In the planning stage for the past two years, creators
Angela Thespian (angelathespian resident), Frank Atisso, and Cesar Lighthouse, have
brought the first ever Photography Fair to Second Life. Sponsored by Focus
Magazine & Art Galleries, this unique event runs from December 18, 2020 to
January 1, 2021. Why have a photography fair? As Angela told me, “It's really
out of dedication to our loyal readers and to continue to constantly try to provide
assistance and encouragement to explore their creativity.” And so, the
Photography Fair features some of the most creative photography specialists and
creators in Second Life. From 3-D tools, to props, and backdrops to poses, 33
of the best-known photo brands are here at the fair bringing everything a photographer
could need, from the beginner to the professional. And many of the creators will
have some very exciting offers just for this event. In addition, photography
workshops will be offered over the course of the fair (see the workshop
schedule below). So, if you’re interested in Second Life photography and
enhancing your Flickr collection of images, this fair is a must!
The event started with a live performance by Nefer who sang
popular songs of the Top 40 variety. Nefer was the first of many live
performances at the fair (the schedule of live and DJ performances at the fair is
provided below). The people at this opening performance had been waiting
several hours for the event to open at noon, at which point dancing and lively conversation
ensued. I spoke with several people about the fair and there was overwhelming
enthusiasm expressed by everyone.
When asked for her impressions of the Photography Fair, Freja
(freeflying), the owner of Unbound Spirit, told me, “I’m impressed. It’s the
first time FOCUS has had an event like this. It feels professionally done.
There is always someone online, making sure vendors are on track. They have
arranged some really, really good events and not just one or two, but one every
day. The people who have visited have shown real interest and have asked good
professional questions. So, it seems like a high-quality event.” If you get a
chance, visit Freja’s booth at the fair.
The event organizers were enthusiastic, too:
Angela Thespian-Ireland (angelathespian): this fair is an
opportunity for vendors to share their creativity!
Patrick Thespian-Ireland: Of course, another cool feature of
the fair is that backdrop designers are offering "gifts" of props with
their sets - such as flowers, or drinks etc. - all bringing a special flavor to
each photo. It’s all quite brilliant mind you, I just love how this has come
together.
Frank Atisso: There is something that we have here
especially for backdrops. Backdrop creators often lose out because they can at
most display one product in the limited space of the booth. So, we provided
each backdrop creator with the option of a platform to provide them more space.
So, this is something creators can use so that people get to see more of their
work.
I asked famous Second
Life photographer, Artemis (artemisgreece) what she thought of the Photography
Fair and she told me, “It's good they thought about it because I think it's the
first time in Second Life for an event like this. Poses and backdrops are
presented at other events, but only as support and not the main thing because
you know at events mostly clothes catch the eye of the visitor and here photography
is the main subject and that's good.”
Another well-known Second Life photographer, Hermes Kondor
told me, “I think this is a very important event for the photographer community
in Second Life. The choice of products is excellent.
The fair appeals to the extraordinary popularity of
photography in Second Life. I asked why is photography so popular in Second
life? Here is what I found out:
Angela Thespian-Ireland: that is much like asking "what
is the meaning of life?"
Patrick Thespian-Ireland, Angela’s partner told me: I can answer that from my own perspective.
First, it's super fun. CGI and digital art have been around for years. Traditional
mediums such as painting with oils and acrylics, or watercolor, etc. are
wonderful and of course traditional photography with a DSLR camera and fancy
lenses. However, many people in Second Life just love to take snapshots. Many
VR games allow you to do that and have for years. So why it's fun and exciting
is that the virtual world here in SL is so amazing, and pretty real - many SIM
designers and creators of mesh do amazing work. An example would be landscape
photos. Photographers take fab shots and create such beautiful shots that rival
real life.
Angela Thespian-Ireland: There are bloggers who are
passionate about sharing their sponsor's merchandise artfully, but then there are CGI artists who focus on
creating art and I think most of all, Second Life photography is accessible to
those who need/want a creative outlet but don't have the skill to paint or
draw. The fact is that people want to be seen and show their creativity. It’s innate
is almost all of us. Some people write, some people sing, most people can do
neither. Everyone is creative, though and Second Life offers people a medium to
explore their creative selves and this fair is meant to provide those people
with the tools they need. The point is not income for us - that may be one of
the biggest differences between this and other fairs. Our mission for this
event is truly to provide information to photographers, primarily our readers,
and also to help our vendors reach photographers.
