1. Toki-doki – Tied Knot Shirt – 4 colors available / 165 L each

2. Blah –My Shocking Dress – 3 colors available / 100 L each

3. ploom –Lay About prop (include stump, flowers, poses and butterflies flying around) – 75L

4. Whippet & Buck –

Not released yet.

5. !Bang – Padded Cell and I’m on a Boat props – 225L and 500L

6. Cheeky pea -Flying frames & Sky High dresser – 90L and 125L

7. *RezIpsa Loc* – Insani Tees – 5 colors available / 60L each

8. MudHoney -Apothecary Cabinet / 120L

9. Dark Mouse -Simply Dressed Necklace – 50L

10. DCNY –Pleather Pants – 4 colors available / 56L each

11. E! Eclectic – Holli & Alice – 3 sets available / 300L each or 600L the fatpack (saves you the cost of two sets !!)

12. Handverk – Strand Jewelry – 4 sets available / 330L per set – Seperately : Bracelet (169L) and Necklace (244L)

13. Glitterati -Solo Flight – 150L the whole pack

“Beach Affair”

I love all sorts of photos and artworks created in Second Life, but the ones that stop me in my tracks most often are the simplest in composition, the closeup head shot. Usually there’s no set dressing, no complex background, nothing except a plain wall and an avatar.  What makes a good portrait?  The best portraits reveal something about the character behind the avatar. More than anything, I think capturing that elusive thing we call character. That’s done with a combination of pose, framing, expression and the eyes. There are wonderful tutorials on how to take good portrait photos and though they are for real life photography, the suggestions still apply. Check out 10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits and 10 More Tips for Stunning Portrait Photography. Even the tips that seem purely real life such as using a wide angle lens are applicable to Second Life photography where you can change the lens using CTL-8, CTL-9 and CTL-0 (or CMD on a Mac) and give yourself a zoom lens or a wide angle lens.

Bronson Twine is one of my favorite portrait photographers. He epitomizes the studied simplicity of a successful portraitist. At first glance, this is an incredibly simple picture. But notice how the unfocused background divides the picture into horizontal thirds and how her eyes,  those piercing eyes, are at the intersection of horizontal and vertical thirds. He poses her body at one angle and turns her head in another, giving us a dynamic tension and keeping her looking into the frame. He uses lighting to add interest, dimension and as a frame for her face.  This is, for me, a breath-taking photo that I have gone back to more than once to look at and admire.

I love this portrait because it seems so immediate and in the moment. It does not feel at all like a posed portrait. That comes from her leaning forward and looking to the side. She is looking into the frame, to be sure, but not in the “posing for a portrait” sense of it. She appears to be looking to the side because she heard a noise, perhaps. There’s an element of the startled tensing, questioning, fight or flight moment in her body position that adds drama. With just a plain white background and a head and shoulders shot, Bronson Twine tells a story – one that has us wondering what happens next. That is real artistry. Twine also has a blog called McGreavy Place. The tag line is “Where All the Bad Things Are”, which clues you into its macabre aesthetic. For his stunning portraits, however, be sure to take a look at his photostream.

I love this portrait by Syra Hyun for the blog SL Extravaganza. I love the angle she used in shooting the photo. It adds a unique perspective and allows the feminine floral gown, that normally would not be seen, to become a frame for the picture.

When you’re really good, you know when to break the rules. For example, this photo from Di Hoorenbeek not only has the body facing out of the frame, her face is also turned away and looking out of the frame. Yet it works. It arrests our attention, though notice how she compensates by using her arm to lead your eyes. In fact, you will probably notice that your eyes are drawn to the arm and the skirt then to her face, contra the usual expectation in photography. This effectively highlights the stunning details of the fabric and the dress, part of the purpose of the photo. However, that is somewhat balanced by the desaturation that makes the bold red lips something to catch and hold your eye.  The distressed texture that is layered over the portrait adds another dimension to the picture, suggesting it was taken long ago and giving it a bit of history and mystery.

This portrait by Cobra Barbasch for FashionSL is very arresting. With sunglasses, he loses that “window to the soul” that is one of the most effective tools for drawing us into a picture and directing our gaze. However, this picture loses none of its emotional punch. He does some amazing things wiht the styling to focus our attention. Note the hairstyle with the shaved lines that lead directly to the face and notice how those three vertical lines on each side are repeated in the glasses. This portrait is all about framing and centering and then adding an element that unbalances that perfect centering and adds tension. In this case, the cigarette with its strong vertical line of smoke cutting the face into thirds, two-thirds on the left and one-third on the right of the smoke.  The fact that the ash is poised to fall at any second also helps give the story immediacy and expectation of what happens next, adding a dynamic element.

I like this picture from microblogger Caoimhe Lionheart or Cao. I love all the negative space that fills the portrait and the unusual angle of the picture. We don’t see many shots in profile in Second Life, partly because many people make their shape to look really good from the front and have not paid much attention to how it looks from the side when moving those sliders and some unpleasant surprises when they first take a look from the side. The unusual angle, though, makes the picture fresher and more exciting.

I love this picture from Zachary Zufreur for his blog.  The foot in the foreground and the active pose makes it dynamic and interesting and gives it an added dimension.  You can see how he used the Rule of Thirds in cropping this from the larger Flickr picture, placing the strong vertical two-thirds from the left and the shoe two-thirds from the bottom. Of course, there’s the added suspense of whether his wild kicking might land him in the drink as he’s doing it on a dock.

