Pics by Peep

This is me 🙂 Well, a version of me you will find in Second Life. That’s what this blog is about – the beauty I find there in photographing avatars.

I’ve been in Second Life for four years and have always been captivated by the amazing photographers I’ve come across in profiles, advertising, blogs and websites. Over time, I’ve learned by trial and error to stop just taking snapshots and frame photos, change windlight settings, and play with images in post-processing. I don’t use Photoshop or even GIMP. I use a few different web-based photo editors to create portraits that reflect a mood. If I’m successful, those portraits show a bit about the person I’m photographing. If I’m not, the raw shot gets binned (and to be honest, that is most of them!)

I’ve been taking pictures of myself mainly, along with candid shots of friends in clubs where I’ve worked. As I’ve gotten better, I’ve had friends ask me to do their profile pictures or take photos at events. I do it for fun; it’s a type of therapy for me. I can immerse myself in getting the right angle, the right background, the right lighting, even the right expression and any worries I have just seem to float away. I’ve been encouraged to offer my services professionally, but I’ve been afraid that the pressure of doing what I love for a fee would increase the stress that I have used photography to take away. And I’ve always said that since I do them for free, if they hate the finished product…tough *grins*

But recently I had a chat with a friend whose profile pictures I had just completed. She told me how she loved the different sides of her that I brought out in each photo. How each one told a story about her, reflecting her moods and her personality. How she had never felt so beautiful as she did when she looked at those photos.

I know I’ll never be as good as my Second Life photography idols Chic Aeon, Harlow Heslop and Strawberry Singh. I use different tools. I have no professional training (and yes, Berry, I know you are self-taught *winks*). But I believe I can set myself apart by getting to know the people I photograph and showing how special they are in every picture I paint.

This blog will be a showcase for Pics By Peep. Ready for your close up, Second Life?

Here I come 🙂

~ Peep