SL Unearthed: Windlight

Showing posts with label Windlight. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Photospot: Glowing Glen

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.

One of the aspects of Second Life that I wish I could bring into meatspace is the use of glow and fullbright on mixed layers of fantastical vegetation. I just love the stuff. While I wouldn't want *all* physical trees and plants to be brightly shining, a few places here or there could be nice. Or perhaps just in special areas that are surely magical to begin with, such as today's Photospot on New Atoll.

This glowing glen is said to be a retreat for elven and fairyfolk "with a part of dark creatures" as well, but the use of weapons or unsolicited biting is prohibited, so there's nothing to fear. Today's SLurl will place you in the glen, not so far from the welcome platform, and you will be surrounded by what appears to be a nearly endless copse of glowing vegetation.

What sort of avatar fits best in such a place? Any, surely, but I aimed toward the magical end of the spectrum with this gentle spring fairy. Rather than working with static poses, I set her to dance, and there, in the magical, glowing glen, as I fiddled with Windlight settings and camera angles, she danced and danced.

Because she was in continuous motion, the challenge arose to snap a desired pose *before* seeing it in the frame. Also because she was in continuous motion, I snapped a great deal more shots than I usually would. It becomes a fun game that pays off in the end, as the captured positions are fresh and unexpected.

In a location filled with so much alpha, it's generally a good idea to avoid alpha on your model when possible. My fairy's dress was mesh, and her hair mostly sculpts. Her very alpha wings, however, held their own surprisingly well, being completely visible in every shot that was taken. Perhaps that was due to a little bit of the magic that can be found in this glowing glen.

Style card: Skin by Curious Kitties, dress by Vero Modero, hair by point-b (Analog Dog), wings by Wishbox. Accessories include choker by Snowbound, eyes and manicure by Sterling Artistry, bangles by Curious Kitties and lipgloss by Mock.

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!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Photospot: Bridging the Islands

The Onigashima sim is the home of several stores that feature traditional Japanese items. It is also the location of our 'Spot for today. The greeting you receive invites you to enjoy the stores and the scenery. The first thing you'll notice upon arrival is the automatic change of lighting to the sim's special Windlight settings, bathing the sim in a rich magenta-brown, illuminated by a golden, setting sun. The next thing you'll notice is that you're going to need to hike a little to reach today's Photospot, high atop one of several arched bridges that connect these shop islands together.

Of *course* you'll be exploring the entire sim. How could you resist it? But for now, make your way to the spot in the middle of the bridge - I'm assuming you'll have a nice, red beacon to follow! Once there, start snapping. Be sure to check yourself from all directions. The bridges feature a multitude of torii, creating countless natural-found frames to work within.

Although shadows don't deliver much impact in such diffused light, you might want to turn them on anyway, to take advantage of depth of field. This spot is especially accommodating for Depth. And if you get tired of the sim's lighting? Change it! Yes, modifying your Windlight settings here works just as well as elsewhere. And when you're in a setting less diffused, the shadows will come to life. With all the railwork and foliage, the shadows are simply beautiful.

Other than some simple camera nudges to hide a shop sign here and there, there are no bad angles to avoid. Zoom in tightly using Ctrl (Cmd) + 0. Zoom out widely using Ctrl (Cmd) + 8. (Ctrl/Cmd + 9 will return your view to the normal zoom.) Close up or wide lens, you're going to find something quite pleasant for your camera to grab.

Now that you've explored this spot from all its many angles, it's time to go ahead and examine the rest of the sim. Try a variety of times of day, various camera angles and a selection of Windlights. You won't be disappointed.

Style card: Skin by SeraKorea, hair by Black Maria, zen robes from Ryushosha Temple, glasses by KTG.

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

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Photospot: For the Birds

Owly Indigo has a thing about birds. Drawn to the virtual sort in SL since 2007, she's built up quite a collection. There are undoubtedly far too many birds in her inventory to rez all at once, but luckily for us, Owly is sharing over a hundred of them with us in her Indigo Aviary, today's Photospot.

In and around the romantic beachhouse (and also its adjacent lagoon), you'll find seafowl, and peafowl, quails and chickens, lovebirds and songbirds, puffins and parrots, domestic and exotic - many, many types of birds from very small to quite large. And yes, Owly has collected quite a few owls, also. They blink and hoot and flutter their wings at you.

The aviary area has a timeless feeling to it, leaving open a wide range of possibilities to accentuate. Try something modern or antebellum, victorian or renaissance, mainstream or fantasy. You need be mindful of only a few items to exclude from the camera frame if you're aiming for a bygone period. Have some fun with Windlight, and oh yes, do play with shadows here. Include the birds in your frames or simply zoom in for your portrait; either way, the Indigo Aviary is sure to inspire.