This portrait from Serene Fairey for slTransfusion is stunning. You really must click through to the post to see the fabulous study in dramatic lighting she did as well. I chose the portrait to highlight, though, because I love how much personality it has. Her casual ease in her body and the confident expression in her face. This is the face of a woman who faces the world boldly, with confidence and ease. From the arch of her brow to the catchlights in her eyes to the uptilt of her chin, this is the face of female power.

Holy Vargas Girl, Batman! This picture from Ilanit Orsini evokes the nostalgia of the classic pinup with the pose, the bit of glow in the skin and the rich colors. The composition is fabulous, using the rule of threes with the floats which also form a triangle that frames the subject. I love the use of the hat to complete the nautical theme and its clever incorporation into the pose. Simply fabulous!

p.s. What I Like has moved to Wednesdays!

Friday, May 25th, 2012 @ 22:00 – 01:00 (10PM – 1AM) EDT
(Saturday, May 26th, 2012 @ 02:00 – 05:00 UTC/GMT)

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Metavirtual Clothing Template Tutorials

The Keep Calm and Keep Shopping event is a two week event featuring some of the most fantastic stores in Second Life!  We’ll have a wide range of stores including furniture, apparel, animations, houses etc

All participating stores will have one (or more) brand new, exclusive, never to be sold again item(s) placed in their stores. It’s not a discount event, items will be full price. It’s also not a charity event, all the money will go straight to the designers.

We need more events that are aimed purely at Second Life designers, the money they earn goes towards creating new and amazing items for us, paying land rent/ tier and for some even helps cover their real life bills. It’s time to say thank you to all the fabulous creators that make Second Life the way it is today, they don’t get thanked enough!

The event runs from May 14th until May 28th. All participating stores will be listed on the blog along with their slurls.

There’s an inworld group for shoppers and a seperate one for designers and bloggers!

For more info, rules and all other information please check the website!

http://keepcalmandkeepshopping.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/keepcalmandkeepshopping/

A list of stores are:

Sleeping Koala
Wall Candy
~SongBird~
[FIEND]
BTS Designs
[Pun Intended]
Creamsicle
Magnifique Poses
Lilly’s Boutique
Shabby Shack
urbana.
-Hanaya- Yummy Collectibles
.:CoLLisons:.
*~*HopScotch*~*
Fucifino
Kouse’s Sanctum
Alexohol Fashions
{W&R} – Witches & Rats
AD Creations doll house
(:::am dsgn:::)
[Acide!] / [Katsucide]
The Sugar Garden
RaWr MuFFinz
je suis…
In The Pink
FourSquare
PEER Style
*.JULYs.*
~*Buglets*~
Tameless Hair & Avatars
Babycakes
Little House of Curios
Clutter
::eXpression:: Poses
Park Place Home Decor
::frog’s garden::
Kakia Designs
~CoLoReTa’s:]
B&T Mesh Studio
[dirty.little.secret]
blah.BLAH.blah
[PC] PIXEL CREATIONS
bacidalucia village
EgoxentriKax

I’ve been wanting to blog the Lazy Day Gazebo from Funky Junk since it was released for April’s Spruce Up Your Space. I’m so horribly late, but I fail at the short weekend sales. I can never blog them in time. Anyway the Lazy Day Gazebo is 38 prims 8×8 footprint and comes with about 20 couples poses.

Credits:
Skin: Al Vulo Sakia Bronze Pure
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Sybille 2 – Night SHadow
Make-up: Izzie’s – Lace Masquerade Make-Up (Available At the Summer Beauty Festival)
Lingerie: Blacklace – Let’s Play – Cream
Jewelry: *League* Pearls and Lace Jewellery Set
Shoes: N-Core Coquette Platforms – Black

Poses: Adorkable Poses

Welcome to SLsecret, week 194.

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Comments are open on this entry.

Comments will be moderated if they break SLsecret posting rules.

SLsecret is published every Sunday at Shopping Cart Disco.

Upload your own secrets for next week here.

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“Femme Fatale”

I was a dangerous girl

you were too nice for this world

and now I’m back on the prowl

who wants to give it a whirl

                    - Lana Del Rey (Kinda Outta Luck)

From July 1 – July 7, 2012 the Amira sim will be hosting a Summer by the Sea Gatcha Festival!

Applications are open for designers to participate.

Gatcha Rules:

• Designers are allowed to put up to 3 vendors
• Items must be under 50L
• Rares are encouraged

If you do not have a gatcha script you can contact Kesseret Steeplechase for one – it’s good in a pinch but doesn’t contain the rarity option.

We are accepting blogger applications to blog this event as well as ALL events on Amira. This application can be found HERE. We will encourage designers to send review samples to bloggers in this group. This includes Disco Deals and other Amira sim events.

APPLICATION FOR DESIGNERS
APPLICATION FOR BLOGGERS

HAIR: RAW HOUSE ~ Raquella ~ DkBrown 03

DRESS: NYU ~ FaMeshed Dress ~ China Pink (exclusive for FaMESHed)

LEGGINS & BOOTS: SLink ~ Vixen Catsuit ~ Black (leggings and boots)

NECKLACE: MANDALA ~ EKOU Necklace/Time ~ Black

BRACELETS: MANDALA ~ REIKI Bracelet ~ Black Stone

LIPSTICK: Glam Affair ~ Vanity Lips 03

NAILS: Sexy Mamas ~ Prims Nails

I’m also wearing 2 of the latest releases from ColdLogic, the Andersen top and the Brooks capris. Coldlogic is one of the few stores that I look forward to every new release and I am never disappointed. The quality of their work is top-notch and their prices are very reasonable.

Don’t forget to head on over to Culture Shock. You can also check out Seraphim’s coverage of Culture Shock here.

