Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
People love portraits, but portraiture is harder than it looks. How do you shoot portraits again and again and yet make each one new and fresh? Lori Novo is an outstanding Second Life portraitist whose photos are perfectly edited. What makes this so amazing is that after taking a screenshot, she only uses the free web-based photo editor PicMonkey for post-processing.
She is also a skilled stylist who creates some amazing outfits with a high-fashion editorial edge. My conversation with Lori below -- on discovering Second Life, her creative process, on using that creativity in SL to stave off RL depression, and much more:
Tell us about yourself, how did you come to SL?
I was introduced to Second Life by Catero Revolution back in August 2010, whom I met in another virtual world for children called Ameba Pico. Catero had already introduced me back there to blogging where I started a blog for children called Dear Sweets where I would help children with advice, sort of a Dear Abby column.
Coming to Second Life was a bit scary for me in a way. I had only been around children for years and honestly, I hated Second Life at the beginning. I was sort of "forced" by Catero to come and give it a chance. I tried it for a month but then left for about 2-3 months.
After that time I had decided to return and start a private blog where I could write about my experiences in Second Life, but my daughter talked me into making it public instead so I could share with friends, though at the time there wasn't many. That is how my intended "private" blog came to be what is now the Lori Novo Blog with a profuse audience, more than I ever imagined.
"May Light Always Surround You"
What keeps you here?
My SL blogging was at first the only reason for me to continue my Second Life journey which helped me come out of my shell. I slowly became outgoing and friendly with people and with time, my shyness faded away. A year later, I met my now partner, Steppenwolf Crescendo and he became my main reason to stay. We partnered back on August 10, 2013 and have been together ever since, happily and just in love like the first day.
What can you tell us about your first life?
In real life, I am the proud mother of two, a daughter and a son who are my greatest joys. They are very supportive of my blog and SL photography, that is the reason I am very careful with my photography and writings. I want to be able to sit with them and share my work with them. They both help me in different ways. My daughter usually helps me with my writings, since I am terrible at grammar which she says is due to my Mexican accent ("Mom, you seem to write the way you talk.") Living in South Texas and having been raised for most of my childhood in Mexico, getting rid of my accent seems impossible.
My son, on the other hand, helps me with my photography. I sometimes will ask him his opinion when I am editing a picture because he is very artistically talented.
I was born in south Texas but lived most of my younger years in Mexico with my maternal grandmother Carmelita. My grandma's home was a very small one-room house, but it was surrounded by her flowers which made it the most beautiful place for me. That is why I love flowers and try to include them whenever I can in my pictures.
What do you like to do in SL?
In Second Life I love to explore, especially isolated sims, since I don't like crowds much. I love solitude and simplicity so there is where you will find me. I also love to dance and many times you will find me dancing, alone and barefoot. I rarely wear shoes, even to ballrooms. Under the beautiful gown, you will see my toes sticking out.
Has SL had an effect on your first life?
Second Life has had a positive impact on my RL I believe. To begin with, I suffer from depression and anxiety but for some reason, visiting SL and doing the things I love to do there brings me peace. SL is like a daily pill I take to keep my monster away (depression)... no need to take prescribed drugs, which is wonderful.
It also gives me a sense of pride when it comes to my photography. By no means do I consider myself
one of the greatest SL photographers, but putting 100% of my heart into my work is something to feel proud about.
Tell us about your art. How do you describe your style?
I always say that after all these years of photography I still can't find a defining style, I don't see one.
This frustrates me though many people argue that I do have a style. I honestly feel like I haven't found one and I continue to search. However, one of the things that I would have to say defines my work are my dark backgrounds.
My dark backgrounds are a reflection of my depression but in a good way. The dark behind me represents my depression. However, among all the darkness, there I am, light, colorful and clear... in other words, TRIUMPHANT. I find beauty in that.
"I Paint Flowers So they Will Not Die"
There are many SL photographers I admire very much and find inspiration from their work, Peter Jackson, Jojo Deed, Lana Quiksand, Nic Bour and Samanda Eddingham Jewell just to name a few, the list could go on and on...
As for RL artists, I love the work of Frida Kahlo. I am fascinated by her art and life, both tragic and passionate. I usually tell people I was Frida in another life and that is another reason why I love to wear flowers in my hair in many of my pictures. "Please call me Frida."
Do you have a soundtrack while you work?
Music has a big impact on my work, it is the fuel that I need to get the final inspiration when I am in the process of creating a picture. It sets the mood from the beginning point when I am dressing up Lori Novo with a new look, the WLS, the pose and angle to the final editing process. Without a song playing, I don't think I would be able to produce an image that is satisfying to my liking.
