Eddi & Ryce Photograph Second Life: April 2016

Friday, April 29, 2016

Great Second Life Destinations: Make Sure To Visit Sapphire Mirror Lake Designed by Haveit Neox at the 2016 Fantasy Faire By May 1

Sapphire Mirror Lake is Arts and Entertainment area of The 2016 Fantasy Faire. The great Second Life architect and environmental designer Haveit Neox had designed a spectacular assemblage of galleries, walkways, towers and a performance stage at the water surface level, in brilliant organic forms and with stupendous colors and textures. Sapphire Mirror Lake also has an underground gallery wirth sea sculptures that move and gyrate and emit flashing lights. One view is shown as the animated GIF which is the last photograph in this post. Silver Mirror Lake reminds me of the stand-out environmental installation at the 2015 Fantasy Faire aslo by Haveit Neox, Poseidon's Abyss,but with more color and attention to its role as a fine and performing arts mecca.

Fantasy Faire is set to close at the end of the day of Sunday, May 1. You only have through this weekend to catch Sapphire Mirror Lake and all the other fantastically designed cities and shopping areas of this great event. All proceeds from the event go to funding research at the American Cancer Society.

you can visit Sapphire Mirror Lake here. Make to follow the path and walk underwater to see the underwater gallery shown in the last 4 images in this review. You can teleport to the central area of Crystal Silver Lake with the following SLurl:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sapphire%20Mirror%20Lake/100/194/46

More information about Fantasy Faire 2016 can be found here at their Main Web Site:
https://fantasyfairesl.wordpress.com/

SL Newswe also has good coverage of the event:
http://slnewserevents.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/fantasy-faire-2016-bright-haven.html

More Blog Coverage of other regions of Fantasy Faire 2016 can be found here:

Echt Virtuell (Real Virtual) impressions of Fantasy Faire - Part 1:

http://echtvirtuell.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/impressionen-von-der-fantasy-faire-2016.html

Echt Virtuell (Real Virtual) impressions of Fantasy Faire - Part 2:
http://echtvirtuell.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/impressionen-von-der-fantasy-faire-2016_25.html

Inara Pey: Living in a Modem World:
https://modemworld.me/2016/04/28/fairelands-thoughts-and-memories-in-second-life/

Looking for more places to visit?

To see more of my coverage of great destinations to visit in Second Life (scroll down):
http://www.eddihaskell.com/search/label/Second%20Life%20Destinations

Check out Scoop It Second Life Destinations for more great places to visit:
http://www.scoop.it/t/second-life-destinations

I constructed this animated GIF from 16 individual frames each over at ezgif.com.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Great Second Life Destinations: The Island of Whispering Pines

This Island of Whispering Pines is a medieval and fantasy role play destination that is part of a larger 3-sim complex. Different architectural styles are on display here -- Moghul India (the greatest real life example being the Taj Mahal), Romanesque with its use of elongated half-arch shapes as seen in the structure above, Medieval used in the wooden fortified builds and central shopping area, and Roman shown in the underwater builds. You can use the teleport in the arrival area to transport to different attractions around the island. This is a very pretty destination that in its eclectic mix of styles makes for a highly recommended visit.

You can use the teleport in the arrival area to transport to different attractions around the island. Your taxi:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Greenhaven/96/38/22

Monday, April 25, 2016

Great Second Life Destinations: Eupalinos Ugajin's Gravity is a Mistake at LEA 21

Eupalinos Ugajin's new installation at LEA 21, Gravity is a Mistake, is a wonder of animated design. Visitors arrive in the organically shaped skybox shown below and walk out a door to be teleported to the front of a cavernous red colored entrance hall. Make sure to accept the hud that is offered -- or get one upon arrival. As you walk down the hall to central area guarded by a fierce dragon, you will be assaulted by rolling rocks, flying matches, and other objects to complicate your visit. You can click on various objects -- which can give you items such as spears or place you inside spheres that will transport you around the exhibit. The effect is hypnotic and dreamlike, and ultimately exhilarating -- even if you lose site of the quest as I have.

All photography was taken using Windlight Sky Setting Riverrock Night which can be found as an option in Firestorm and other viewers. I used it for bringing out the contrasts and rich colors which are so much a part of Eupalinos's works. In addition, I applied a 30% Orton lighting effect to each image.