Credits:
Skin: Skin: Skin: al vulo!- sakia* pure bronze
Make-up: Izzie’s Izzies Glitter Eye Make-up: Kosh Wetlips Light
Hair: Wasabi Pills – Dominique2 – Jellyfish
Top: coldLogic top – graham.pinks
Capris: coldLogic capri – brooks.pink
Shoes: Maitreya Gold * Flip-Flops Lucid

Pose and Prop: Status Poses

Credits:
Skin: Skin: al vulo!- sakia* pure bronze
Make-up: Kosh – Kenos eye-shadow & Wet Lips light lipstick
Hair: Truth Georgina – Raven
Top: RezIspa Loc – nautical bikini
Shorts: *BOOM* Feel Free Shorts (favorite blue)
Boots: Gos – Triumph Denim Blue – FaMESHed exclusive

Pose and Prop: Magnifique Poses – The Stairs

I love the interplay of light and shadow and play around a lot with it in my own photos. I recently did a tutorial on chiaroscuro lighting using Second Life’s projectors and thought I might mention it in case you want to play around with them as well. It is fun. I find myself taking lots of snaps as I shift the projector around and play with the adjustments.

This picture from this week’s featured artist Morgan Mocha could not be farther away from chiaroscuro. It’s an example of how limiting the color and intensity can create a striking effect. Of course, it begins with a striking composition. The subject is posed looking into the frame, her pose suggesting doubt and reflection, giving us an emotional connection. She selected the flower and ribbon and then made a Hue and Saturation adjustment layer to give us a monotone pale sepia/manila colored image. This makes the colors that remain really pop, but more importantly, it adds to the emotional sense of quiet reflection and doubt.

Here Morgan Mocha goes for bold color, but again with a restrictive palette that makes us focus and pull the image out from the background with our mind as well as our eyes. The angle is striking and gives us a strong vertical line. Great color treatments and the use of texture layers and other Photoshop effects only enhance strong composition. They cannot hide a bad one. This is beautifully composed. Look how the bed forms a horizon one-third of the way up the picture or how she elided details to make a landscape of her subject. It’s a stunning work that could take pride of place in any gallery.

I usually only show two from a featured artist, but this new addition to her photostream has the added bonus of having two companion pictures for you to look at to get a sense of her process. I hope you go to her stream and take a look. I love the pop art feeling in this photo and am eager to see her continue to explore this technique.

This looks as though it were ripped from the pages of Vogue. From Neva Crystall for How Neva Sees It, this picture shows how incredibly powerful it is to shoot close and fill the frame with your subject. Her composition gives us a long diagonal line with the white lounge she is lying on. Diagonal lines activate both the horizontal and vertical vision receptors – engaging us more fully. That line is echoed in the pose.  She tells a story with the addition of the magazines and the camera.  All of a sudden, we are on vacation somewhere beautiful, sunny and warm. Perhaps she’s staying at one of the super elegant hotels in Almuñecar on the Costa del Sol, soaking up the sun and style.

Depth of field is such a powerful tool for giving us a new perspective and adding visual interest without distracting from the subject. Catherine Fairport demonstrates how perfectly it enhances a photo in this picture for blog. We don’t have to see everything in sharp-edged detail – in fact, our eyes love to do a little work and engage in photos. She’s trusting us to see for ourselves.

I like this from Destiny Philbin for My Daily Style. I love the casual styling and little details such as the coke can and the sweater sliding off the shoulder. There’s a healthy dose of wit here that makes me smile. This is another approach to fashion photography that shows off the clothing and the personality.

I love this picture from Marcopol Oh’s blog. Don’t you just feel as though you could reach through the screen and touch. The three-dimensional quality of his work is always so remarkable.  His subjects feel alive in this world, not just on the grid. His tag line could be “Is it live or is it Second Life?” However, he does not take us to the Uncanny Valley, because his limited palette gives his work an ethereal quality, of fantasy come to life.

I love this shot from Kristina Simon of Kristina Thinks Digital. I sort of imagine a soaring romantic overture playing while we watch the wind flirt with the her gown as the sun dramatically sinks into the ocean. This is a photo for the end of a film with all the tropes of an epic romance.

Ziki Questi took a lovely photo of the fabulous new Neva River sim that opened to the public on Friday. I love the long horizontal crop that suggests the wide expanse of sky, sand and water. The composition follows the rule of thirds with the placement of the horizon and the shot is framed so the picture frames in the water lead us into the picture.

I like this photo from Lelu Anatine for Running in Heels. I love the disciplined color palette and the way the swoop of the sand leads to the subject as does the lens flare. I know there’s a strong cohort of anti-lens flare folks, but I don’t mind it where it makes sense, especially in a shot like this one where it adds to the atmosphere and sense of place.

Speaking of sunlight adding a sense of place to a photo, in this wonderful self-portrait by Xi Zane that blast of sun burning out the upper portion of the photo situates the picture firmly in a hot, dry place. It gives us the feeling of deserts and palms and hot, thirsty days without showing us one grain of sand. That’s magic. So is the fabulous styling that tells us that this subject has a strong aesthetic and individual style.

I like this picture from Shyntae Demonista for My Fictional Reality. I like that she’s not afraid of the dark, that she will let her picture be dimly lit to give us a mood. It suits the outfit and the quirky pose. The outfit has a fantastical edge to it that is suited to being shot in the moonlight which this lighting gives us.

Another fabulous portrait is this one from Jessica Belmer. The close zoom that completely fills the frame coupled with the blurring from depth of field give this picture a sense of movement and urgency. She is singing in the moment, not posing. It’s snapped on the fly, or at least that’s the way it feels. The careful framing and composition, the lighting, the effort – none of that are visible in the naturalistic portrait of someone who this picture convinces me has a smooth contralto voice that lends itself to jazz classics.