Hermes Kondor: Well, because it's an excellent form of
expressing our feelings, creating art. And it's very good that Second Life photography
is so popular. In this sense we are obliged to take even better photos and work
more technically and creatively. We need to try to be better because it's not
easy. The competition is great and very good. There are great artists in Second
Life who could very well show their work in real life in a gallery. Second Life
is a world of creativity and we see that here at this excellent event. Second
Life, in its essence, is a work of art, too and needs to be discovered and seen
in different ways. We need to see differently and better to show even better
works of photography.
And there you have it! The Photography Fair is a wonderful
opportunity for you to get started on your photographic journey, or for those
already well-versed in the visual arts, a way for you to up your game. And just
another quick note: so far the fair has been very successful with an average of
500 visits a day and most of the vendors already recouping their investment in
renting the booth, so come and see what’s happening at this unique Second Life
event before it ends.
*Music Schedule*
Friday 18th Dec
12pm-1pm : Nefer *LIVE MUSIC*
1pm-2pm : DJ Eth Tedeschi
Saturday 19th Dec
6pm-7pm : Icecremn Merlin *LIVE MUSIC*
7pm-9pm : DJ Ninja
Sunday 20th Dec
12pm-1pm : Thera *LIVE MUSIC*
6pm-7pm : Vampink *LIVE MUSIC*
7pm-8pm : DJ Female
Monday 21st Dec
12pm-1pm : MrMulti *LIVE MUSIC*
1pm-3pm : Tunes by DixMix
Tuesday 22nd Dec
6pm-7pm : Melodee McDonell *LIVE MUSIC*
7pm-8pm : Wαιɳ Aɾυɳ *DJ*
Wednesday 23rd Dec
12pm-1pm : Icecremn Merlin *LIVE MUSIC*
1pm-3pm : DJ R.A.K.S
Thursday 24th Dec
6pm-7pm : Ghostie *LIVE MUSIC*
7pm-8pm : Wαιɳ Aɾυɳ *DJ*
Friday 25th Dec
6pm-7pm : Mish *LIVE MUSIC*
7pm-8pm : DJ Matrix
Saturday 26th Dec
12pm-1pm : Ugly Bill *LIVE MUSIC*
1pm-2pm : DJ Harry
Sunday 27th Dec
6pm-7pm : Rosedrop Rust *LIVE MUSIC*
7pm-8pm : DJ Female
Monday 28th Dec
12pm-1pm : MrMulti *LIVE MUSIC*
1pm-3pm : DJ Verdant
Tuesday 29th Dec
6pm-7pm : Gandalf Mornington *LIVE MUSIC*
Wednesday 30th Dec
12pm-1pm : MrMulti *LIVE MUSIC*
1pm-2pm : DJ Eth Tedeschi
Thursday 31st Dec
6pm-7pm : MrMulti & Edward Lowell *LIVE MUSIC*
7pm-8pm : DJ Shamrod
8pm-9pm : DJ Female
Friday 1st Jan
12pm-1pm : Yadleen *LIVE MUSIC*
1pm-2pm : DJ Jadeyu
6pm-7pm : Ricky *LIVE MUSIC*
***************
*Workshop Schedule*
Tuesday 22nd Dec
10:30am - 11:30am : Photography Workshop by Moni Bebee
Wednesday 23rd Dec
10:30am - 11:30am : Blogging/Photography Workshop by Sugah
Pancake
Monday 28th Dec
10:30am - 11:30am : Photography Workshop by Moni Bebee
Tuesday 29th Dec
4pm - 5pm : Blogging/Photography Workshop by Sugah Pancake
***************
*Relevant Links*
FOCUS Photography Fair 2020 FB : https://www.facebook.com/FOCUS-Photography-Fair-106512111341386
Flickr Group : https://www.flickr.com/groups/tsftg/pool/
FOCUS Magazine FB : https://www.facebook.com/FocusMagazineSL
FOCUS Photography Fair FB Event :
https://www.facebook.com/events/144513523851741
Inworld Group : Too Sexy for this Group
secondlife:///app/group/1803660a-f5c4-ca32-75df-a0340ed93669/about
Photos by Hermes Kondor.
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