Layering

At first, I was very happy with this picture. I have almost achieved what I had in mind when I have started to photoshop it. I like the pose, I like the light, I like the shadows, I like the cloak and I absolutely love that shawl.

BUT… argh the shawl; I have forgotten to correct the layering of the shawl with the turtleneck. I thought I had taken care of it but I guess at some point, I have mixed my layers in photoshop.

I always try to have the clothes, the hair, the accesories to layer up as you would logicaly expect them to. Most of the time, as I work in a studio (aka sky platform made with 2 planks),I take 3 or 4 snapshots with the same angle: first one with the whole outfit, the second without the cloak, the third without the scarf and the fourth without the hair. Then I rebuild the picture in photoshop. There are a lot of tools in that program to help you improve your image but in the end, I often find the copy / paste of details to work best.

Here is the original for comparison.

Credits:

Mesh head: LOGO Infinity Alex Hybrid Mesh Avatar v3.0
Skin: *YS&YS* Beatrix Tone02 Skin Applier LOGO ALEX Mesh Head
Hair: Exile::Cozy Winter Nights Blondes @ Collabor88
Coat: -Pixicat- Stockholm.Coat (White) @ Collabor88
Shawl: Zaara : [Mesh] Kashmiri Shawl *jardin* @ Collabor88
Pose: Marukin

20140914

Details:

Skin: -Glam Affair – Artemis – Jamaica 07 C @ Collabor88
Lashes: Glam Affair – MIAMI Lashes Tiffany @ Collabor88
Hair: [LeLutka]-JERRY hair M – StrawberryBlonde
Dress: Tee*fy Gina Bodycon Dress S Prints A @ Collabor88
Eyes: IKON Hope Eyes – Silverleaf (M)
Bangles: LaGyo_Morgan bangle Aqua @ Collabor88
Earrings: (Yummy) Vice Hoop – Gold @ Collabor88
Tights: Schadenfreude Low Black Miami Fishnet Leggings @ Collabor88
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Elegant1
Pose: kokolores

Hera

Simple note for those who would wonder: One of Hera’s attribute is the peacock. That’s why I have chosen those colors to represent her.

Picture 1:
Skin: -Belleza- Grace C88 Med 9 @ Collabor88
Hair: Lamb. Asteria – Ginger Pack @ Collabor88
Dress: The Secret Store – Odyssey Dress – Eggplant – S @ Collabor88
Jewels: . aisling . Tortuga Princess – at Fantasy Gacha Carnival
Pose: *TorridWear*

Picture 2:
Skin: -Belleza- Grace C88 Med 10 @ Collabor88
Eyeshadow: NOX. Helter Shadow [Pack Two] @ Collabor88
Hair: Lamb. Pandora – Ombre Pack @ Collabor88
Dress: Schadenfreude Amphitrite Siren Dress @ Collabor88
Head Chain: (Yummy) Oracle Head Chain @ Collabor88
Crown: (Yummy) Golden Laurel Leaf Crown (recolored) @ Collabor88
Necklace: ~Muse~ Marguerite Feather Necklace
Wings: LaGyo_Metis wing shoulders Gold (recolored) @ Collabor88
Ring: (Kunglers Extra) Velouria – R ring
Pose: Kirin @ Collabor88

Something of Africa

Details:
Skin: DeeTaleZ Skin A.T.W. Jule Brows 2 Mixedtype @ Cosmetic Fair
Eyes: #adored – siren eyes – kelp @ Cosmetic Fair
Makeup: +Nuuna+ Kai Aqua @ Cosmetic Fair
Shorts: *Shai* Women’s Safari Shorts – Rust S @ Collabor88
Headwrap: Overhigh – Headwrap – Txt 03
Earrings: Overhigh – African Earrings – Blue –
Necklace: Necklace(Long) [MANDALA]KYARA/Forest
Bracelet: Overhigh – Cage Bracelet – O.Gold – 1
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Flat XS Left + elegant 1 Right
Pose: ..::Vibe::.. – Keep It Casual_04

Tee*Fy and Hair Fair

Details:
Skin: DeeTaleZ Skin A.T.W. Anouk Mixedtype
Eyes: IKON Ardent Eyes – Feldgrau (S)

Picture 1:
Hair: MINA – Iris – Light brown @ Hair Fair
Bikini: Tee*fy Clara Scallop Bikini Fiesta @ Season Story

