Images

On Being A Sow’s Ear

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1 Maitreya Vintage Lace Romantic

I’m taking a break from working on some photos I did for friends a couple of days ago. I made a mistake using a couple’s pose I never should have used, so I’m kicking myself for not checking it closer while I was shooting. The result was two hours of agony as I tried to make a purse out of a sow’s ear. Fortunately, I used more than one pose so I can finish those and not feel so bad.

Speaking of making a purse out of a sow’s ear…I thought I would show off this lovely dress from Maitreya, available at this round of Collabor88. It’s everything feminine and delicate that I love, but tend to avoid. I usually feel like an impostor when I dress up like a lady. Girly, yes…but this is the stuff I usually only see myself wearing in my dreams.

Break time is over. Back to Photoshop with me. Oh, and that sow’s ear I referenced is me…not the dress!

Pretty stuff I’m wearing:

Dress: Maitreya Vintage Lace Gown – Romantic by Onyx LeShelle (available at Collabor88)
Shoes: Slink Hera Wrap Heel Silver by Siddean Munro
Hat: *LODE* Hat – Glitter Rose By Chirzaka Vlodovic
Jewelry: Cae :: Knotted :: Ensemble by Caelan Hancroft
Hair: “”D!va”” Hair “Giz” (Type A)(Garnet) by Marisa Kira (Gacha prize)
Skin: [PXL] Creations – [PXL] JADE SK Peach Lips MEB C2 by Hart Larsson
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Casual by Siddean Munro
Feet: Slink AvEnhance Feet High by Siddean Munro
Hand & Feet appliers:[PXL] Creations – [ PXL ] Slink Hand & Feet Appliers SK by Hart Larsson
Eyes: Amacci Gaze Eyes – Ocean Blue by Carina Larsen
Lashes: Mon Cheri *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash by Freya Oliveri

Pose: !bang – stand 331 by Trieste Minuet

To Di For

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1 Di's Opera

This post is a little about a lot of things. I’ll try to be brief, even though I rarely manage that. Feel free to slap my virtual hands if I waffle on too long!

Yesterday I did two photo shoots. When I finished and was looking at my raw shots, I decided it was time I broke out my Wacom Bamboo, which I have had for a while but which has terrified me. I have been through tutorials and played with it a bit, but it’s been a trial for me. But I finally realised if I want to elevate my Photoshop skills I need to move on from my mouse and begin using a graphics tablet. But before I start using it on client photos, I thought it prudent to use myself as a guinea pig.

Naturally, I didn’t want to use a photo I had already taken 😉 And since I needed this outfit from E-Clipse (available at Limited Bazaar), I felt it was the perfect opportunity to shoot a few photos for my Wacom trial. Which led to needing new poses, of course! I have hundreds of poses already, but I tend to favour more natural poses. This outfit just cried out for drama.

I checked out some of my favourite pose stores, but I wasn’t getting that fashion-flair feel I was looking for. It just so happened I had picked up a pose set from Di’s Opera at Limited Bazaar, and while I love them, they still didn’t have the dramatic feel I was craving. So off to the mainstore I went.

I tried literally every pose in the store – many more than once. I have a sneaking suspicion that my lil Cao is a frequent shopper here; I think I recognised some of the poses she uses and I was having visions of a Milan catwalk as I worked my way from pose stand to pose stand. I could practically feel the heat of the lights and see the cameras flashing as I worked my way from room to room, up stairs and back down on my quest for the perfect high-fashion pose.

I think I found it. And about twenty others. Honestly, I could have bought more, but time and Lindens were my enemies. So off to my studio to try to capture what I consider my first true fashion photograph.

This is it – and my first photo completed using my Wacom Bamboo. I have a long way to go to feel comfortable both using a graphics tablet and shooting high-fashion photos. But I believe I’ll get better at both, with practice. And these poses? Yes, they are to Di for!

