A Perfect Place - Dickins Photography Studio

Well, with the new viewer, I discovered that my pictures were coming out even more dismal than usual, so I went on the hunt for better lighting and settings. I wasn't really getting anywhere in finding the lighting I needed to show clothes to their best advantage, nor was I finding settings that weren't difficult to work with within lighting constraints. On a whim, I did a search for photo studio and Dickins Free Photography Studio came up. What the heck, if you can't find natural lighting you like, create some, right?

From the Studio Brochure:

Our photo stations are equipped with the N30 Deluxe Modeling Studio version 2.9, loaded with 240+ poses for male and females and dozens of backdrop images.
Controlling the modeling studios is easy. You can use the commands in the attached notecard or opt to purchase a low prices HUD which is good for any N30 Deluxe Modeling Studio version 2.6 and above.

What does all this mean? It means that I spent a huge amount of time trying different options and didn't even scratch the surface of what was available. You control the station with a series of commands on a channel specific to that station. There are also menus for driving the modeling table, lighting and effects or they can be touch controlled directly. You can learn all about this by either clicking around and experimenting or reading the Modeling Studio Abridged Guide that you are given.
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You can start and stop the modeling table rotating as you move through the hundreds of poses either automatically on a timer, manually scrolling through or by choosing individual poses. There are effects such as snow, fog, bubbles and stars and a long list of various fog specific commands for density and colors. The lights can also be managed on a color by color or bank by bank basis allowing you full control of the lighting. The Modeling Studio guide and Dickins Photography Studio business card both have lots of information on optimizing your effects and enhancing the quality of your pictures.

I used almost none of the available options and only a fraction of the backgrounds, lighting and effects available (as well as being not the greatest photographer) and still got great results. I didn't even try out any of the available props this time, but you can be sure I will in the future. I can see this becoming a staple for the blog and a huge consumer of my time in Second Life.

Grab an armful of clothes (and maybe a friend), head to Dickins Free Photography Studio and have a whole lot of fun! (And don't forget to tip!)

A Perfect Place - Virtual Starry Night

There is no arguing that Second Life is a metaverse created by artists, builders, designers and visionaries and some of the most breathtaking sims are tributes to the brilliant artists that were also ahead of their time. Virtual Starry Night is Second Life's Van Gogh exhibit and is well worth planning several hours and several trips to work your way through it. The museum is self guided, with lines to follow and clear signs, the separate areas are well marked and each painting has the title, year and museum where the original resides shown. The exhibit is divided into different areas such as landscapes, still lifes and portraits, but you can tour the whole building from any starting point.

Throughout the tour there are signs bearing facts about Van Gogh's life and times and many of the exhibits have information stations that give notecards about the specific work or group of works. As an example, the card for "Self-Portrait in Front of the Easel (1888)" (above left) reads:

Vincent almost never painted himself as an artist. Most of his self portraits are painted in a more sketchy way and show only his face.

This painting shows much more detail and was signed by the artist prominently, which means that he was quite pleased with it.

Wonderful as all this is, it is not the best part of the sim. If looking at paintings isn't really your thing, Second Life makes it possible to step *into* the art through special 3D painting exhibits. I pulled out my gorgeous Katrine dress by Ivalde with its Victorian bustle and bodice so that I could stroll the cafes and courtyards of the 3D rendered paintings in period style. I thought the clean black and white detailing of the dress provided a marvelous contrast to the bold colors of the paintings. How fabulous is it to be able to look at and read about "The Night Cafe in the Place Lamartine in Arles" (center right and lower left) where Van Gogh took his meals and then to step into and walk about the cafe as seen through his eyes?

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While you are visiting Virtual Starry Night, be sure to walk through the Yellow House as well - it hosts a mini-exhibit of Gaugain's works from his time in Arles with Van Gogh.

A Perfect Place - The SL Botanical Gardens

Sometimes you put on an outfit and immediately start trying to think of places where it would be set off to perfection. Other times, you are going to a place and an outfit immediately comes to mind. In this case, it was both. If you haven't been to the SL Botanical Gardens, you have missed one of the most breathtaking sims in SL. The gardens are a collaborative artistic effort and every area of the sim has something special to make it a delight to walk through (or fly, but I recommend walking the many paths to truly experience all the details).

Sit for a while in the formal gardens, visit the green house, swim under the waterfalls or just sit and enjoy the scenery at any point along the way. Take your time and plan to return - it's not a sim that you can "do" in an hour or so. Oh, and don't forget to take pictures - lots of pictures. The gardens were one of the first places I went in SL and I was inspired to go back there when I put on Paeoti Dapon's Dementia Sancuary Ceremony Dress from Nymphetamine and wanted the perfect setting for some photos.

Put on your favorite clothes (jeans will do just as well as a ballgown), grab a friend and head out to The SL Botanical Gardens for a sunrise walk or or a sunset chat in one of the most beautiful locations in Second Life.