I like this picture from Citta Wiskee for Wiskee’s Journal. I love its informality, the way she crops away a part of her head and her foot, but gives us enough so we can complete the picture in our head. The pose suits the setting and the feeling of lazing away a sunny Sunday afternoon. I love how both she and the deer in the background seem to be looking at the same thing, as though they heard a sound in the distance. I will warn readers, though, that my Safari browser does not love her blog with its autoplaying music. It took over 10 minutes for the page to load and still came up with an error message. Experience may vary with other browsers, but Safari whimpered while I was able to put the kettle on, feed the cat and sweep the kitchen floor waiting for the blog post to load.

So, wow! Juicybomb’s Gogo likes to say she’s not a great photographer. She just says that because she doesn’t use Photoshop. Gogo is someone who experiments and explores what she can achieve in-world with her photos and her editing is always minimal and done with web-based editing programs like picmonkey and others. Whenever there are changes to the browser, she is one of the first to post information about how that affects photos and offer suggestions and how-to tips. This photo is wonderful in every way. The pose is full of life and movement. The lighting is bright and dramatic and gives us a beautiful sunwashed effect. She is a great photographer, don’t let her forget it.

Welcome to SLsecret, week 193.

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6)  REMOVED FOR RULE BREAKING. That was smooth btw, just not smooth enough.

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Comments are open on this entry.

Comments will be moderated if they break SLsecret posting rules.

SLsecret is published every Sunday at Shopping Cart Disco.

Upload your own secrets for next week here.

Interested in advertising on the SCD Site Network and having your business, blog, or service broadcast to over 2,000 readers a day? Click here!

All items at Disco Deals are 250L or less!

As of this writing Somnia and House of London aren’t out yet but this post will update ASAP.

TELEPORT DIRECTLY TO DISCO DEALS BAZAAR

Dragon Charm Designs
TELEPORT DIRECTLY TO DRAGON CHARM DESIGNS AT DISCO DEALS
DRAGON CHARM DESIGNS MARKETPLACE (for more items)

You can buy this set either a necklace or a full necklace/earring set. Gorgeous Turquoise gemstones dangling precariously between your breasts.

CLUTTER
TELEPORT DIRECTLY TO CLUTTER AT DISCO DEAL
CLUTTER MARKETPLACE (for more items)

This is an amazing waterfall with adjustable sits, dispenses wearable books and has 2 versions – on sim or off sim. Kat thinks of EVERYTHING.

Nzuri
TELEPORT DIRECTLY TO NZURI AT DISCO DEALS
NZURI MARKETPLACE (for more items)

Gorgeous lingerie sets. The Evie set beautifully matches Dragon Charm Designs Jewelry. Certainly worth it to just go pick up both!

STATUS
TELEPORT DIRECTLY TO STATUS AT DISCO DEALS
STATUS MARKETPLACE (for more items)

Poses to show off that jewelry. A definite must for bloggers and designers alike!

SN@TCH
TELEPORT DIRECTLY TO SN@TCH AT DISCO DEALS
SN@TCH MARKETPLACE (for more items)

As soon as I saw X-Large for mesh I just snapped it up. It’s just so cute I can’t wait to try it on!

A.D.D. Andel
TELEPORT TO A.D.D. ANDEL AT DISCO DEALS
A.D.D. ANDEL MARKETPLACE (for more items)

We have gorgeously done hazel eyes for petites and regular avs! I’m going to be the first to admit I bought the cat shape ones. Only Andel knows the mind of a crazy cat woman.

Dark Mouse
TELEPORT TO DARK MOUSE AT DISCO DEALS
DARK MOUSE MARKETPLACE (for more items)

Cherry/House of London
TELEPORT TO CHERRY AT DISCO DEALS
CHERRY MARKETPLACE (for more items)

A hand drawn mayan design gold disc earring, a plain earring, and a twisted metal with coin cameo bracelet. All gorgeously done.

Somnia
TELEPORT TO SOMNIA AT DISCO DEALS
SOMNIA MARKETPLACE (for more items)

House of London
TELEPORT TO HOUSE OF LONDON AT DISCO DEALS
HOUSE OF LONDON MARKETPLACE (for more items)

“Shockingly Cultured”

Aura –Boho Ruffle Top – 7 colors – 175L each

Illusory – Dipped Lace Tanks – 3 colors sold for 225L the pack

Truth –Not out at this time

Kyoot – Not out at this time

Froot i – Jump for Joy pose pack & Jubilant prop – 100 L each

Insufferable Dastard – Jubilant set – 99L

Miao – Angie Set – 200L

Cheeky pea – Coppola Sofa – 400L

Paperdoll - Charlotte dress – 6 colors available – 160L each

BOOM – Forget me Knot tops – 3 colors available – 85L each

Je suis – Legere earrings – 79L

fri.day -Bliss pose pack – 150L

oOo studio – Jubilant Poses – 188L

Credits:
Hair: Wasabi Pills
Dress: One Bad Pixel

Pose: Adorkable Poses
Location: Cherry Blossom

The difficulty in writing my column is not about finding work to highlight, but in winnowing down the 150 to 200 pictures I bookmark and favorite each week to just the 10 or so that I focus on in a column. If one of the bookmarked pictures is someone I have not highlighted before, they tend to stay on my list because frankly, there are a few people whose work deservedly could make the list each and every week, but the goal of my column is to highlight more artists and bloggers – not just those whose work knocks my socks off week in and week out.

