Elden Ring - The Lands Aflame – Rob Haines Creative Space

in game photography

All photos were taken on PS5 in Quality mode with ray-tracing, and post-processed in Affinity Photo. Cinematic angles are the result of looking through the telescope, or crouching in front of a large rock to clip the camera through my character.

The central chamber of the Roundtable Hold, with flames licking up its stone walls and into the vaulted ceiling. A circular stone table stands unmarked beneath the flame and embers, the shard of grace at its heart orange in the firelight.

Hewg, a misbegotten blacksmith, still working at his anvil as the Roundtable Hold burns around him. The rafters are awash with flame behind his raised hammer, his skin scaled and grey.

Two black-iron chandeliers dangle from a burning wooden ceiling, crossed with thick rafters.

A ceremonial hall, with a high balcony, solitary candlesticks, and a grand chandelier above. Smoke and embers fill the air, and orange flames lick up the walls.

A study with arched-stone walls and a heavy grey-stone fireplace at the far end, all lit by the burning rafters above. Piles of books and forgotten candles wait for the release of flame.

Nepheli Loux, a warrior clad in furs and a cloth hood, fallen to her knees amidst the burning cellars of the Roundtable Hold. Behind her, rough shelves of boxes and barrels are riven with flame, and beneath her knees, the uneven flagstones glow red.

The glowing red spectre of the notorious Dung Eater - a pustulent humanoid figure, sitting dejectedly between two large bookshelves - at the end of a darkened room lit only by a wave of flame, cascading through the rafters and rising from the surrounding books.

A view across Limgrave, its golden foliage tinted dark by the fire-red bark of the Erdtree, divine flames flickering from every branch. Embers fill the air, and a single shard of grace glows golden amidst the mayhem.

A ruined chapel with a shard of grace and a cruciform statue of Radagon at the far end. Flaming embers drift through the air from the burning branches of the Erdtree which rises above the broken walls.

A view of the glorious deep reds of the burning Erdtree, shining against thick clouds, from within the broken walls of Stormveil Castle. Gold-limned battlements rise above dark-limbed trees, all smothered by embers.

The burning trunk of the Erdtree rises high into the sky above the Four Belfries and the Mage Academy of Liurnia. Godrays still streak down across the ruined causeways and misty lakes, but the clouds are dark, their glory dulled.

Miriel, the turtle pope, lays his head to rest amidst the ruined Church of Vows. Grey-stone statues look on as the air fills with embers, and in the distance a divine tower is lit by a fading godray.

A view between two ruined walls, across the ashen capital, Leyndell. The golden-topped dome at the height of the city still stands, but the air is heavy with pale ash, and the trunk of the Erdtree beyond is riven with flame.

The golden-tipped spires of Leyndell, rising out of treacherous heaps of grey ash, as the Erdtree burns fiery red overhead. Some spires have toppled, others simply submerged. To the right, a stone dragon corpse still rears up, pierced by the tip of a stylised lightning spear.

Golden spires rising out of the ash covering Leyndell. Above them, the golden dome of the royal chambers is wreathed in smoke and embers, and the vast bulk of the burning Erdtree dominates the background beyond.

A golden spire and a stone staircase emerge from rolling dunes of ash, beneath glowing embers and a flame-dusk sky streaked with burning branches.

A smoke-filled underground chamber in the capital. Corpses slump in hard-backed chairs, while roots crawl across the floor and burst into silhouettes of foliage. Glass chimes dangle from the ceiling amidst the gloom.

An ashen dune leading up through what once was the capital's main boulevarde. Wagons and fallen towers protrude from the ash and embers, and beyond, two colossal statues carrying golden spears stand part-submerged before a large gate.

A large robed statue, carrying a golden spear, stands partly-submerged in ash beneath the flaming branches of the Erdtree. A multi-layered building with balconies and a pointed portico rises behind the statue.

The golden-domed royal chambers of Leyndell, atop a tiered tower beset by embers, utterly dwarfed by the burning trunk of the Erdtree.

An underground sewer, incredibly dark, with only the faintest green glow suffusing the room. An unidentifiable corpse is lying in the debris-strewn water, and a circular tunnel leads into the murk, where something large and ogre-like waits.

A tall circular underground chamber leading to pale daylight high above. Stairs lead up inside the wall of the chamber, with regularly-spaced archways rising up the interior. Piercing red embers hang in the air, against the greenish pallor of the stone walls.

Gille the Confessor stands in a black-iron elevator cage, looking up at the circular chamber above, back towards the pale light. She's wearing black armour, and the air is filled with embers.

A view from a black iron cage into an underground chamber where a site of Grace glows golden amidst the greenish mist. Beyond, a series of concentric arches surrounds a small archway leading further into the catacombs.

A subterranean chapel, overgrown with roots and strange hanging growths. Two rows of rough benches run either side of a central path, and two robed statues stand either side of an opened treasure chest before the altar.

Gille stands before a wide spray of burning blood, in a green-tinged chapel. The horned head of Mohg the Omen can barely be seen behind the blood.

A site of Grace on a faded red carpet in a subterranean chapel. Small white-flamed candles are clustered on the floor, and wooden benches lead into the green-tinged mist.

A vaulted chamber lit by a white torch, crammed tight with merchants with long-necked stringed instruments. They are emaciated, dressed in grey rags, and some are holding their heads.

A pair of stone arches lit by pale light, framing a chamber full of imprisoned merchants. Their flesh is emaciated, and one of them sits cross-legged with a musical instrument on their lap.