To visit this highly recommended art installation:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA21/50/240/45

Additional coverage of "Gravity is a Mistake" can be found over at the following blogs:

Ziki Questi:
http://zikiquesti.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/gravity-is-mistake.html

Inara Pey:

https://modemworld.me/2016/04/21/gravity-is-a-mistake-in-second-life/

Apmel Gosson:
http://apmel.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/apmelina-experienced-eupalinos-gravity.html

My reviews of concurrent art installations at LEA Sims that you can visit now:

LEA 2: Funky Junk (February 2016)
http://www.eddihaskell.com/2016/02/great-second-life-destinations-funky.html

LEA 10: Cyberpolis, The Oracle (March 2016)
http://www.eddihaskell.com/2016/03/great-second-life-destinations_3.html

LEA 26: Heritage, Wrecks and Vestiges Fractals Exhibits (March 2016)

http://www.eddihaskell.com/2016/03/great-second-life-art-installations.html

My reviews of concurrent art installations at LEA Sims that you can visit now (continued):

LEA 16: Entropy 3 (March 2016)
http://www.eddihaskell.com/2016/03/great-second-life-destinations-entropy.html

LEA 20: Light Thoughts 2 (April 2016):

http://www.eddihaskell.com/2016/04/great-second-life-destinations-light.html

LEA 23: Serotonin Uptake Inhibitor (April 2016):
http://www.eddihaskell.com/2016/04/great-second-life-destinations-preview.html

Eupalinos Ugajin had a prior art installation over at an LEA sim in November 2014- "Taxy! to the Zircus"-- that I enjoyed photographing. It reminds me of the current installation. You can catch my blog post here:

http://www.eddihaskell.com/2014/11/great-second-life-art-installations_6.html

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Great Second Life Destinations: Beaumont Grove

Beaumont Grove, designed by Screamingtoast, and sponsored by Whole Wheat Landscape & Creations, is a stunning new European inspired destination. The build, which is divided into a town center and wooded residential area, appears to be larger than just one standard-sized sim, I found myself looking at the viewer map a few times to make sure I had not crossed into an second region.

The shop interiors, including a grocery store located near the arrival dock that I show below, is reason alone to visit Beaumont Grove. I was particularly transfixed by a box of lemons which is near the windowsill display I show in the last image of this blog post. It had to be the most realistic display of its kind I have yet seen in virtual reality.

I also liked the layout of the town - with walkways under brick archways that reminded me of the city of Turin in Northern Italy. The quality of light using the programmed Windlight worked particularly well with the lacy Elm and Chestnut Trees which populate the region. Everything is to scale here which contribute to the realism of this highly recommended destination.

All photographs were taken with the programmed Windlight settings at the region.

Visitors are welcome to rez objects after joining a group, and visit the houses located on the sim.

Your taxi:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/La%20Baule/213/35/25

Sim designer Screamingtoast maintains a Flickr site You can find information on a current photography contest for Beaumont Grove photographers here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/123457468@N08/

Friday, April 22, 2016

Masterwork Machinima: Berlin 1920's by Pepa Cometa

Berlin 1920's, which is managed by Jo Yardley, is one of the most evocative and best designed historic destinations on the grid. Berlin in the 1920's was decadent and sophisticated -- the legendary musical and movie Cabaret begins in this period. The Nazis would not take over until 1933 - it was as if the people of Berlin did whatever they could to push culture and nightlife to extremes before the horror of the Third Reich set in.

Still Image by Pepa Cometa from Berlin 1920's

Berlin 1920's is also the name of this excellent machinima by film artist Pepa Cometa. The music and filming of this machinima do an outstanding job in capturing the atmosphere of Berlin 90 years ago. The period music and excellent filmography all contribute to this great work, but there is something else here -- the ability to convey an atmosphere that is so well done. Please make sure to see this machinima and check out Pepa's other Second Life works over on her YouTube Channel.

Still Images by Pepa Cometa from Berlin 1920's

Links:

You can catch more information about Berlin 1930's and this machinima here:
https://1920sberlinproject.wordpress.com/2016/03/26/pepa-cometa-makes-fantastic-1920s-berlin-project-video/

Berlin 1920's has a new location:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/1920s%20Berlin%20Project/242/222/1929

I photographed Berlin 1920's two years ago. You can catch my photography here:
http://www.eddihaskell.com/2014/08/great-second-life-destinations-1920s.html

You can catch my other Masterwork Machinima picks here. Make sure to scroll down:
http://www.eddihaskell.com/search/label/Masterwork%20Machinima

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Great Second Life Destinations: [G]aio at Devils Ranch

(G)aio is a gorgeous island sim that reminds me of the regions around the Umbrian Apennine Mountains in Italy, one of the most prized areas in Europe to move to for an annual August vacation. I specifically thought of a farmhouse outside of the famous city of Perugia, alongside beautiful Lake Trasimeno. The landscaping, farm architecture, plantings, and detailing all work well together-- I highly recommend a visit.

All photography was taken using Windlight Sky Setting Places - Greed and Greed 2, which comes as a standard option in Firestorm and other viewers.

Your Taxi:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Devils%20Ranch/94/58/27

See more blog coverage and photography:

Loverdag:
http://loverdag.com/2016/03/25/gaio/

Inara Pey Living in a Modem World:
http://modemworld.me/2016/03/27/a-cheerful-visit-in-second-life/

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Second Life Photograph of the Day: Benja Aquila is Trapped in a Sorcerer's Crystal

Don't worry- he was able to get out.

Photographed at the cave on the Island of Whispering Pines which you can visit here:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Greenhaven/96/38/22