Style notes: skin by Maai with lipstick by Mock, dress and jewels by Angelwing, hair by A&A, shoes by Baby Monkey.

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

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Photospot: Ethereal Caverns

Sometimes you need an area where you can feature your not-so-human avatars. Today's Photospot is such a place, deep in the Ethereal Slate caverns. This area is built by the TeaLink group and welcomes visitors. Perhaps you've been here before; it's been in place since 2008 and much (possibly all) of the work is by Jopsy Pendragon. (Yes, he of Particle Laboratory fame.) Although it will also do fine for human avatars, this is a particularly excellent place for your wild animals or or perhaps even aliens. Merfolk might find it pleasing as well. I chose to don a faerie dragon (a nearly-freebie made by Grendel's Children).

The SLurl sets you gently down on an elevated rail track which you can follow further into the cavern. When you reach its end, step out on a ledge and you might discover the spiral ramp that will lead you down to the waters. Deep in the center, you'll behold the magic tree and be beguiled by the colorful lights of the Dark Crystal. If you have the ability to fly like my dragon, it's even more fun, I must say.

The cavern also holds curious buildings of the ancients and a mysterious dark orb which really comes to life under certain Windlight settings. Speaking of which, Windlight loves this place, and you can seriously get some fun going with a bit of color and glowing fog. As an added bonus for me, my dragon has black stripes over white, and the white picked up and flaunted every color Windlight offered. So sometimes my dragon was blue or yellow or even purple. It only added to the fun.

If you wander too far, you'll end up in the Teal sim, but the caverns continue there, too, so go ahead and enjoy the wander. For an extra treat, indulge in the magic by using the crystal platform transport to visit the Crystal Palace and maybe take a hot air balloon ride. Really, Jopsy's work here could keep you occupied for days, and you're sure to find a lot more photo opportunities. Make time for it!

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

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Photospot: Soho Studio Cafe

Did you know there are entire sections of New York City faithfully (in spirit at least) reproduced in several areas of Second life - including mainland? True, true. My avatar got to feeling a bit like a starving artist, putting all his monies into his wardrobe and art supplies; not a lot left for living quarters. I imagined him in some spartan Soho loft, with a bed in one corner, a small refrigerator nearby, a table surrounded by canvasses, an old cassette tape player for some ambiance while working. And of course, a gated freight elevator for access.

Alas, I didn't find the loft apartment of my vision. However, I did find today's Photospot: a Soho studio cafe of sorts, where down-and-out artists of the neighborhood can meet up to talk shop over a cup of the strange brew that the Tooter Claxon coffee machine on the premises offers. And I found it at the edge of New York City -- which is on the Heterocera Atoll, right where one would expect it, naturally. *grin*

"Spartan" accurately describes this space, but there are some hidden features. The straight-back chairs come equipped with several poses for both males and females. Also, Build is enabled (with a generous 10 minute autoreturn), so you can rez out your own poseballs here or even add your own furniture and other props for the time of your shoot.

Windlight works beautifully here, helping you change the time of day or to accentuate the New York weather. Fun with shadows can also be had; the flooring looks especially nice with a stream of sunlight dancing across its surface.

On the street side of this space, a couple busses and taxis can be seen. To the opposite, a railroad track passes close to the building. During the time I was there, two city transit trains and a locomotive passed by. If you hope to catch one in your shot, watch your mini-map for green dots moving along the tracks (or engage a friend to become an engineer for the time you're there). I had good luck shooting outward from within the studio cafe, although not very good results trying to shoot into it from outside. The windows are dirty in both directions, but on the exterior, they're nearly opaque.

I didn't rez any painting supplies, but I did take advantage of the enabled Build to rez a "keep your eyes on this" prim, shrunk it down to about 0.05, and made the texture transparent. I also turned off particles (under Advanced > Rendering Types). I thought maybe 10 minutes wouldn't be long enough for me, so I was keeping the prim selected and I didn't want my selection effects to show up in the shots. Why do I call it a "keep your eyes on this" prim? Because as long as I have it selected (or unselected, if it's Alt + Clicked), the avatar's eyes will look at it. When the focus prim is moved, the eyes move to follow it. Keeping a prim selected (or Alt + Clicked) while still lining up your shots can involve some tricky camera maneuvering, but if you've got the patience, it's worth it to avoid those times when the eyes insist on aiming toward the forehead or ears.

Gotta love a virtual world.