Now, the song that I choose each time I am working with a picture is the song I like to call "song of the day" or my "song for the moment" because it will be played repeatedly until I am done completely with the photography/blogging process... one song, that is all I need for each picture.
Many times the songs I choose for my pictures are mistaken for messages I am sending or things that are going on in my life. They are not. They are simply songs that I like and may not have anything to do with my life at the moment. Other times they are songs shared with me by my kids or sent to me by friends. And yes, other times they will be messages or representations of what is going on in my life at the moment, you really never know.
I, however, love to listen to what I call my mother's music, which is Mexican mariachi music. My mother "Virita", who passed away earlier this year, was also a big part of my blog. I used to include her in many of my blog posts and she used to love it. Now, I continue honoring her memory by writing in a special blog I created after she passed away where I share my own personal writings (From The Center of My Heart). It is a deep insight about my life, memories, fears, pains, dreams and yes, some happy moments.
How long have you blogged?
I've been blogging already for about eight years, starting as a guest blogger in Catero's Pico blog, then my own Dear Sweets Blog, and now over six years on Lori Novo Blog and also as a guest writer for Vitabela's (Boudoir) Blog. Blogging is a big part of my life and though many times I have felt that I am ready to retire, I can't. I have given what I thought would be my final "goodbye" twice already on my Lori Novo Blog to then return two months later saying "oops, I was just kidding." I truly believe that I will continue blogging for many years to come.
I am sure I have the best audience in my blog, they are loyal and understanding. They truly need to be because I am constantly changing my mind about almost everything. From the layout of the blog, to the writing style, to the content ... etc., etc.
I know many of my readers were part of the Ameba Pico (children's virtual world) I used to write for. They are by now young adults and I have had them surprise me in Second Life when they drop a message saying "hiii sweets!”)
Tell us about your process. Where do you find inspiration?
As I've mentioned before, many of our wonderful SL photographers are a big inspiration for me.
However, for my work, I do my own thing. Inspiration doesn't necessarily mean copying other people's work, but appreciating their art as a starting point for ours, the little push we need. I think that is why SL photography is so wonderfully beautiful with all the diversity found among our photographers.
Some people may love my work, others may hate it but in both, I am grateful. Because both are a big motivation to continue and improve. Still, I am my biggest critic and believe me, I am pretty hard on myself. This may or may not be a good thing but in a way, it makes me want to do better and better with every picture. Usually, after I upload a picture to my Flickr stream, I will go back and check it and I will always find a "mistake" or two that I realize I could have avoided so then it becomes a priority for my next picture. With each picture, I take it a new starting point to excel.
Tell us about your process. Where do you find inspiration?
I only work with the same dark grey background in my pics and use the same WLS most of the times (Hospital Light 01). My graphics are always set on Ultra (with Sun-Moon = Projectors Shadows) but for some reason, my shadows have never been the best, I haven't figured that out yet.
I don't use Photoshop in my editing, I use PicMonkey and my pics are usually edited the same way, fix imperfections with the Clone tool, then lighten or darken them as I need to with Exposure tool which gives them the luminosity they need so they won't appear dark.
At the moment I am only working on fashion photography though I enjoy my exploring "scenery" picture collection. For this category I do like to play around and use different WLS for the same location. It is amazing how the mood can be changed by the light setting you give it. I also love adding textures to these pictures.
While I am always in the process to improve my photography skills, I have to give a lot of credit to Ocean (previous SL partner) who had the biggest impact on my photography. He taught me the use of WLS and angles among other things that took my photography from day to night with all his advice. While Catero Revolution made the blogger in me, Ocean made the photographer, both, a huge part in creating the humble artist that I am today.
What is your favorite type of pictures you like to take?
I love taking close-ups, from the waist up preferably, not a big fan of full shots. My favorite thing to photograph is hair and head accessories, flowers the best. Eyes are another favorite thing for me, they are like jewels for the face.
How do you select your poses?
For my poses, I like to play around with them from different angles using a Stand. I may take a "standing pose" and while standing on a stand device, I get to rotate it in any direction I want giving me a million options that I can use for my pic.
Where can people see more of your work?
I am the face and photographer for Mesange Eyes and in the process of also doing the same for JUMO designs.
Cajsa Lilliehook joined Second Life in 2007 and has been enjoying the art of SL ever since. Disliking the common practice of critiquing poor photos, she decided to highlight good ones and explain why they work in hopes of inspiring with praise instead of criticism. Follow Cajsa on Flickr, on Twitter or on her blog.
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