New World Notes

Cajsa’s Friday Instagram Pick: Eve Kazan Photographs the Best of Sansar

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Xiola Linden saw our post requesting Sansar pictures and turned me on to Eve Kazan's Instagram. I follow Eve's fabulous Flickr stream and had no idea that her instagram would be anything different, but it is. I love this "Sleeping Giant" and that Eve shot from a more unusual angle, with the foot right up front rather than from the side. It makes it more humorous. [Visit in Sansar here. - ed]

Here in "A city is more than a place in space" she uses the rule of thirds and leading lines to draw us down the street. Her picture invites us to explore.

Cajsa’s Flickr Pick Of The Day: Artful Photos of Tom Clancy's The Division 2

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

I like this photostream of gamer Agt. Morgan Creed. Most of the screenshots have been desaturated or changed to black and white which gives them a more dramatic feeling. We are not distracted by color and focus more on the shapes and interplay of light and dark.

I don't know what's happening in Tom Clancy's Division, but it is destructive. Nonetheless, with the focus on sunlight and shadow, even destruction becomes beautiful. According to the description, the picture is taken in Photomode; there is no editing. So, like Second Life, they allow users to choose photofilters in-game to produce artistic effects. The most important element, though, is still the skill in framing the photo.

Here is another unedited picture, artfully framed so that our eyes follow the leading lines of the street, creating bold geometric blocks of light and shade:

Cajsa’s SL Flickr Choice Of The Day: Absinthe's Amazingly Detailed Second Life Images Turned Into Perfect Polaroid Shots

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

I love Absinthe's photo "Wish You Were Here" because it is everything it should be: An old black and white Polaroid snap of someone in a specific moment. The train speeds by and the blur she added in Photoshop gives us that movement. So does her skirt and her hair blowing in the gusts of the train.

So, in terms of SL fashion styling, this required finding not just a skirt, but a blowing-in-the-wind skirt, and not just hair but blowing-in-the-wind hair, and both of similar intensity. This takes time and attention to detail -- which you might discover if you browse Flickr for long and find the photos of trees blowing one way and hair blowing another. Other details that are often missed: She took off her shoes and made her feet flat. Her shoes are in her hand. This is someone who didn't just put on an outfit but thought out the implications of her clothing in the photo.

Her Flickr stream is called "Absinthe's Polaroid Moments" because all her pictures reflect that conceit:

Seeking Aesthetic Sansar Screenshots for Cajsa's Column on Virtual World Art

Now that Cajsa Lilliehook is expanding her NWN column devoted to great virtual world screenshot art and digital painting beyond Second Life to games like Assassin's Creed and GRIS, she's also looking for artistically composed screenshots from Sansar. So far, she tells me, there isn't much that stands out on Flickr. So if you know of any, please get in touch with her on Flickr or on Twitter.

"Fishing Monsters" by Carthalis Rossini (above) is among the few arresting Sansar images she's come across so far. Her appraisal:

Cajsa’s Flickr Choice Of The Day: Screen Captures of Assassin's Creed & Other Games Turned Into Beautifully Composed Art

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Fusrodahdude has an interesting eye that sets him apart. I mean this quite literally. In this photo [above] where the diagonal camera view gives momentum and movement to the rider and camel. The wide angle adds the sense of adventure and distance.

Here the picture is shot from beneath which seems to guarantee that the person leaning back will soon be defeated. We always assume the one on top will win.

More from Assassin's Creed below:

Cajsa’s SL Flickr Choice Of The Day: Black & White Image Master Clary C.

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

"A new-to-me artist, Clary C. is a master of black and white. 'What about angels sissy?' (above) is an example of how dramatic photos can be with really high contrast. Everything is abstracted but the intimacy of their conversation comes through.

"At the other extreme, there is this photo. Its power comes from its high definition. It is so sharp and a texture overlay increases the impression of definition. Every spot of dirt, every crack and whorl in the wood and the tires. It is also a portrayal of intimacy that is very evocative. It's interesting to compare the emotional effect of this black and white photo with the color photo of the same scene by the man in this photo, Vic Taur." (See below)

Cajsa’s Flickr Choice Of The Day: "Grief", a Composited Screenshot from GRIS

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

"This is from a game called Gris that appeals to me though I am not on Steam so I have not played it. I watched a walkthrough that is exquisitely beautiful on YouTube [see below] and I can imagine this game could be addictive. Imagine playing a game in an ever-changing watercolor world. 

"I like this screenshot posted by Kimmy Ridley with a quote from Anne Roiphe for a title: 'Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.' The duotone from pink to blue which seems to encompass the idea of there being two parts to grief; the picture seems blown out by light, though that was probably done with a gradient overlay of white to transparent, not with lighting effects."

Cajsa’s SL Flickr Choice Of The Day: Luz DeGas' "Methods of Dance"

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

"Is it too soon for another Luz DeGas? This is just amazing. It's possible to do some amazing WindLights that limit the colors and put the body in stark relief. I am not sure if this is only WindLight or use of image filters and increasing the contrast. What I love is how stark it is, the pure simplicity of black and red on the canvass background. I love the dynamic energy in the pose that tells us this is just a moment in time."

See Cajsa's extended profile of Luz here. And see all of Cajsa's Choices here. Follow Cajsa on Flickr, on Twitter or on her blog.

Cajsa’s SL Flickr Choice Of The Day: Key Monk's Nostalgic Photos from A Bygone Era Which Are Actually Screenshots from a Virtual World

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

"So, it's impossible to pick just one picture from Key Monk. His work is so disciplined and strong there is not a single unworthy photo in his entire photostream. You will see some that are hard to believe were done in Second Life but he provides the SLURL proving yes, that is Second Life. Then there are his pictures that look like fine art pen and ink drawings. And then there are his close-up photos of some of the material objects of Second Life, like a candle, skates, a neon sign... It's all so wonderful. He is a cultural historian of Second Life."

Many more Monk metaverse pics below:

Cajsa’s SL Flickr Choice Of The Day: Iruki's Surreal, Romantic Cyborgs

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

"I am a long-time fan of Iruki's photostream of floaty surreal fabulousness. I don't really know how to describe her work because the only constant is its surreal surprises. Birds carrying chains? Why not? And why does something that sounds so grim look so delightful? Because Iruki can make cyborgs look romantic. If you doubt that, check out the next picture in her stream. [Embedded below] I think the addition of a second subtly androgynous person to her photos has added piquancy to an already delectable timeline. Look at the shoes in this picture to get a sense of the subtle styling winks and nods."