The Second Life artist I want to highlight this week is Zach Larsen whose work is so varied and fun. I love the angle he chose for this shot of Pier 10. He took a more conventional shot as well, but this angle is so intriguing. I love the way the clouds seem to be paintedon the water, the lovely concentration of sunlight reflected in the upper corner and how the picture seems framed by the wood both vertically and horizontally. it’s an incredible photo and certainly goes on my list of all-time favorites.

Shall We Dance is another striking photo. Note how he divides the picture into thirds with the sky, water and sand. The contrast in the positions of the two avatars is so interesting. There he is standing relaxed, at rest and at ease while she is captured in movement, her shoulders and arms arched. There’s kinetic tension in her pose and we want to know what’s next. Either avatar alone on this beach would be a pretty picture. The contrast between the two together makes an interesting picture.

I love this photo from LisaMun Aronowicz for SL Extravaganza. I like how the line of her body on the left bisects the frame diagonally and the strong geometry she creates with her posed arms and legs. I also like the way her pose places her in relation to the moon, as though the mood makes her body’s angle wax and wane like the tide. It’s a striking photo and one that made me stop to think about it and enjoy it even when it was thumbnail size.

This photo from Miaa Rebane for Avenue Magazine has such stark regality to it. I love the long angled walls leading to the subject and how their diagonal lines draw us in. I love the pose, the crossed arms and upright bearing seem to challenge us, warning us that this is no person to be trifled with.

This unedited photo from Ravenelle Zugzwang is a fun example of how much can be done with light and your Second Life camera without ever opening up an editing program. A little glow on a prim can do more blur and airbrushing than you could believe without actually playing around with it in-world. Shooting in a setting with a lot of glow, you have to have the courage to let go of control and just allow the picture to be. I love that she did that.

I like this picture from Marja Languish for Crazy in Second Life. I really think her side eye makes this picture something special. She has such a traditional pinup pose and coupled with the lingerie, this could have been a very standard cheesecake picture, but the vibrant hair, the wild tattoos and that hellcat on wheels expression on her face take this in another direction. It’s fun, it’s sassy and wildly pink!

I love this photo from Katya Valeska for Simply Dou with the high contrast between the bright lights and dark shadows. This really brings the gorgeous print of the dress into high relief, making it the star and the focus of the photo.

I love this new take on yin and yang from Nymeth Vale for Flibbertigibbet. I love the many contrast she incorporated, the updo versus the long flowing hair, the socks very bare feet, the elfin ears and the plain ears, the pale skin and the tanned are all differences in these “twins” . The shadow highlights unity while they exemplify difference.

I love the light in this photo from Rainey Manx for No Rainey Days. I also like the use of depth of field to soften her shouder and the lines of the chair . I like the angle and who she looks right at us while turned into the frame. I also love how the inky blackness is not so absolute that we cannot see the the shadows cast on the floor. That’s amazing detail that makes this really stand out.

This photo for Bestyle Magazine by Florence Babenco is breath-taking. I always love it when artists trust us to complete the picture. It’s an effective technique because our brains are amazing and will fill in everything that is missing. There’s such foreboding in this photo what with the raven and the angled windows of the building in the background suggesting decay and destrution, yet her dress is so vibrant and alive. What is her story?

This picture from Serene Fairey for slTransfusion should be seen on a white background in order to be appreciated at its best.This photo has been lighted so much that we have to work to see the details, but they are there. I like the ethereal insubstantiality of it all and think it is so fitting for a picture of an angel. Especially an angel with an arrow to the knee.

You see, Miko Omegamu- the creator at THE ICING made this GORGEOUS dress called JUST SWING a few months ago.  It looks like this.

Totally pretty right? So you can imagine her surprise when she ran across THIS at Vitabella.

Now, in all fairness. There could be a legitimate reason for the  similarity. They neither of them own the right to this style of dress and god knows it’s not completely unseen before on the Earth so would could say, meh, they both like a great vintage style dress.

But you see, Miko made her own textures. So that’s a problem if they match. I wonder if they do?

Hmmmm. That’s suspicious and unlikely to be a coincidence. I wonder about the construction?

Now, that’s pretty damning. Even just eyeballing it, you can see that damn, these prims line up exactly, what’s the likelihood of that occurring in nature? Not so good. We could take a closer look, so let’s.

Ok and on further inspection what do we find? Exactly the same prims.

WOW I WONDER HOW THAT HAPPENED? What if we lay them exactly on top of one another?

Obviously I can’t know how any of this happened as I wasn’t there during the creation of the second dress, but what I do know, is that Miko sent a NC requesting that this dress be taken down and her intent to DMCA. And she got a response!

Dear Miko,

I am so sorry. Due to the texture of the skirt, I am offering to reimburse you with 75% of the total earnings from 11 units sold of the Grace Dress (L$4,403). I can provide screenshots of my transaction history for both the marketplace and inworld store as evidence of sales at your request.

As per your request, I have removed this item from both the marketplace and my inworld store. I will not re-release it in its current form.

For this design I wished to make an amalgamation of the ‘Cover Girl’ dress designed in RL by Stop Staring! and a dress worn by Dita Von Teese, as shown in these photos:

redacted because really who fucking cares

In a moment of stupidity, I used your skirt texture as inspiration for my own, I can only apologise for this. This is not something I have done before and is not something I will do again.

Whilst making the skirt I saw how you had made the petticoat from full cylinders and that this worked well, so I was keen to use this technique. Other than using this technique, the prims are my own and the outer skirt’s shape is fuller than the one included in your design. I understand that due to the similarities between the textures of the skirt you may conclude that the entirety of the skirt has been copied, but this is not the case.

Please consider my offer of reimbursement and if this is acceptable I will send the Lindens over to you. I am deeply sorry for any distress caused, I hope we can solve this matter amicably.