A stone door, riven with a vein of cursed flame. To the right, the original grey stone emerges from textured corruption, and to the left, the flame bulges in finger-like protrusions from mottled grey.

A stone staircase leading up to a mighty cathedral in the high places of Leyndell. A stylised relief of the Erdtree is carved at the top of the facade, and above, the burning trunk of the Erdtree casts the sky in fiery red.

A vast cathedral, drenched in shades of pink light. Many-limbed candelabras lines the way between two vast fluted columns. A small armoured figure stands on a dais beneath the high dome.

Gideon Ofnir the All-Knowing - a human figure in golden armour and carrying a sceptre - stands with arm outstretched on a dais at the heart of a cathedral. Beyond, three arches open to the outside, where the burning Erdtree casts the sunlit architecture in shades of pink.

A wide shot of the interior of the Leyndell cathedral, where Gideon Ofnir stands waiting with arms outstretched. Three arches in the background are blocked by walls of golden smoke.

The royal chambers of Leyndell, a large tower with a golden dome, rising into the burning sky. A dark tree-branch crosses the bottom-right of the image.

Gille the Confessor - clad in black and gold, carrying a sword and teardrop shield - marches up the final set of stairs before the burning Erdtree. A tall archway decorated with a tree motif is embedded in the vast trunk.

Godfrey - a broad-shouldered warrior wearing silver and blue armour and carrying a huge battleaxe with a shattered blade - marches towards the camera. Over his shoulder is a lion's pelt, its face facing right, and its white fur rises in waves behind his head.

The warrior Godfrey in his blue cloak, facing away and balanced on one armoured leg with his white lion's mane flowing behind him to the right. The Erdtree burns in the sky above.

A wide view of the plaza before the Erdtree, with tall buttressed pillars reaching towards a fire-riven sky. Godfrey marches towards the camera in the bottom-right, his axe at the ready.

A view from the Erdtree plaza back towards the Leyndell royal chamber with its distinctive golden dome. A low railing with ornate filigree stretches across the bottom of the scene, leading to an ornate pointed arch in the centre.

A wide view of the plaza, looking back towards the golden dome. A shard of Grace sits at the centre of the concentric circles which adorn the paved floor, and flaming branches reach down from the sky overhead.

A site of Grace in concentric paved circles before the flaming trunk of the Erdtree. A tall opening rises to the right, with bright flaming edges, and to the left, the Erdtree's trunk burns a deeper red.

A path into the heart of the Erdtree, adorned with burning thorns and creeping roots. To the right, a golden glow suffuses the air, leading into the heart of the tree.

Gille the Confessor strides into the Erdtree's depths. Her form is limned with flaming branches; the firelight fades out to the left and right.

Gille, armoured in black, reaches out her hand to a barrier of yellow cloud to permit her entry into the Erdtree's heart.

Gille shies away from brilliant golden light emanating from the Erdtree's heart, washing out the image and blinding her.

Gille stands upon black earth scattered with golden flowers, shield up, her black armour glowing with light. She's facing the demigod Radagon, a man with red hair and carrying a golden hammer. There's a golden starflash in his other hand, held in front of his torso.

Radagon lunges forward, swinging his golden hammer; his flesh is stony and riven with golden runes. Gille collapses to the ground before him, turning into white smoke.

Radagon walks away across the black earth towards a field of golden flowers, his hammer by his side. His red hair drapes long down his back.

Radagon, his stone flesh shattered and broken, raises a hand before his face. Sparks of golden light coalesce as he gathers his power, obscuring his features.

Gille stands over the fallen body of the demigod Radagon, amidst metallic golden flowers. She looks down at him, glowing with golden energy.

Gille sidesteps rapidly across the surface of a dark lake, in a space between worlds. A many-tentacled beast of pure golden energy lashes out from the water's surface, its exhalations glittering pink smoke limned with golden stars.

Gille stands on the dark waters, her back arched, transfixed by a spear of golden light descending from the heavens. The Elden Beast, a dark, jelly-like outer god with many appendages, looms in the distance, before golden tree-trunks reaching into the sky.

Defeated, the Elden Beast collapses into a gold-speckled cloud of pink-purple smoke. Golden motes fill the air against an infinite backdrop of golden tree trunks. The lake's surface is troubled, wavelets reflecting golden light.

Gille stands in the space between worlds, holding her trusty sword and teardrop shield. The water seems to have no shore, and the sky is full of golden trees rising into grey smoke.

A close-up of Gille's face and shoulder, framed by her red hair and golden circlet. Her gauntleted fist is raised to her mouth, and beyond, the black earth is covered with golden leaves.

Radagon's decapitated corpse stands amidst a field of golden leaves, statue-esque but broken, devoid of the golden runes that sustained him. His head lies shattered upon the ground, his red hair faded to metallic gold.

Gille stands before Radagon's headless body, one hand to her heart, the other raised beseechingly. Golden leaves carve arcs and patterns across the ground.

Gille kneeling before Radagon's corpse, head bowed towards golden leaves, hands raised in prayer.

Gille in her black armour, kneeling upon the dark earth, before a glowing blue summoning sign, runes scratched in the world.

A panoramic shot of Gille kneeling reverently on black earth. Ranni the Witch, her promised future at hand, stands in her blue robes before Radagon's statue-esque corpse.

As Ranni's Age of Stars falls upon the world, Gille bows her head to her eternal consort. Cold, purple light rushes in, the distant stars above shining once more upon the Lands Between, free at last from Lords and all they portend.