Grand Theft Auto 5 was first released way back in 2013. As far as video games are concerned, that's basically ancient history unless we're talking about an MMO. Even so, GTA 5 has beaten all the odds and remains not only extremely popular to this day, but the breathtaking visuals are still impressive in a post-Raytracing world.
The active player base of GTA 5 is huge and enthusiastic fans produce an overwhelming amount of photographs documenting their adventures and misadventures in Los Santos and Blaine County.
A whole sub-community of in-game photographers has sprung up in the years since GTA 5 was released and it's no wonder — the game gives fans plenty of material to work with considering the massive and vibrant map full of breathtaking sights.
It's not difficult to become a GTA 5 photographer yourself. The in-game Snapmatic app shares most features of your typical photo mode found in most AAA games these days, and you can gain additional control over your shots with Director Mode and the Rockstar Editor.
If you're playing on PC — which, incidentally, is the version that looks the best from a graphical standpoint, provided you have strong enough hardware — you can further augment your screenshots using mods. Third-party screenshot apps also come into play on PC.
We've collected 10 of the most impressive GTA 5 screenshots that players have shared online.
This shot from prolific GTA 5 photographer FoxySnaps is a great representation of what Online feels like a lot of the time. You come for the amazing cars, but before you know it a fleet of griefers will descend on you. Are those Hydras there to look cool for the photo? Or are they about to harass someone trying to snap a picture of their car with clear skies? We'll never know — but we do know the screenshot looks astounding.
Just look at those reflections, the water effects and the lighting. This scenic and calm screenshot belies the chaotic nature of GTA 5, but nobody could deny its beauty. Scenes like this really show how breathtaking the game can be in its quiet moments when you have a chance to enjoy the game's world without worrying about bullets flying past or cops chasing you.
Another shot that's very GTA. An illegal street race with fancy cars? That's what we're all about. The vehicles are great representatives of the game's graphical fidelity, in concert with the lighting and particle effects.
After the street race, we're switching gears back to a calmer composition. This shot looks more like a heavily edited photograph instead of a video game screenshot, and if you'd show it to someone not familiar with a game they'll definitely think it's real, not virtual.
This fantastic urban skyline gives us a sense of scale for the city of Los Santos, the main urban area in the GTA 5 game world. The designers replicated the feeling of a US metropolis perfectly.
The release of Executives and Other Criminals was a key turning point in the history of GTA Online which left such as mark that we're still feeling its effects to date. This flawlessly composed shot distills the atmosphere of that DLC.
Yet another shot that has us doing a double-take — this is a game? The BMX may not be the most iconic vehicle of GTA 5 — not quite the cult favorite as San Andreas' bike — but this composition makes a strong argument in its favor. Luckily, we have a cheat for that.
This action-packed shot looks like it's from a Battlefield game or some other military shooter, but nope — it's all unmodded GTA 5. This just goes to show how much variety this game boasts.
An electric SUV, landing on my helicopter? It's more likely than you think. This seemingly surreal situation doesn't even begin to push the limits of the chaos that rules GTA Online.
No better way to cap off our lineup than with an extremely stylish car showcase. As you can see, the vehicles in GTA 5 continue to be the standard-bearers of its visual quality.
GTA 5 and GTA Online continue to be hugely popular with a large active community, so there shouldn't be anything stopping you from grabbing the game and making a name for yourself as a GTA photographer