Kind regards,
Anabella Llewellyn

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I’m really going to leave off further editorial as I think you can all hold court in comments to your heart’s content.

And as an aside, no it isn’t a TOS to share conversations and NCs on third party sites so the first person to bluster that shit up in comments gets the dumbass of the day award. I’m serious.

Enjoy your DMCA. And Happy Monday.

PS: Second Life Log Ins appear disabled again. So you guys didn’t have anything else to do besides fight in the comments anyway!

Welcome to SLsecret, week 192.

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The dress is made of silk that shows the curve nicely with the hand painted and prim roses and spring flowers embellished on the back and chest. The floor length formal dress is split asymmetrically by the knee, covered by the soft white sheer. The prim roses and spring flowers by the knee gives a hint of spring in this subtle elegant dress, finished by the white color silk ribbon on the side of the shoulder.

To enhance the vintage look, I style myself with the vintage jewelry from Donna Flora and Virtual Impression, and the elegant updo hairstyle from elikatira. Finish with the spring time eyeshadow from Donna Flora, light pink color lipstick from Glam Affair, and nude color round nail from Leverocci. After slipping into a pair of dancing shoes, I am all ready to show my beautiful vintage look on the dance floor.

HAIR: [elikatira] ~ Rhythm ~ Brown 08

DRESS: * Donna Flora * ~ ANNAMARIA ~ black

EARRINGS: Donna Flora ~ AMALIA

RING: Donna Flora ~ PORZIA

WATCH: Virtual Impressions ~ May Watch in Gold & Diamonds

SHOES: Donna Flora ~ RAMONA shoes ~ rose

NAIL: Leverocci ~ Round Nails ~ Nude

LIPS: Glam Affair ~ Vanity lips

EYE SHADOW: Donna Flora ~ eyeshadow ~ springtime sunrise 2

First FaMESHed cycle is May 1st – 21st.

From the FaMESHed website (reprinted with permission)

After much anticipation and hard work, we are proud to introduce a new monthly event that focuses on mesh items. FaMESHed is a concept, combining quality and creativity with the attributes of Mesh. Whether it be Clothing, Accessories, Home & Garden, Props or Footwear, FaMESHed is excited to bring all of them together in one location.

Mesh has hit the grid running and FaMESHed is making sure that you don’t miss any of it. We are starting this event with a selection of talented Designer/Creators that have incorporated Mesh into their newest releases. These Designers will be releasing exclusive items for the event that will only be available at FaMESHed during the 3 week cycle. You will not be able to get these items anywhere else during that time, so this is an event not to be missed.

We are extending an invitation to all to join us for the first of many FaMESHed events. The first cycle will be launched May 1st and end on the 21st of May. The notifications of the event times, and the Designers involved will be accessible via our website http://www.fameshed.com/ or you can join the in-world group (paste the link into second life chat, and click the link to join).

If you would like to contact the organizers for information about the event, please contact Cracked Mirror or Vanity Mirror via notecard

Here is the designer list so far:

*More To Be AnnouncedAlice ProjectAuraEclectic ApparelExileGeometryGossamerHouse of LondonMudHoneyNYUPixel ModeStarstruckThe LoftTrompe LoeilValentina E.Wasabi Pills[ hoorenbeek ][Gos]

“The course of true love never did run smooth”

Running Lady Theater

Second Life: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Running%20Lady%20Studios/32/197/67

Many of you may have heard that Suzy Yue and Gnu Aeon were involved in an auto accident while traveling this past week.

As their friends and colleagues, we’re banding together to show support and to help take away one of the worries that may be on their minds. Namely the upkeep and maintenance of Running Lady Studios. We’ve decided to hold a benefit show to raise funds to help cover the cost of the SIM — a place that many, many of us have as a resource in our work.

The show is to be held at the Running Lady Studio Theater  on Thursday, 4/26 at 6-8pm SLT/PDT.

To open the show with a bang, Wytchwhisper Sadofsky will grace us with her beautiful voice in a 1-hour set.

Beginning at 7pm, veteran players from The Actors’ Sandbox and members of Suzy’s Super Cast & Crew will perform selected monologues and scenes taken from the most hilarious parts of the workshop series held every week at Running Lady.

We hope you’ll join us for an outburst of community, entertainment, and outright fun. It all starts Thursday night at 6pm in Second Life!

As some of you probably already know, Fantasy Faire 2012 kicked off on April 21st. Salvatore and I are covering it again this year. We’re having so much fun. I did my first post on Sunday featuring the awesome hair from Wasabi Pills. Today I have for you the FF offering from Curious Kitties, which is a new store for me. Their donation item(s) is the Evil Fairy Avatar, and the matching dress and boots. The avatar comes with hair and all the body parts, hair wings and undies. The dress and boots are sold separately and are also donation items.  She’s supposed to be evil, but she looks cute to me. You can find Curious Kittes at Fantasy Faire on The Devil’s Locket Sim.

Credits:
Avatar & Clothes: Curious Kitties – Evil Fairy Avatar, Dress and Boots

Poses: Adorkable Poses – Sleek: Pose Fair 2012 Exclusive
Location: Elf Forest Autumn

Pablo Picasso once asked, “Are we to paint what’s on the face, what’s inside the face, or what’s behind it?” It’s a good question to ask this week’s featured artist Liisi Karfield. Her work seems to do all three.

I am always drawn to the works by Liisi Karfield. Her work usually features her subjects in isolation in a world that seems hostile and alienating.  There’s always an element of mystery and danger that creates all sorts of stories that leave you wondering what happened before and what will happen next.  Truly, she can even make pictures with Bloom Dolls mysterious and spooky.

