Free Falling.

So last night I was a little tuckered out before I had a chance to talk about this one, but I had a rare opportunity to host for the Clockwork Spiral music event, with DJ Lokii Violet of Malfean Visions acclaim rolling out the music.   The theme was 'Best in Steampunk', and while usually I'd have taken a hundred pictures of all the awesome costumes (seriously: best in steampunk winner was a brass horse with articulated moving gears blowing steam from various pipes and whatnot), the sim was PACKED and I just didn't have a chance to turn on shadows.  

Luckily, Axi Kurmin (owner of *takes deep breath* Cursed, Club Gothika, Damned Good Design SL, House of Rain, Beautiful Freak Cosmetics, and is partner in GALLACTIC, and Pale Empress... dat lady is BUSY yo) has a much better computer than I do, and has an awesome flickr stream set up for the Clockwork Spiral happenings.  My absolute favorite photo she took of my costume (and I cannot emphasize enough: Axi is an AMAZING photographer with an ASTOUNDING eye, and this photo is ALL hers):

Isn't that just gorgeous?   She calls it "She looks far more angelic than she is."  And she ain't wrong.  There was mutiny.  Matches.  Sail fisting.  You name it.

Needless to say I had a lot of fun, and in case anybody hasn't had a chance; go visit A Clockwork Spiral (click this link for an slurl).  The grid's best steampunk/dieselpunk designers and creators all gathered together for one event, sponsoring the National Kidney Foundation.   Which is a foundation that deserves more attention, so I'm super keen to see it get as much money as it can.  

And while you're there, don't forget to hunt down the Ampersand Photography gacha.  It's only 25L to play, and a percentage of the proceeds go towards the National Kidney Foundation.   It is a limited run of a series called 'Gloom', and will only last the month of September, after which it will be retired forever. 

Also it's mine, and I worked very hard on the photos in it.  Hey, what's a little shameless self promotion?  You can find it near the ~Oceania Breedables~ booth, which has a really cool Steam Powered Animated Pet Dolphin that you can attach and it swims around you!   Just don't rez it on the ground, you will have one hell of a time catching the little guy.  100% of its proceeds go towards the National Kidney Foundation, and so far over 40 have been sold!   It is exclusive to the event, so don't go and wait.   It'll be gone by the 22nd and at that point you'll have to beg someone to cough one up someday.

I was exceptionally glad to participate in this event, really.  And apparently I didn't fuck it up too badly, because Lokii invited me back to host for her on Friday nights from here on out at Club Gothika.   I do have a lot of fun with the Gothika crew and have a soft spot for both Axi (the owner and a damn fine DJ) and Lokii (who's shenanagins I love almost as much as sleeping and drooling on her fluffy pillow boobs), so I agreed. 

A quip from the evening:

Now playing: Jackie Beat - Baby Got Front
Eden: Oh they finally made a song about Loks's clitsquiggle?
Lokii: EGWE@#) LAWL
Lokii: Fuck you Red.
Eden: <3
Axi: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Shenanagins.  I do love them. 

Additionally my friend Jalynne Ohmai who owns 'Unrepentant' (creating full perm mesh kits) asked me to use my photography skills to make a couple vendor pics for her after I made with the 'GIMMIE' hands after she started flashing her latest creation around like a pair of tits.  What was really cool was the item in question was a pair of steampunk wings, and the result is something I am very proud of.

In case you're curious about the props, there are few.   
[UN] Steampunk Seraph Wings
[ContraptioN] Masks: King of the skies *Trapeze* (freebie from the Twisted Hunt)
:{MV}: Racer Corsetry Thong (Noir)
:Little Pricks: Psychic Cross Nipple Tape
[INK] Hair___SURREALISM for DU5 ::Black

Flipping for Sharks... and Arcade.

I was given a chance to snap a photo celebrating Arcade's 1 year anniversary, and ~Oceania Breedables~ sponsorship of the event.   I'm pretty proud of the result myself, but then I've always been a sucker for vivid and bright colors.   So that might be a matter of personal opinion.  In fact I'm almost 100% sure it is.  99.89777%.  

It is always surprising when someone else likes my photos, because I feel I'm learning a great deal about 'how' to take them and feel I have a long way to go still.  My pictures are always just things that catch my eye that I find unique in some way, or were taken purely to see if I am capable of setting up the shot and snapping the photo exactly the way I intended.  

The largest challenge to date is always taking photos with other avatars.  Poseballs are a tool, but the patience of my friends is a gift.  I try to get every detail except windlight finished before the other avatar arrives, but windlight and shadow angles can be an exercise in creativity and frustration.  And because my friends are both easy going and sharp as tacks; they can point out ways to improve the shot that I hadn't thought of.  Or half the time they'll just move the wrong way which results in having to reposition my angle and eureka!  The new angle works better than the old did.   

But hey, telling them they ruined a perfectly good shot keeps them from moving again.  You can tell them they helped you create a great shot when it's done.  Or after they point out a curious crease in your pose that (ahem) does not look right from any angle.  
Remember Kids: Friends don't move.  Real friends jump... to tell you about your creases.

My favorite photos are usually tied into Oceania in some way.  I'm a beach kid to the core... the ongoing anecdote in the family is I have the personality I do today because I learned to walk with sand in my diaper.  My only reply is that I'm the posterchild for a sunny fucking disposition, thank you very much.

The ocean continues to be a source of fascination to me both in RL and SL.  Having a chance to tie together two of my favorite things in SL: Oceania Breedables and the Arcade Event, was a particularly fantastic experience and I hope to do it again.