbiote Suit By @Photoingame
@Photoingame demonstrated their creative process within a time-lapse video showing Peter’s Spider-Man swinging over a Symbiote Nest. The aim was to recreate Tobey Maguire’s time in the symbiote suit from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 and the end result is particularly impressive and deserving of a place on this list for the process.
Get Creative With The Camera Angle
This photo was achieved by freezing Peter’s Spider-Man mid-swing through a Symbiote Nest and using Character Pose 15 while wearing the Webbed Black Suit. As the video shows, the pose was rotated to create a frame of vines with the sky behind, and the image was desaturated to turn it into a noir style. Additional lighting, including two spotlights, was used to illuminate Spider-Man, and finally, the scene was rotated at a 90-degree angle.
Bridge Swinging By @Frankie_Star808
You’d be forgiven for thinking this was Ant-Man instead of Miles Morales, as the bridge structure makes Spider-Man look tiny. This is a wonderful shot by @Frankie_Star808 that was a no-brainer entry on this list for playing with the viewers’ perception and showing great use of the surrounding architecture.
Patience Is A Virtue…For Now
This player would have had to wait until sunset in order to capture the glow on the Queensboro Bridge. If Insomniac adds the option to change the time of day in a future patch, capturing these sunset shots will be a little less time-consuming. Miles would have been positioned on the sloping beam before swinging off when this shot was captured, and he’s wearing the Sportswear Suit. The camera would have also been rotated outwards in order to achieve the side view.
Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man By @Webbed_Slinger
Fans of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man will love this on-brand shot by @Webbed_Slinger, mimicking the promotional artwork taken for Sam Raimi’s first movie of the trilogy. This shot is extremely nostalgic and recreated perfectly making it a valued addition to the list.
Utilize Photo Mode’s Color Grading
Firstly, the Webbed Suit was used to recreate the Sam Raimi style while Spider-Man is swinging in midair over the East River. However, what makes this photo unique is the tint used to create the yellow hue, however, this was mostly enhanced through post-production using software such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop.
“When Do I Know I’m Spider-Man?” By @HyKirley
@HyKirley is renowned for their in-game photography and this shot is not only a stunning view of the city, but it also carries a story. Captioned “When do I know I’m Spider-Man?”, Miles is depicted to be a much younger version of himself who aspires to be the savior of the city, and it’s a fantastic shot with its own message that makes it one of the more touching photos on this list.
Tall Buildings Give Great Backdrops
In order to achieve this photo, Miles was equipped with the Into the Spider-Verse SB Suit and seated in Character Pose 12 on top of the Empire State Building, located within the Midtown district—be careful of fall damage. The camera angle was positioned looking down on the subject, and the lighting looks mostly natural as the sun sets. However, this photo may have been slightly edited in post-production in order to increase the clarity and contrast.