I love the curious tilt of the subject’s head. She’s asking who is there, disturbing the peace and startling the bird into flight. She seems calm and at ease, though the birds are not. Who is right? Should she be frightened? Maybe you should be.  This is a very painterly work, I would love to see it matted and framed and on the wall. It’s so thought-provoking and begs for a story.

There’s  no way just two photos can convey the power of  her work and I highly recommend you review her entire stream in the slideshow format so that the subtleties that can be obscured in the smaller pictures are revealed. The view on black illuminates faint details that are lost in shadow when viewed against white. Frankly, all good pictures look better in the blackbox view on Flickr. It’s the closest to seeing how they look in-world, though still not as vibrant as an in-world picture. That’s why you should go to galleries to see your favorite artists work since in-world on a prim with full bright, a picture comes alive in ways that they simply cannot on Flickr.

I like this vendor picture from Flutter Memel. It’s emotionally evocative while remaining very simple and clean. As with any good body shot, the subject is off center and turned toward the frame. She seems to be contemplating, thinking what do do next. There’s a subtle tension in her body, poised for a decision.

I love this masthead from єʀẕsєвєt √ΛĿƐSҠΛ. It’s beautifully designed and looks much better full-size on the website. I like the close up of her face and the flower and petals across the bottom and on the left.  The little drops of water on the petals give it a fresh feeling and the text and black line add a feeling of an old album, a memory book.

I like this picture from Estrellita Gagliano. It’s another simple picture that works because the background and the outfit go so well together. I like how she seems to be looking right at us, while her head is tilted/flopped to the side like a doll.

I like this photo from Flower Ducatillon. I love the blown out background achieved by shooting into the sun and how the background is lost in sunlight while the subject is brought into focus by being in shadow. It’s very much the reverse of what we usually see and works beautifully.

I like this picture from UrikoH Blinker for Vitabela. The pose if fun and playful, suiting the exuberant hair and skirt. I love how she’s leaning forward towards us, the viewers, while looking to the side to see what is over there.

I like this picture from microblogger Banana Lecker. It tells a sweet story of walking in the rain along a cobbled path. The path gives us the fabulous S-curve that is always a wonderful element in composition. The subject is looking and moving into the picture – and while she’s moving away from us, she is moving into the picture, taking us with her.

I love this photo from Sapphire Etchegaray on Flickr. Well, this is simply stunning. I love the rich saturated blues and the almost pearlescent light playing across her skin. It makes me think of the way  a full moon can paint the world in a magical glow that can make even the most cynical skeptic dream of fairies.

I love the perspective in this photo from Jenny Duffy, a Flickr microblogger. It effectively shows off the sandals while telling us a humorous story. We can see her predicament from the plunger she is holding and the pose she is in. The story is told with a wink and a smile and invites us in to enjoy the laugh with her.

I love this picture from Mavi Beck for Modavia Fashion Blog. The use of projectors to cast a double shadow is brilliant. Having used projectors myself, I know that it can be tricky to position them. I think she did it brilliant and I love how her pose is echoes in the shadows and suggests a human Rorschach Test

I like this picture from Ziki Questi for her travel blog. The desaturated sepia tone suggests an aged photo, perhaps one taken those terrible months in 1914 and 1915 during the Battles of Ypres. The build looks stunning and this photo put it on my list to be explored soon.

This photo from Phil Sidek is so striking. I love the light and shadow that show the brilliant cardinal red of her dress and the blues and purples of the moonlight. The picture suggest mood not just with her expression and her pose, but with the lighting and darkness. It’s just wonderful.

Welcome to SLsecret, week 191.

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12) YOU CANNOT USE PEOPLE’S IMAGES RL OR THEIR FLICKR *NOT EVEN IF THEY ARE DEAD/UNDEAD/POSSIBLY DEAD/NOT QUITE DEAD/ALIVE BUT ALTING  - Removed for Rule Breaking

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“I Fear We’ve Reached an Impasse”

If you are aware of other standard sizing packages – please put that info in the comments.

If there is a brand that has XL and XXL sizes that you like – please put those brands in the comments if you wish.

You are allowed 4 answers – one for upper, one for lower, one for fullbody, and one for good luck (Some wear S or XS for upper or something)

I will ask about Men when the men’s standard sizing is settled (and if it is then you’ll see a poll soon about it)

Poll ends 4/25/2012

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Styling 1 – Minimalist with High Waist Pants

HAIR: [elikatira] ~ Caramel

TOP: H.O.F ~ part of Skater Dress ~ Yellow

PANTS: NYU ~ Hi-Waist Pants ~ Purple

JEWELRY: je suis ~ nocturne

Styling 2 – Minimalist in Vintage Blouse and High Waist Pants

HAT: NYU ~ Chic Fedor Hat ~ Black

HAIR: Maitreya ~ Peper II ~ Walnut

BLOUSE: NYU ~ Vintage Blouse ~ Red/Yellow

PANTS: NYU ~ Hi-Waist Pants ~ Black

Kess is wearing a top from her own clothing line and mesh hair from Exile. She’s just too cute. I’m wearing the newest hair from Wasabi Pills, Skiki. The hair ties and barrettes are color change through the HUD menu.

One thing I think is really hard to find in SL is a pair of nicely textured big hoop earrings, that aren’t so thin you can barely see them. One of the new releases from Dark Mouse are The Dog Ate My Homework earrings. The silver and black go well with most of what I wear, and will be in my basic staples jewelry folder. I would love to see these in other jewelry tones and color combos also.

