SL Unearthed: January 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Photospot: Elven Flame

Photospot on SL Unearthed is a semi-regular feature that highlights a Second Life spot that is a cool place at which to take portrait photos inworld. Not an entire sim, not even a complete parcel, but just a single specific location - a spot - with portrait opportunity.

For today's Photospot, we're heading into a dark fantasy role-playing area for the Jaded Wings group. This is their land and although visitors are permitted, we don't want to interfere with any stories or events. So come wearing fantasy, medieval or renaissance-type clothing and be sure to read the rules when you land. We're planning to head North across the bridge; if your mini-map shows green dots that direction, it's best to wait a couple hours and try back later.

When the coast is clear, follow the beacon. If you don't have a beacon, cross the bridge heading North and proceed through the meadow toward the dome. From the meadow, you'll see the entrance. Step inside. To one side, there's a circle of stones with pillows to sit on. Nearby are crystals and mushrooms and a tree with sparkling dangling stuff. You can find some interesting shots right here; it's a good place to line up that portrait view. Have a seat on each of the stones to find one that suits you.

Toward the center of the dome, our real spot awaits. Here, the elven fire is ready and eager to push you into learning some new camera tricks. Hop on the pose ball to let the animation begin. Go ahead. You know you want to.

You will rise. You will fall. You will spiral and dive. Now you know how the flame of a match feels.

All four corners of the compass are available for your camera angle. Swing around and see how each appears.

There are also a couple other angles. Try shooting downward from overhead. Or upward from below. And if you cam down far enough, you can shoot upward through the water for a liquid abstract. Some abstract could become the perfect background for a future portrait or a finished image in its own right.

Relish the yellow, orange and explosive red of the flames, but also see how changes in Windlight might affect the scene. Remember that you can explore many more possibilities later in your graphics program. Keep shooting and see what might inspire you.

The fire is fueled by elven magic, of course. You just might capture something that no one else has ever seen.

Flickr members: you're invited to join the SL Unearthed Photospot group and add your pictures taken at Photospot locations to the group pool.

Take note that very little in SL stays the same for very long. After even a short while, Photospot locations may be gone or changed in a significant way that renders their SLurls ineffective as originally intended, so be sure to grab these opportunities as they come!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Photospot: Secret Garden Fountain

DarkWood Cathedral has been part of Second Life since...well, since pretty much forever in virtual terms; the parcel gives 2005 as a date. The money tree here has been a favored target for newbies way before I was one myself. As a newbie, I stopped by here frequently, and that's how I originally learned of this place. The chapel itself is accessible across a drawbridge which you'll need to click to put into position if it's not down already. Cross the bridge, and enter the chapel. Say it with me now, "aah, wow!" I might have missed one, but I don't believe there's a sculpt anywhere in here. Everything you see was built with good old-fashioned prims and intricate textures. Go ahead and start snapping pictures, but we're not there yet.

Move onward to the depths of the church, then off to the left. Beyond the candle alcove, you'll find a back door. Out here, there's labyrinth to walk. Or, step around it and just keep tracking the beacon to arrive at the Photospot for today, this secret garden fountain.

The fountain (which is not so secret now that we've found it) is divided into four directional sections. The one closest to us offers some pose balls to help us relax. Hop on and check them out. (Use /1 hide in Local to make most of them disappear, but be kind and use /1 show to restore them before you leave.) Also, it takes a bit of maneuvering to get yourself standing on the fountain ledge, but once that has been achieved, almost anything goes.

There is also a very photogenic tree nearby, so near as to officially include it as part of our spot. Unfortunately it has no pose balls. It is possible to sit "on" the tree (which is a sculpt), but it's going to look pretty funny as the bounding box places you in the middle of the air. Of course, if your model is a fae or air sprite, that could be appropriate! Still, even without sitting on the trunk, I'm sure you'll be able to use the tree itself as a worthy portrait setting. You can even find appropriate angles to shoot through the tree toward the fountain, allowing the possibilities of framing your model with the leaves. Windlight will help you discover the many colors within the tree leaves and its surrounding flowers.

The fountain, the tree, the flower patch, the water - for myself, it all combined to a romantic feel of ancient days. It seemed to call for elegant clothing, with a touch of poetry in the air. The hint of glow within the fountain's waters contributes to this feeling. It's the sort of thing that readily encourages one to go a little over the top with dramatics. Perhaps my musketeer is about to burst into song for his beloved. It's just that kind of place.

After the fountain and tree, and beyond the church, there is a lot more in this area to explore. Go ahead and wander around to grab a few more shots. I won't tell.

Flickr members: you're invited to join the SL Unearthed Photospot group and add your pictures taken at Photospot locations to the group pool.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Photospot: Egyptian Desert

There are a couple different ways to reach today's Photospot, and we're going to take the scenic route. What you will be seeing at first when you land in the midst of Enchantment Island is a madcap mix of styles and cultures. There are many things to see and do here, and you might find yourself distracted for awhile. When you're ready, follow the signs to the Egyptian boat ramp at 189/96 and hop aboard a sailing ship to Egypt. The boat navigates itself, so just hold on, even if it gets caught up in a swirling whirlpool...!

When you arrive to the Egyptian desert, the boat will gently drop you off in the sands. You can now head over to today's Photospot at 177/222, or take time to explore Tutankhamen's tomb first. A nearby sign presents a puzzle to solve, and a few steps later, you could find yourself inside the pyramid's chambers!

Whether you've just arrived to the desert or just emerged from the pyramid, enter 177/222 into the Map to give yourself a beacon. This Photospot is almost the center of the desert, near the middle of three palms. There are some dunes, a few structures, a monolith, carvings and some pyramids in near distance. You have arrived.

With such minimalist surroundings, Windlight extremes can really shine here. I liked the "Coastal Afternoon" preset for delivering a feeling of desert light with a touch of realism. But there's no obligation for "realism" in Second Life, so bring on the blues and greens and pinks or whatever suits your fancy. One of my favorite takes used the "Blizzard" preset; hardly a setting that one would think of first for a desert scene, but when it works, that's all that really matters.

Put your imagination to work. If you start running low on ideas, turn the camera around and aim a different direction. The entire scene instantly changes.

I had fun with my Egyptian lady cavorting about the sand dunes and pyramids, and I hope you'll enjoy it, too. It's a cool place to inspire imagery that you might not otherwise have considered. Take the teleport, hop aboard the ship, and sail on to your own Egyptian desert inspirations.

Flickr members: you're invited to join the SL Unearthed Photospot group and add your pictures taken at Photospot locations to the group pool.