Picture 2
Hair: MINA – Iris – Light brown @ Hair Fair
Top: Tee*fy Sadie Shirt ElectricLeopard @ Collabor88
Shorts: Tee*fy Sahara Shorts Cobalt Blue @ Collabor88
Sandals: Tee*fy Sienna Gladiator Sandal Plum @ Collabor88
Bangles: [MANDALA]KYARA_Bangle set_Marrakesh @ Collabor88
Earrings: [MANDALA]KYARA_Jewelry set_Sunrise @ Collabor88
Camera: Tee*fy Vintage Brownie Camera Purple

The Beginning of Summer

Details:

Skin: DeeTaleZ Skin Anouk brown Mixedtype
Hair: Exile::West Coast @ Summerfest
Bikini: Zaara : [Mesh] Naisha Bikini top S *cobalt* @ Summerfest
Kimono: -tres blah- Summer Kimono (M) – Floral @ Summerfest
Necklace: (Yummy) Sea Trinkets Charm Necklace
Glasses: (Yummy) Captain’s Aviators – White @ Collabor88
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Elegant

Lua

Credits:

Skin: –Belleza– Ava Med Red 2
Eyes: IKON Ardent Eyes – Skyfall (S)
Hair: >TRUTH< Cyanne w/Roots – seasand
Cardigan: tram -J.I cardigan[RIGGED]- L
Top: The Secret Store – Lua’s Cropped Shirt – Triangles – M at FaMESHed
Shorts: (fashionably dead) Scallop Shorts – S Mint at Collabor88
Tights: (fashionably dead) Opaque Tights (Yellow, Underpants) at Collabor88
Nails: [PM]Pixel Mode – Diamond Edt. Mesh Nails : Regular
Jewels: MG – Necklace – Sybil’s LadyBug Amulet at FaMESHed
Bag: (Milk Motion) fringe bag – blue/yellow- at The Dressing Room Fusion
Pose: Manifeste at Pose Fair

Tillie Posing Stand

For any Second Life Fashion blogger, there is one item you absolutely need and which makes your life so much easier, it is a posing stand. Basicly, you drop your poses in it and scroll through them to choose the one which will compliment your outfit the best. Poses are so important to make good pictures. I cannot imagine going on blogging without my dear [Tillie] Posing Stand. I have it for years and it has never failed me. For beginners, it is even delivered with poses from reknown poses shops, being Diesel Works and Glitterati.

Occasionnaly, Tillie Ariantho is adding new features to her creation and you automatically receive a new box full of wonders. The last 4.0 version is bringing a very neat option: “[new] light/huds: You can now click a button in the blue LIGHT menu and on the hud LIGHT page to make lights follow the nearest avatar: button FOLLOW. This will make the light always being directed towards the nearest avatar.” I just love that. For a long time I have been avoiding playing with spotlights in Second Life because I was finding it too long to set up. Nuw, you just click a button and it is set. I don’t see how to make it easier.

While snapshotting the picture in world was easier, I had a bit more trouble to rework the light and shadows (dodge and burn) in Photoshop as there are three sources of light. For the rest, I have kept the same postprocessing method I usualy do, that is cleaning the picture than playing with curves (a lot), adding contrast, vibrance and then lowering the saturation. Here below, you see the raw shot before working on it.

Details:

Skin: –Belleza– Ava Med Red 1
Eyes: IKON Ardent Eyes – Blossom (S)
Hairbase: [LeLutka]-HAIRBASE SummerTime
Hair: Magika [Hair L] Moment
Sweater: Emery – Mesh Sweater Carrie Agre – S
Shorts: (fashionably dead) Scallop Shorts – M Light Denim at Collabor88 until 7th of March 2013
Tights: Maitreya Tights * Xanadu S
Scarf: [Decoy] Izel Scarf – Mint (Rigged) at Collabor88 until 7th of March 2013
Earrings: {Cherry} Larissa Earrings – cyan at L’accesoires event
Necklace: (Yummy) Sea Trinkets Charm Necklace
Nails: Pixel Mode – Diamond Edt. Mesh Nails : Regular
Boots: Maitreya August Ankle Boots * Lion S-M
Posing Stand: [Tillie] Posing Stand 4.04
Pose: Glitterati

Cold Poppy

Details:

Skin: Glam Affair – Laurel 04 BL at Collabor88
Eyes: IKON Eternal Eyes – Pond (S)
Hair: [LeLutka]-GLORIA Hair – BlondeFun
Dress + Top: coldLogic combo – diaz.poppy (M) (review Copy)
Hat: -Glam Affair- Oly Hat 03 at Collabor88
Jewels: (Yummy) Caprice Set – Black and White at Collabor88
Streetlamp with pose and Umbrella: LISP