Lastly, I wanted to mention this cute Kawaii tattoo I got at the Kawaii faire from Endless Pain Tattoos. They have 3 Kawaii themed tattoos at L$350 each, covers the top bottom and stocking. I love the art on this tattoo, but for the price it would have been nice to different levels of fade.
Be sure to check out the Kawaii Faire there are lots of amazingly cute items and lots of nice freebies. I hope to have blog post in a few days covering some of the stuff I grabbed there.

Credits:
Kess:
Hair: Exile
Skin: Pink Fuel
Top: Miao

Lourdes:
Hair: Wasabi Pills
Skin: Al Vulo
Top: Sn@tch
Shorts: Zaara
Tattoo Endless Pain Tattoos
Earrings: Dark Mouse

Pose Prop: Adorkable Poses

1. Toki-doki – Faded dress: Easter and Earth – 199L each

2. Blah – My Romantic Spring Dress – 3 colors – 125L each

3. ploom – Not out at this time

4. Whippet & Buck – Adelaide knickers – 100 L

5. !Bang – Mini Series : Spring

6. Cheap Makeup –Not out at this time

7. Willow – Not out at this time

8. Cheeky pea – Not out at this time

9 – Dark Mouse -Spring Fresh Necklace and Earrings – 149L

10. DCNY – Not Out at this time

Guest this week ! Trompe L’Oeil

Mesh patio furniture collection. Priced from 50 to 200 L

Finding photos I like is something very much influenced by mood and well-being. When I have a headache, I pretty much don’t like anything. I am sure that even a Klee would get a tepid response from me when my head hurts. That’s why I took last week off. With headaches and one thing and another, I was not in a mood to find much I liked or to describe it with any enthusiasm. I am feeling better this week and looking through the feeds and photo galleries, I find so much that is good now. Perhaps when you initially dislike something, it might be a good thing to wait until you are in an upbeat mood to really evaluate it.

Spring always brings a resurgence of interest in the outdoors and a desire to get and about – even in SL. For that reason, I thought I might highlight a fabulous landscape photographer this week. There’s a tremendous number of landscapes to select from Magdyne’s portfolio of work at KoinUp. I thought I would like to start with this one because with its very limited subject matter, you can most clearly see what makes her work recognizable and distinctive. She likes to shoot from an angle that gives us powerful leading lines and an intriguing perspective.

Here she again makes use of a unique angle to emphasis lines in the photo, in this case the lines of the spears. I chose this photo from her many excellent pictures in order to also highlight the fabulous new build featuring the Emperor’s Terracotta Army at Tenth Rua.

I love the sexy intimacy of this extreme closeup from Ann Caitlin for The Magic Fame. Details that enhance its power are how it’s framed by her hair on the left and how the red, red lips are balanced by that little frame of hair. I love the asymmetry of her eyelids and eyelashes and of her lips. Her face has such power and that is emphasized by the asymmetry and the subtle differences between the left and right sides of her face.

This photo from Dantelicia Ethaniel for her blog just take my breath away. First there is the tension in her pose with her arched back and neck forming a gentle curve that is echoed by the line of the tree trunk behind her. Her shadow falls back towards the tree and its roots and thanks the watercolor texture overlay becomes one with the tree as the overlay adds its color to her shadow. It’s stunning and her use of colors is so exciting and fresh.

This photo from Eve Kazan for Mademoiselle is beautifully composed with the horizon falling at a third of the way up and the moutain and building forming a triangle that is also reflected in thee water below. I love the monotone coloring and think the blue she used gives it a much more atmospheric, almost chilly, feeling than black and white would have.

This picture from Vikeejeah Xevion for Forma Pura. I love the boldness in this photo and the decision not to worry about the Fashion Police issuing citations for intersections, but to just shoot the picture that shows her avatar as a woman of power and substance. I love how she fills the frame. She has strong vertical lines that  lead up to her face. That sort of narrow side-eye suggests  an emotional intensity that can suggest a story hiding in the picture with her.

Speaking of expressing emotion with a look, doesn’t Tanaquil Beaumont from Dunes seem ready to take a bite out of someone in this photo?  The photo is strikingly simple yet so very well done, from the evocative look in her eyes to the beautifully arranged pose. A lot of times, one or another element of a pose won’t fit perfectly, the arm falling into the knee perhaps or the hair, chin and shoulders not falling perfectly. There are a few pose adjusters that can help improve that, though they can’t always get it 100% perfect since an single digit of adjustment can take you arm from in your knee to slightly above it. Nonetheless, they can make a huge difference in photos. I don’t know if she used one of them for this photo, but she may have to fine tune the pose in-world. There’s a tutorial from Gogo at Juicybomb.

I like this photo from Taylor Flanagan for her photography blog. The sepia tone and the aging with a texture layer gives it an old-fashioned feeling that suits the centenary memorial of the sinking of the Titanic. There’s a memorial tribute to the Titanic in SL and there’s been a fair number of photos. Even the subject being pose so near the center adds to the historic verisimilitude since photographers of that era were not finding odd angles and different perspectives with those huge boxes on tripods. This one feels like it was taken on that trip 100 years ago.

This store photo/vendor picture by YukaChoco Magic for Chocolate Atelier  fills the frame, bisecting it with her body. Using such an unusual angle adds new interest and give it a very sexy appeal. The desaturated color and sepia tone keep us from being distracted by color and make us focus on its geometry and striking angles.

I love this photo from Ilanit Orsini for Mysterious Red. In this photos the colors are saturated, rich and strong. The pose is perfect, revealing that hat, the hair, the earrings and the lips in a a natural and strong pose. The green leaves in the background not only add color and dimension, they are the complement of the rich reds and make the reds pop even more.

Welcome to SLsecret, week 190

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