{Exposeur}

Close My Eyes Forever

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1 If I close my eyes forever1

It’s hard to hold on
So hard to hold on to my dreams
It isn’t always what it seems
When you’re face to face with me

~ From “Close My Eyes Forever” by Ozzy Osbourne & Lita Ford

I had done another photo for the Hair Fair Photo Contest, but even with four different versions, I wasn’t satisfied. I still wanted another entry, so I thought I would try a couple’s shot. I enlisted my (m)alt, Chance, because I could traipse with him from store to store trying out new poses (although I ended up using one I already had lol), stick him on his pose ball and literally drag him around the bay without one whimper of complaint. He’s definitely the strong, silent type.

I am using my LUMIPro HUD, as I usually do, but this is the latest beta version. Stefan has added some new capability to the HUD that makes using it with couples much easier. Previously, you had to use drop-downs individually for all of the controls (intensity, fall off, radius, etc), which made it rather unwieldy. The new version has a pop-out slider section that allows you to manipulate these in one small control panel. Where I used to simply use the Intensity drop down for one model I can now control all aspects of the lighting elements at once. Then I just toggle to the other model to make further adjustments. It is effortless to use and gives you so much more versatility in an already wonderful product.

If you already have a LUMIPro HUD, just stop by the LUMIPro World Headquarters to pick up the beta version. If you don’t yet own it, you can trial the HUD there. Updates are free for life, so there is never a need to purchase a new version when it is released. You can get a quick peek at the update and how to get the beta version on this video.

Now, for the song. I’m going back to my Rock Chick roots for this one. Classic tune by two classic rockers.

If I close my eyes forever
Will it all remain unchanged?
If I close my eyes forever
Will it all remain the same?

Close your eyes

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

On Peep:
Dress: GizzA – Morning After [Gold] by Giz Seorn
Earrings: EarthStones The Diamond Stud – Oval/Gold by Abraxxa Anatine
Hair: *ARGRACE* SHIORI – Auburn by rika Oyen
Skin: [PXL] Creations [PXL] JADE NAT Terre MEB C2 (FR) by Hart Larsson
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Casual by Siddean Munro
Hand appliers:[PXL] Creations – [ PXL ] Slink Hand Appliers NAT by Hart Larsson
Eyelids: Slink Mesh eyelids by Siddean Munro

On Chance:
Jeans: REDGRAVE – Blue Jeans LQM – ClassicCut by Emilia Redgrave
Hair: *ARGRACE* TAKUMI – Dark Brown by rika Oyen
Skin: Fruk – Jeremy skin shade 3 Dark brown by Chucky Hollack
Facial Hair: Fruk Host stubble – Dark brown by Chucky Hollack
Hands: Slink Male Hands (AvEnhance) – Relax by Siddean Munro

Pose: {.:exposeur:.} Summer Nights by RubyStarlight Writer

Photo taken using the LumiPro HUD

Strike A Pose Challenge: My Heros

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1 aDORKable Rug Burn

I am really pleased that this week Miss Berry chose to do a pose meme. Before I started blogging myself, I often read other blogs and would scour the credits for the name of the pose, or at least the posemaker. Sadly, more times than not, the information was left out. So when I started crediting my posts, I made sure I included the pose.

Posemakers really are my Second Life heros, especially the ones that make posing look natural. I discovered, recently, when I made my first pose that it isn’t that easy to do! It is available free in my marketplace store and quite a few people have grabbed it. I haven’t gotten any reviews on it yet, but I hope that the folks who use it enjoy it. While I made one more for a post, I can’t see me entering the posemaking business anytime soon!

Ah, but this isn’t about me; it is about my favourite posemakers. Here is what Miss Berry has asked us to do:

Meme Instructions: Share a picture of your favorite pose or a list of your favorite posemakers on the grid! Don’t forget to leave a link to your post in the comments (of this post) and share your picture in the blog memes flickr group.

My photo isn’t necessarily my favourite pose, but it is by my favourite posemaker. Time after time I find myself turning to aDORKable Poses by Adorkable Peapod when I am shooting. Sadly, this store is closed in world, but a lot of the poses are still available on Marketplace. I have so many that I can’t put all of my single poses in a single HUD. Occasionally, Adorkable will put out a set of poses for an event and I am always first in line to snatch them up. I do miss her quirky yet natural style.

I have done recent posts on two other of my favourite posemakers. First is Eternal Dream Poses by Fata Boa. I love Eternal Dream Poses for the same reason I love aDORKable – the poses are natural, joints aren’t contorted and they are the types of poses I use every day. You can visit the Eternal Dream Poses Mainstore to see what I mean.

For couple’s poses, my new favourite is Kuro in Motion by Luana Dawg. I do use a lot of Exposeur poses for my couples shots, but what I love about Luana’s poses is that each one works equally well for full-body shots and closeups. If you visit the Kuro in Motion store, you can see this in practice with the vendor ads. Bodies are positioned so that once you have done a wide shot you can just zoom in your camera and shoot the close shots. This is especially helpful with couples if you use pose balls, as adjusting those suckers can be a real pain!

Receiving Honourable Mentions are !bang by Luna Jubilee, oOo Studio Poses by Olaenka Chesnokov and another retired posemaker, Katey Coppola who still has her GLITTERATI poses available on Marketplace.

One last note: if you visit Pose Fair this year, make sure you stop by Kuro in Motion to see Luana’s “Shattered…” pose. I have made three attempts at shooting this pose with the mirrored image – the last today, in hopes of using it for this post – and I have failed miserably each time. Don’t let that discourage you, though. I believe I have gotten too ambitious with my sets and unfortunately, I have ended up with “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear” images or funhouse mirror shots. Keep checking back, though…I’m going to do it if it kills me!

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

Shirt: [[RH]] Design house – [[RH]] Ladies Men’s Shirt (White Stripe) by Ryo Ixxel
Jeans: Maitreya Boyfriend Jeans Slim – Original by Onyx LeShelle
Hair: *Dura* JAPAN FAIR Limited hair A-3 by Chiaki Xue (colour modified) – this was for Japan Fair and may no longer be available for sale.
Skin: [PXL] Creations [PXL] JADE NAT PetalPink MEB C2 by Hart Larsson
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Casual by Siddean Munro
Feet: Slink Mesh Feet (Av) Flat by Siddean Munro
Hand & Feet appliers:[PXL] Creations – [ PXL ] Slink Hand & Feet Appliers NAT by Hart Larsson
Eyes: Amacci Gaze Eyes – Ocean Blue by Carina Larsen
Lashes: Mon Cheri *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash by Freya Oliveri

Bed: [ARIA] Adelaide bed by Yelo Uriza
Bed tray: [ARIA] Adelaide decorative tray by Yelo Uriza
Trees and flowers from *Happy Mood* by Sasaya Kayo

Pose: aDORKable Poses : Rug Burn II 7 by Adorkable Peapod

Photo taken using the LumiPro HUD