Pretty stuff I’m wearing:

Top: E-Clipse FiluffSweater S Brown/Vermillon by Thetra Blackheart (available at Limited Bazaar)
Skirt: E-Clipse HighWaistLeatherSkirt S Brown by Thetra Blackheart (available at Limited Bazaar)
Shoes: [Gos] Boutique – Lauren d’Orsay – Truffle Collection by Gospel Voom
Jewelry: EarthStones Maxine Necklace & Earrings – Larimar by Abraxxa Anatine
Hair: *ARGRACE* Mia – Red by rika Oyen
Skin: [PXL] Creations – [PXL] JADE SK Peach Lips MEB C2 by Hart Larsson
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Casual by Siddean Munro
Hand appliers:[PXL] Creations – [ PXL ] Slink Hand Appliers SK by Hart Larsson
Eyes: Amacci Gaze Eyes – Ocean Blue by Carina Larsen
Lashes: Mon Cheri *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash by Freya Oliveri

Pose: Di’s Opera – Glam Series 4 – 2 by Di Hoorenbeek

Making Myself At Home

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1 Small Town Green

This year I have promised myself (no, it’s not a New Year’s Resolution) to visit more locations in Second Life. I see lots of beautiful places on Flickr and blog posts and I have a list of spots I want to visit – which seems to grow faster than I can tick them off my list! I’ve even been known to add a place just so I can mark it off 😉

One of those places I hadn’t yet visited is Small Town Green. After a horrendous experience shopping at The Season’s Story (that’s a whole ‘nother blog post right there!) I decided I needed a quieter location to shoot photographs. I wanted a cozy nook to curl up in while wearing this oh-so-soft-and-snuggly sweater and leggings and the thought of building my own set was too much for me to bear (where were you when I needed you, Rwah????). So I took a quick peek at my list and Small Town Green seemed to fit the bill.

It really is a pretty sim. And when I stepped inside this house, I simply made myself at home. Curled up in this comfy chair, I had a lovely time discussing everything from the weather to the pros and cons of trying to shop at a busy sales event on the first day with Mr. Bambi. We watched the horses and the moon playing across the water. We even went so far as to play Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who would clean up the mess on the floor.

By the way, Bambi thinks I need to practice patience a bit more in regard to shopping at time-limited events. And even though my Rock won over his Scissors, I ended up tidying up before I left. As he reminded me, I am the one with opposable thumbs 😉

(I’m still trying to figure out how he managed to make scissors!)

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

My stuff:
Sweater: tulip. Color Block Sweater S Clay by Minami Susanowa (available at The Seasons Story)
Tights: Maitreya Tights (Pinched) * Coal by Onyx LeShelle
Scarf: MIEL INFINITY SCARF PLAIN SKINNY by Miel Nirvana (Fifty Linden Friday find)
Boots: *ionic* My winter boots (camouflage) by lakua Arriaga (available at The Chapter Four)
Necklace: Schadenfreude Smoky Lumi Necklace by Allegory Malaprop (available at Collabor88)
Earrings: Schadenfreude Smoky Dangle Lumi Earrings by Allegory Malaprop (available at Collabor88)
Hair: “”D!va”” Hair “Averil” (MVW USA 2014)(Garnet) by Marisa Kira (available at Collabor88)
Skin: [PXL] Creations – [PXL] JADE SK Peach Lips MEB C2 by Hart Larsson
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Casual by Siddean Munro
Hand appliers:[PXL] Creations – [ PXL ] Slink Hand Appliers SK by Hart Larsson
Eyes: Amacci Gaze Eyes – Ocean Blue by Carina Larsen
Lashes: Mon Cheri *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash by Freya Oliveri

Stuff at Small Town Green:
Chairs: Zigana . winter chair. by Nalena Fairey
Rug: .lame – Theo’s Rug by Divine Falodir
Floor decorations: Zigana . With love mix by Nalena Fairey
Bambi: AMU – The Bambi! by Jesse Nacht
Window sill decoration : Vespertine Mesh.oo2 by Amelie Knelstrom
Potted tree: (iTuTu) tree pot 1 by Kao Sands
House: L2 STUDIO Tarrytown House by Lindini2 Lane

Pose by the chair