Photography

You’ve Been Gone Forever

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1 You were gone forever sm

Most of the time I am doing a photograph for my blog, I shoot in a created space. By that I mean a set I have put together on my platform specifically for the photo. It is usually just a single room I have decorated in a house I have rezzed specifically for the purpose or in the box I have hanging beneath the platform and colour-change to suit the mood. While I sometimes use the clearing in the woods at the back of my land, I seldom photograph inside my Second Life residence.

This isn’t because I am shy about showing off the interior of my home. Rather, it is because I am usually using brand new items (interspersed with some older favourites) for my blog photos. Even though I may love each little treasure I show, my home is more stable. Many of the objects I use are ancient in Second Life terms – a month in SL being the equivalent of a dog’s year – and we all know that newness equates to relevance in the SL blogging world. As an official blogger for several events and designers, my job is to showcase their latest releases. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t surround myself with pretty things that I have held dear for a period of time.

Nothing in this photo really falls into that “old” category, yet it doesn’t meet the “hot off the presses” criteria, either. They are just things that I like and chose to make a (relatively) permanent part of my Second Life. They may be replaced at some stage, but for now, they form one of my favourite spaces in my home. The recessed windows in this house from Scarlet Creative just cry out for little vignettes to be created. Several of the puppies from Fawny frolic outdoors, but this little fella stays inside…waiting patiently for my return.

He may spend time curled up in the rocking chair or gnawing on the pom poms of the blanket in his basket, but whatever he does, he will always be watching for me to come home. Whether I’ve been away for a few minutes or overnight, his reaction is always the same – greeting me as if I’ve been gone forever.

He knows; he counted.

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

Puppy: Fawny – My little puppy – 9 by akirakiyoi (gacha prize)
Chair: Scarlet Creative – The Arcade Dec 15 Campbell Chair MT by Charlotte Bartlett (gacha prize)
Basket: dust bunny . pom pom blanket by xlnoel (gacha prize)
Build: Scarlet Creative Country Keep by Charlotte Bartlett
Tree: HPMD* Garden Tree05 – white 2A + 2B by Sasaya Kayo

The silver thorn, the bloody rose lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

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1 The silver thorn of bloody rose lies crused and broken on the virgin snow sm

Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frameless head on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget
Like the strangers that you’ve met
The ragged men in the ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they’re not listening still
Perhaps they never will…

~ “Vincent” by Don McLean

While he is best known for the iconic hit, “American Pie,” my favourite Don McLean song has always been “Vincent.” His ode to Vincent van Gogh is haunting and beautiful, sad and filled with regret. But it is also a song of forgiveness; an understanding of how this genius grappled with his demons and ultimately overcame his struggle. The fact that the world was deprived of his brilliance is pardoned, knowing that this master finally knew peace.

This post didn’t begin being about this song or this artist. It started with the dress, a group gift from Salt & Pepper for her one year anniversary as a designer. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with a latex dress, so I zeroed in on the colour. I knew the starkness of a snowy background would create drama; the props came as an afterthought (although anything from [ keke ] pops to the foreground when I think of adding something pretty to a scene). It was only after I “planted” the bush that the lyrics to the song came to mind.

I haven’t listened to this song in years. But creating this photo, the lyrics came back to me as clearly as the beauty of van Gogh’s masterpiece.

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue
Colors changing hue, morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand

Sleep well, Vincent, underneath the starry night.

Pretty stuff I’m showiong off:

*Dress: Salt & Pepper S&P Dress Annie maitreya exp by xxSaltandPepperxx (group gift at the main store)
*Shoes: fri.day fri. – Macey.Platforms (Cherry) – Maitreya by Darling Monday (available at Uber through February 23rd)
Hair/pose: *ARGRACE* Akane – Cherry by rika Oyen
Eyelids: Slink Mesh eyelids (alpha) (photo prop) by Siddean Munro
Ears: [MANDALA]SIMPLE_EARS_HUTUU by kikunosuke Eel
Body, hands and feet: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara by Onyx LeShelle
*Skin: [PXL] Creations Shara Winter NAT Makeup 03 REB C2 by Hart Larsson
Tattoo: [White~Widow] Legend – Henna – RARE by Julie Hastings (gacha prize at The Epiphany January 2016)

*Book: [ keke ] book of magic by Kean Kelly (available at Shiny Shabby through February 10th)
*Bush: [ keke ] winter flowers – shrub 1 by Kean Kelly (available at The Seasons Story through January 31st)
*Petals: [ keke ] winter flower ground by Kean Kelly (available at The Seasons Story through January 31st)

Photo taken with LUMIPro 2016 by Stefan Buscaylet

A Winter Scene

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1 A Winter Scene sm

Frigid winter days are usually best spent cuddled up inside with a crackling fire, a snuggly blanket and good book. But once you look outside and see the sun sparkling off of the frozen pond, snow just begging to be turned into a snowman or snowballs and the promise of hot cocoa when your fingertips have turned blue inside your mittens, the comforts of home become a place to return to after a bit of fun in the crisp winter air.

Wayward Winter is open from January 18th through the 31st. There you can find just about everything you need to create your own winter scene.

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

From Wayward Winter January 18-31, 2016:
*Cabin: {what next} Snowy Alpine Cabin by Winter Thorn
*Hot Cocoa Stand: Soy. Hot Cocoa Stand by Soyoy
*Hot Cocoa Sign: Soy. Cocoa stand Signboard by Soyoy
*Sled Bench: Sway’s [Sled] Bench by Sway Dench
*Snowball Pile: ! Lost Junction! [LJ] Snowball Pile A by Tala Laval
*Hearts: Tool Shed – Scattered Hearts – 2 – Light by Fallacy DeCuir

Other items:
Skating pond: {what next} Winter Iced Over Pond (Mesh) by FrankLee Anatra
Bench: {what next} Bramley Bench (Pine Winter) by Winter Thorn
Chariot: !six o’clock! cuddle chariot – White by Pepite Roxan
Snowman: DRD snowman – gift for arcade by Jaimy Hancroft
Crane: +Half-Deer+ Crane the Lightbringer – Silver by Halogen Magic
Ermine: +Half-Deer+ Winter Whimsy – Snowy Ermine by Halogen Magic
Snow piles: +Half-Deer+ Snow Tracks – Patch (Heavy) by Halogen Magic
Fox: The Secret Store – Winter Foxes – Playful / White by Maylee Oh (gacha prize)
Doves: {anc} NO LIMITS // flock of flying doves. [ham-pink] and NO LIMITS // flock of doves [choco-brown] by aki69 (gacha prizes)
Skis: [ zerkalo ] Vintage Entryway – Antique Skis by danielestro (gacha prize at Kustom9 January, 2016)
Ski poles: [ zerkalo ] Vintage Entryway – Ski Poles by danielestro (gacha prize at Kustom9 January, 2016)
Box of candles: [ zerkalo ] Vintage Entryway – Crate with Candles by danielestro (gacha prize at Kustom9 January, 2016)
Large tree: Hayabusa Design Willow Tree M15-1 v2-1 T10G by Mitsuko Kytori (subscriber gift)
Trees: Studio Skye Enchanted Woods v2 by Alex Bader
Grass: HPMD* Winter Grass 2013 – b by Sasaya Kayo