Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
Are mermaids cetaceans? They are aquatic mammals. In our first lives, live sightings of mermaids are limited, mainly to myth and art. In Second Life, there are many sightings and even contemporary photographs that prove mermaids exist. I thought it might be informative to take a look at some of the photographic evidence.
From the sirens who sang ancient sailors to their death and the fabled city of Atlantis to the Little Mermaid and Daryl Hannah, mermaids have fascinated. It’s no surprise then that there are vibrant mermaid role-playing communities in Second Life. Destinations highlights many of the underwater sims that host merlife. There’s even an organization to promote the harmony and safety of merfolk called the Safe Waters Foundation. On Flickr, there are several groups including Second Life Merfolk, Mermaids of Second Life, Second Life Mermaids, and Undersea Second Life.
Sugarfairy88 Resident’s No Grave But The Sea (above) caught my eye with the bold red coloring of the mermaid. Most of the time the mermaids we see are in the blue to green spectrum which is odd when the ocean is full of bright and colorful fish. This picture seems to confirm the notorious reputation of mermaids as sirens who lure sailors to their death.
۰˚Yukino ۰ 火の鳥 雪乃˚۰ shared this photo called Fish Dinner 4 that reveals that the peril is bi-directional. This photo is an excellent example of how framing can direct your eye, we see the diner looking at the mermaid, the hands framing the mermaid and all are directed toward the upper right. I love its unique perspective on the mermaid question, eschewing the usual romanticism. It also reverses the usual predator-prey relationship between the air and water breathers.
Many more mermaid roleplay pics after the break!
Gabriella Marshdevil’s My Little Mermaid is a delightful homage to the famed pony which makes me wonder if there are mer-ponies in Second Life and more importantly, are there My Little Mer-Ponies?
Stockard Darkmatter reminds us that not all merfolk are female. I also like how his Sun Is Shining, It’s a Beautiful Day is shot with his tail in front, the large fin framing the photo. I also love all the sunlight penetrating the water. It must be fairly shallow where he is sunning himself.
Azaiya Aeon reminds us that merfolk can be pretty darn scary. I love the color, how the stone in the background seems to extend the curve of the mer-ghoul (I made that word up.) and diagonally bisects the photo with light and shadow.
I also would like to highlight a few Not Safe For Work photos that I really like that you might want to check out when you’re not at work. This one from Tamzin Xigalia has beautiful lighting. I love the detail in Syliva Olivier’s photo. This photo from Riowyn Magwell is beautiful and also shows a mermaid on the job at work.
If you want to explore the merworld on your own, there are several excellent groups on Flickr.
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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