Style notes: Tweed suit by Gabriel, skin by Faces Studio, hair by A&A, eyes by Sterling Artistry.

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

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Photospot: Columns and Filigree

With its black and white marble-tiled flooring, red columns with gold trim, the delicate curlicued wall panels and hanging ivy, today's Photospot could be a good location for flaunting anything from elegant tuxedos and ballgowns to posing deranged dollies.

Shadows are especially interesting here. The tiled flooring receives shadows poorly or not at all (perhaps it just didn't like the Windlight settings I tried), but on other things - including your star model - the shadows are a delight. Help the sun shine through those filigree panels, and you'll see instantly what I mean.

Beyond being a "figurehead" for Domus Land Rentals, the pavilion appears to serve no other purpose except to excite the imagination. What better reason does something need in Second Life? Mix in a little Windlight, and it's a winning combination.

Style notes: The lovely gown is by F.I.S.L, skin is Ramya (Yasum) with layered lipsticks from Amacci and Mock. Hair is LeLutka, jewelry and gloves (tinted) are from Curious Kitties.

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

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Photospot: Inner City Sidewalk

Today's Photospot is bringing us to a neglected and decaying section of a large metropolis. The sim of Sinners Heaven (home to BC322, Black Maria and other punk/grunge shops), is a highly detailed build with gritty textures and heaps of realism. This is where we'll find our inner city sidewalk.

Our spot is marked by a couple of discarded banana peels. Unlike most objects around here, these peels are fairly fresh. Be careful you don't slip on them - unless you want a different kind of picture! You can catch some intriguing views in nearly every direction from here. You could even try shooting down from overhead and include the cool streetlamp/telephone pole. I was partial to the long view up the street northward.

There are active crows flying in this area which might work with your shots. Also, there are myriad framing devices, including building and car windows, fencing, barbed wire, a gnarled tree and steel grating. The scale of ruin and disrepair that surrounds you could be cause for depression except for the copious amount of love and attention behind each and every carefully placed prim. It may not stand out at first glance, but the longer you hang around, the more plainly obvious it becomes.

The more you look, the more you can appreciate the effort that's been put into this sim. Just this one spot for today. You could return here again and again and never see it all. But what you do get to see is worth it, each and every time, and your camera will come away filled with souvenirs.

Style notes: Clothing is Delirium Style, and the hair is Black Maria.

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

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Photospot: Be a Model!

If you've ever wanted to be the center of attention as a glamorous model surrounded by hot lights and the clicking of cameras, now's your chance. Today's Photospot is taking you to a studio photoshoot setup inside the Sn@tch clothing store, and you get to be the star!

There is a landing point in effect, but let the beacon lead your way. It isn't very far, although there are plenty of distractions along the way as you need to walk past many of Ivey Deschanel's punky/goth creations. Try to take advantage of the Photospot now, and shop later. The studio photoshoot area appears to be "store decoration" so it might be changed out as the season changes; one never knows.

Windlight doesn't offer a lot of options that worked here, possibly due to being inside the building (which is very dark) or the contrast against the model area (which is in fullbright). Haze didn't suit the scene, and I was avoiding color extremes, preferring to add color in post. There are no nearby windows, so I didn't have any luck trying to get shadows. Not that the studio would want shadows, heh. But you might want them enabled for yourself, to be able to make use of Depth for some of your shots.

To keep the flavor of the scene, just be sure your framing includes the camera, the light umbrellas or the edges of the backdrop. See? The camera adores you. Work it, baby, work it.

Style notes: My model is wearing a Yasum skin, hair from EMO-tions, Baby Monkey heels and the dress is from Kastle Rock Couture. The poses, well-suited for a modeling photoshoot, were from a group gift by agapee (Gabriel).

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

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Photospot: Medieval Kismet

Sometimes you just need a place that takes you back in time to the days of old when knights were bold, when chivalry was standard fare. Today's Photospot will take you there. The term "kismet" refers to one's fate or destiny, and today your destiny is in the Kismet sim, home of the Kismet housing/furnishings store.

The Kismet shop covers the space of five sims, with the mainstore showroom located on one, and much or all of the goods spread out among the others. Everything is photogenic. I expect you'll find yourself wandering around quite a bit. You might not even get any photos taken since nearly everything here is for sale, which may be a bit distracting since it all looks stunning. But, try to focus - pun intended. *wink*

Today's Photospot SLurl lands you in a kind of intersection of the walkway. To one direction, the arched entry to a courtyard. To another, a stone belltower with elegant detailing. Pointing other directions, there are aesthetically pleasing pathways, vegetation, period buildings. While there are a couple visible shop signs you might not want in your shots, the surroundings are full and rich enough to engage yourself with interesting backgrounds in all the directions.

