New World Notes

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:

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 SL Choice Of The Day: The Amazing Experimental Art of Yany O'Real

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

Y a n y O ' R e a l's photostream is worth exploring for the many experiments in SL art. For example, this "Crows Eye View" [above] in wireframe is gorgeous.

And then there is "The Quiet Unquiet Tries to Catch a Fly" with a combination of digital painting and SL screenshot to great a dramatic piece. Then there is the fabulous "We Are Many"[see below]...

Second Life User Experience Glitches Hilariously Illustrated by Nylon Pinkney

You really should be following the Flickr of SL/RL pop artist Nylon Pinkney, AKA the supremely talented Elleinadart, whose fans include Drew Carey. Along with showcasing her SL content and hand-painted avatar portraits, she occasionally publishes hilarious, Clowes-esque comics illustrating the many ways the Second Life user experience (and lag-prone user generated content for it) can go way, way, way wrong. Here's some favorites.

Some more below the break, one possibly NSFW (unless you, like, work at Last Gasp Comics):

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."

Cajsa’s SL Flickr Choice Of The Day: Less Than Zero's "Kess & Zed"

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

"I always love LessThen Zero's portraits. She captures people's energy and vitality so well. She paints details and adds highlights and definition to her SL photos to create a very stylized look. I always recognize her work because every line is so definite and the light is perfectly placed to highlight what needs highlighting. Her entire photostream is a delight."

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: Wurfi's Landscape Photo "Zone One"

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

"I like 'Zone One' from Wurfi. Frankly, I like everything in Wurfi's photostream. Everything. I like how he zooms in on the foreground, how he treats the foreground and background as geometric forms to play with. If you check the stream, those two themes unite all his photos. He also likes to use repetition of similar items as a single geometric shape or focus on one single item. His compositions are not just landscapes, they are explorations of geometric forms."

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: Holly Portland's "Awaiting My Rainbow"

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

"I love 'Awaiting my Rainbow' by Holly Portland. I don't know if she's from Portland, but I am and perhaps that is why I like this so much. If we didn't enjoy the rain, we would be miserable. I like how her pose slumps, as though she is feeling a bit despondent, but look, there is sunshine coming through the clouds. You can see the coming sunshine and perhaps the rainbow on her arms, a subtle note that makes this picture more hopeful than at first glance."

See all of Cajsa's Choices here. Follow Cajsa on Flickr, on Twitter or on her blog.