second life | notes from the apocalypse

Junktown

“…did you ever try to put a broken piece of glass back together? Even if the pieces fit, you can’t make it whole again the way it was. But if you’re clever, you can still use the pieces to make other useful things. Maybe even something wonderful, like a mosaic. Well, the world broke just like glass. And everyone’s trying to put it back together like it was, but it’ll never come together in the same way…the Wasteland Survival Guide isn’t much towards that lofty goal, but it’s an important one.” ~Moira, Fallout

A remote outpost in the middle of nowhere…train cars, rubble and and burned out buildings.. the skeletal remains of civilization. Welcome to Junktown, founded by Ravenstarr and Yarr.

I asked Ravenstarr the inspiration for Junktown and how she was introduced to Second Life. This is what she said:

My creative inspiration was, I guess, a combination of Fallout and Mad Max. I really liked the post-apocalypse/dystopian concept applied to a sim where people could relax, take pictures and listen to music. We didn’t want a structured club environment, so we decided to have an open stage and stream available for DJ’s to play. We will eventually have organized events, whether it’s music, racing….or even unleashing zombies in the junkyard. I hope people enjoy the sim and just have fun. The sim is also child-av friendly because I have several friends who play child avs and I wanted to make the sim open to them as well for parties and photography.

How did I discover Second LIfe? I actually came to Second Life through school. The medical school/hospital I was attending owned an island in Second Life. I presented my senior genetics scientific research poster in SL. We applied our poster texture to a giant prim and walked around (as noobs) reading each others posters and asking questions. I remember getting a quick lesson on how to navigate Second Life in class before our presentations.

After the presentations I became very curious about this virtual world and made Raven. Through her I have explored new worlds and created many of my own worlds. I do a lot of photography. This gives me a creative outlet outside of my hectic real world. I have also made so many connections with people all over the world. I have met some of my closest real life friends on Second Life.

Great for exploring and photography. Join the group and you can rez items to enhance your scenes. Come check it out for yourself Junktown SURL: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Wavefront/139/124/23 Junktown Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/groups/junktown/

July 3, 2016 | Categories: sl photography, Uncategorized | Tags: junktown, ravenstarr, second life, sims that rez, yarr | Leave a comment

A Few Tips From A Layman Sl Photographer

I am by no means an expert or overly talented in virtual photography; but i enjoy the challenge, and I am ever on the continual prowl to learn new things. I thought I would share a few of the gadgets that I have happened upon, tutorials and places in sl that inspire me creatively, with anyone else out there that might somehow benefit from the little I do know.
I have three gadgets that I have accumulated that I have found quite handy as far as posing and lighting go. The first is Photo Stand II, a photostand that has 66 pre- loaded poses and comes with a hud. It allows you to add your own poses, it spins, it is copyable, and you can hide the stand. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/PhotoStand-II-Modeling-Pose-Stand/657666 $L359
The second on the list, is the Animare Pose & Animation System. The Hud allows you to create poses and export them out of SL as a bvh file, and then re-import them as you as the creator with full permissions. But the thing I really like is that you can take an existing pose and change it while in world, mid-shoot, to make your own while in the moment. It’s easy to make basic poses and correct issues of your hands being stuck in your clothes etc. Handy as heck, and definitely worth $L299. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Animare-Pose-Animation-System-BOXED/1554912?page=3
Thirdly, and yes, this is gonna hurt a bit at $L6,995, but in the long run I feel it is definitely worth it…the LUMIPro 3.
” LUMIPro is a HUD worn by the photographer that controls all aspects of lights worn by the model or self. Photographer can adjust position, color, radius, and falloff. It all works in zero rez sims! The built in posing system controls four models independently and again, without the need to rez for pose stands. This version contains both projectors and high resolution 125 position animation based eye gazer.” https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/LUMIPro-HUD-V3/2585413 Here’s a video with an overview:https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUcPFjl6H4suXVMfS7gKZ7nA&t=1&v=CGxW-IQjlrE

My preference in viewers is Phoenix Firestorm, which seems geared towards photography. There’s alot there! And alot to learn. Here’s a series of 8 tutorials that I have found really helpful, and that i keep referring back to, in getting the most out of my phototools: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSxZ1E-47PHChTlT4wj4Ng2OJAZRSjIYC

And finally, here’s a compilation of sims that I find to be great places to explore and take photographs in, that may or may not be new to you:

September 18, 2015 | Categories: sl photography | Tags: animare, exploring, gadgets, lumipro, photography, photostand II, phototools, second life, sims, slurls, tutorial | Leave a comment

Haunted Pit Stop: Allhallow’s Showcase Festival

Allhallow’s Showcase Festival: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rising%20Phoenix/225/155/25
Fall is in the air, and Halloween on the horizon (my favourite time of year), so I am checking out some SL seasonal activities that i will share here, labeled Haunted Pit Stops. I stopped in at the Allhallow’s Showcase Festival.This showcase festival shines on the creativity, imagination and beauty of 12 of Second Life’s most excellent fantasy creators. Each creator was asked to pick their favorite items to feature at the showcase. In addition, they will offer a free hunt item. (Keep an eye out for Pumpkins) Event runs Sept. 12-Oct. 31.

Here I was sidewinded by the magic in this super cool Witch Cabin by one of my favorite designers on SL, Precious Restless of Boudoir. It can be found on Marketplace here: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Witch-Cabin/6483835

September 17, 2015 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Allhallow's Showcase Festival, Boudoir, halloween, Hunt, Precious Restless, second life, Witch Cabin | Leave a comment

Dystopia, The Slums, & Carnage City

“After everything that’s happened, how can the world still be so beautiful? Because it is.” ― Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake

I for one am a big fan of Science Fiction and Post Apocalyptic themes. Since childhood I’ve fantasized about surviving the inevitable collapse of civilization and have found an imminent beauty in decay and the spirit of humanity’s resolve to band together and continue to live or exist, in spite of danger or hardship. I am drawn especially to these sims, and Dystopia, The Slums & Carnage City, is no exception. Visually stunning… as the pixels render, you find yourself in a world submerged…obviously an outpost that has survived some sort of cataclysmic deluge. A broken freeway, the old bones of buildings overgrown with foliage ; remnants of a once bustling society…the iconic fire of the hand of the Liberty statue raises itself out of the watery abyss, like a beacon of remembered hope. This is a tribute to destruction and rebirth; true demolition art.

This spot on the Grid was, “inspired by the Canadian author Margret Atwood’s MaddAdam series: Oryx & Crake, The Year of the Flood and MaddAdam. We wanted to take a probable ‘end’ for a new twist to Post Apocalyptic Science/Climate Fiction combining the concepts of Tank Girl, Mad Max and Waterworld alike.”

“Our vision has come to (virtual) fruition in a small corner of second life called Excalibur Serendipity which houses our first Climate Fiction themed enviroment built by Flit Ulrik, Dylain Nikita, Epimitheus Resident, Mollywollidoodle Resident and Jordy Parkin.” http://dystopiasl.weebly.com

This is a Roleplay sim , and is also the home to [flit ink], abberrant, and :ZISP:. Photography is highly encouraged, and here’s the flickr group:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/2846264@N21/ to visually chronicle your adventures .

“When any civilization is dust and ashes, “he said, “art is all that’s left over. Images, words, music. Imaginative structures. Meaning-human meaning, that is-is defined by them. You have to admit that.”
-Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake

Soundtrack:
Destination: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Excalibur%20Serendipity/158/165/29