The area is especially evocative at this time of year while it is sporting a blanket of snow. Several trees appear to have caught twinkling stars among their branches. There are some great effects to be had with a little tweaking of Windlight and Depth settings. What a great place to flaunt this amazing medieval warrior outfit from Mystic Hope, paired with the Egoisme skin. Your inventory probably has something suited to this ambiance, so put it on and see what pictorial fate you can discover in Kismet.

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 5, 2013

Photospot: Virtual Decay

The Second Life Destination Guide has a large number of categories to help you narrow down a particular point of interest. The categories seem to cover everything from Education to Fantasy, from Cosmic to Duran Duran. Oddly enough, there's no category for general City/Urban, but if there were, today's Photospot in the Virtual Decay sim would be one of the top selections.

The theme here is urban decay in a virtual city, exactly as the name suggests. This is the home of the Virtual Decay mainstore, specializing in urban grunge. You'll find the store easily enough with a look around, although it cleverly blends into the surroundings. (Hint: Check the old warehouse by the hotel.) There are other stores scattered around here, too. Some are thriving on the other side of the neglected exteriors. Many of them are old, worn and abandoned, urban photo opportunities waiting to happen.

The SLurl I'm offering sets you down on a roadway. This spot provides excellent views in all directions. Just when you think you've seen it all, take a little turn and you'll spy something new. And, if you tire of the road, have a little wander. Anywhere you go, there are more richly textured visuals to appreciate. You'll get some excellent portraits here indeed.

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

Monday, August 6, 2012

Photobomb? Photo explosion!

I was exploring the grid as I tend to do last night, and I stumbled across a fun location on Cyril Plage. Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE to take pictures and sometimes if a particular location strikes me, I'm pretty snap happy.

Last night, I was snap euphoric. This photo skybox is open to the public and has 3 floors filled with photo balls, prop locations and backgrounds for men, women, couples and groups!

There are loads of cute, silly, fantasy and professional photo spots here so be sure to take a peek - if it looks like a box or something insignificant - sit on it - its very likely a prop filled with awesome poses.

There are lots more photos in my Flickr Photostream and lots of poses I didn't get to snap (I didn't even get up on the third floor, so be sure to take a peek at everything!). Happy Snapping!

Please note: Most photos were minimally edited in "Photoscape" editing program, but some were not touched at all aside from environment settings in SL - play around with them and see what looks cool for you!

In other news - what I'm wearing:
Skin: [ Al Vulo! ] - [ Baba2 ] - [ - natural reddish ] (Old Group Gift)
Shoes: AKEYO_AKIDAZ_III - L$600
Eyes: IKON VIP Group Gift 2 - August 2012
Outfit: :.Envious.: Heat Wave -L$189
Hair: Magika [01] Draw - L$250

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Where Mermaids Dance

Today I hung out at the Pillars of Hercules region with a friend of mine - we got to explore it a bit but there are so many things to see we didn't get to see it all - maybe I'll show more of it later.

However, while we were there, we stumbled upon a club under the water and I was completely blown away by the look and feel of this location. This is my semi-photospot post, because the entire sim really is lovely and well made, but this was the part so far that I enjoyed the most.

Its completely underwater, the linden water, so everything has this blue hue and your draw distance is limited accordingly. That said though, you can still use your windlight settings to play around with the look you want, and I did!

The backdrop used on the outside circle gives the illusion that the wall actually is a scene that goes on indefinitely, it caught my eye and held it - I found myself pressing my nose to it seeing if I could peek farther into the scene.

Aside from the backdrop, the lighting caught my eye next - there are spotlights and swirling lights and little wisps... the entire effect being simply magical, as it should be for a hangout of mythical creatures.

There are poseballs for cuddling and dancing like you'd see in any club, but these are "Mer-people" oriented. Mer couples dances, Mer cuddles in pillow filled shells and Mer floating dances.

The pink mermaid outfit I'm wearing is a free gift from the club and comes with a mer-AO - its basic, but works well for the most part and there's a whole outfit for men as well! From the signs in the club there is a Mer Dance every Monday evening - I may just come back to check it out if I'm not already working!

The rest of what I'm wearing:
Hair: madison 2 - Milk (with shoulder attachment) - from Point B (Analog Dog) - Holiday Gift Pack
Skin: Curio/Gala - Party Girl in Petal tone (Potion makeup - dark brows and freckles)
Shape: My own

Photos edited in Photoscape - minimal editing was done to preserve windlight features.