For about five weeks now I have been attending Visionaire Institute inside of SL. Visionaire has been teaching me and other students in class the best practices when it comes to photography in SL. Now, it's NOT all technical either, its about finding your personal style, connecting with what you love and finding your passion. Five weeks into this journey, my path is starting to develop and I know my path is different than the others in class, as well as other photographers I admire and respect deeply. This is all OK! I can be different, I can do photos the way I want as long as it is MY PASSION, no one else's.
I also realized that there is a HUGE difference between the photos I complete for blogging and the photos I create for personal use or pleasure. Through discussions in class, I realized that I viewed taking photos for blogging my sponsors creations as more of an obligation than a passion. Don't get me wrong I LOVE blogging, absolutely LOVE it! However, I need to step back and allow my passion and blogging come together. How is this done?
Someone said to me that they do not blog if there is a time limit or deadline because it doesn't allow them creativity for the items to be blogged. *LIGHTBULB MOMENT* We all agree that blogging should be about portraying the items blogged in a manner that everyone wants to buy them, correct? Well in order to do that I have to pour a little of myself and my passion in every blog post for my sponsors. Otherwise I am not doing them any favors and blogging just becomes about getting free clothes and posting pics. That isn't what blogging is about and shame on you if that is what you feel it is about!
Anyway, so my classes at Visionaire have allowed certain things to surface about my personal photography....I am a romantic, love to have a story told, need to capture a feeling/emotion, and I love purple (lol this we know is my fav color). When I originally applied to become a student, I walked in telling them that I was much better at landscapes than people, and that still holds true. In time, and with practice I am going to master portraits and photography that deals with people. Another thing that has surfaced is my love for interior design. Funny how that happened, but my very first job in SL was as an interior designer. Before all the rez boxes with full "rooms-to-go", you had to furnish your own place, so I joined an upper scale skybox rental company and was the interior designer to the tenants. Even my own SL home now, lol landscaping is HORRIBLE...atrocious but the inside...perfection to every detail (even the coffee cups on the table).
With all of this said....I am going back to my roots! Back to the fundamentals that I have a passion for. Yes, I have left some of my fashion blogging behind but that doesn't mean that the sponsors aren't great creators. It pains me to leave some of my sponsors but I cannot continue the "mass production/assembly line" mode for my blogging. I want to create wonderful pictures that complement and show off the items that I choose to wear.
My first project is the following photo......I have become addicted to the group and magazine "Love to Decorate", so I visited their sim and just fell in love with everything. Started snapping some raw photos and then began to play with photoshop actions. The picture isn't perfect, but it's a start and I am pretty sure that you will sense a feeling of difference between this one photo and my previous blog photos. The style card follows the picture and please feel free to comment!
APPEARANCE:
EYES: IKON Spectral Eyes
HAIR: ^;^CaTwA^;^ Mesh Julia
MAKEUP: .:: BEAUTIFUL DELUXE ::. AMANTE SMUDGE EYELINER
Blacklace Beauty Summer Eyes
Blacklace Beauty Candy Lips
OUTFIT:
SHIRT: Zaara : shyla blouse *moss*
CAPRIS: Yve Belt (Pelvis) /plain darkblue by LeeZu!
ACCESSORIES:
JEWELRY: Lazuri Tres Chic Set
POSE:
I custom made this pose myself
LOCATION:
Fall Sim (home of Love To Decorate)
If you'd like to see the "before" raw shot as well as the shot above in higher resolution, please visit my flicker by clicking here.
