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Dear readers March is arrived and again VSN Magazine is renewed with a brand new graphics, a new way to typset our project. Over the years we evolved to face new challenges. You will find in each issues new specials, curiosities, exclusive interviews and in short any cue to move into the so-called "virtual world". I'm happy and very optimistic for the future, as always, because we are growing up and we want to reach new goals to offer you only the best. Our new graphic is improved for our old and new readers with a minimalist style to make it easy to review our contents. We'll try to make you aware of beautiful places, amazing peoples and creators of Second Life. We remind you that you can find VSN Magazine even on different Socials: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and even around our favorite virtual world. Well, we wish you a good read and we hope that our new style is up to your expectations. Now we leave you to discover our new graphic and our contents such as The Arcade 2017, ROQUAI and Skye Nefekalum's interviews and much more! Edwaurdi Mosely
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The Arcade: try your luck! Writer and photographer Mafalda2 Diesel
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very year there are events that we can not miss! At the top of the table there is, of course, The Arcade! This event is the most important and anticipated of the year and it is a key asset for its themes and especially for designers who offer the opportunity to test our luck! Personally I could not wait to enter the region and say goodbye to my savings to have the great prizes of this Arcade 2017, and I must admit I had my little satisfaction. New creations for BENTO technology, great reward and the location is perfect as always to remind the atmosphere of the old vintage carnival by the sea. 35
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oreover it is absolutely winning the Early Access, it is a special ticket that allows access to the players few hours before the official opening of the event. And now The Arcade has tripled: to facilitate the turnout were opened THREE regions! Fun for those who are "addicted" to gacha: impossible to resist! And for those unfamiliar with The Arcade? The Arcade was founded in September of 2012 by Second Life residents, Octagons Yazimoto, Katharine McGinnis, Emery Milneaux and Umberto Giano. Currently, the quarterly gacha event features 100 of the grid’s best designers and builders, each whom offer a collection of highquality prizes sold at random from gacha machines within The Arcade’s build.
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et in a seaside build that evokes the whimsical feel of the penny arcades of early 1900’s Coney Island and Brighton Pier, The Arcade strives to present a nostalgic atmosphere that welcomes an audience seeking great gacha prizes, and continues to be a favorite destination for photographers and enthusiasts of vintage architecture. With events planned in June, September, December and March, The Arcade features an eclectic mix of designers with proven quality. Content creators are invited because of their demonstrated commitment to the quality of their merchandise and unique perspectives as artists. The result is a well-rounded collection of must-have attire, goods and novelties to delight and enthrall shoppers. Guests will discover there’s something special for everyone at The Arcade. Just a few days at the end of the event, hurry up!
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the vanity mania http://thevanitymania.blogspot.it/
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Amity Style https://amitysorbet.wordpress.com/
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ikki kanto
http://mirrorfair.blogspot.it/
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glam4gazine
https://glam4gazine.wordpress.com/
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la vie en rose
https://lavieenrosesl.wordpress.com/
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theatre of roses https://theatreofroses.blogspot.it/
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Writer Draetia Resident 60
A: I first began playing SecondLife in 2007 at the recommendation of someone who felt I would appreciate both the social and creative elements present within the platform. Prior to beginning within this virtual platform, I had been an avid photography enthusiast and hobbyist. I also spent many hours toying with and experimenting with digital editing and graphics software with the photos I took. Having attended college for Fine Arts in Painting, I was curious to take that knowledge and introduce it into the digital medium that was growing more and more popular with the advance of internet technology. I spent many years in SL using the photography tools available in-world to continue that hobby and document my own personal experiences. I utilized it to record moments with friends I made, romantic relationships I pursued, as well as role-play environments and characters I took part in. Eventually, those closest to me began encouraging me to branch out further with my work and showcase my photography in a more public setting. I took their advice and that's how I ended up where I am today.
Skye Nefekalum Interview
Q: Tell us a little bit about you: when you first entered in the SL world? When did you get the idea to start taking photos?
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Q: Looking at your old photos, what advice would you give to your older self? A: Looking back at my older work, if I had a piece of advice to give my older self, I would tell myself to take more risks in my photography. I would tell myself to not be cautious when experimenting with new techniques and processes and simply allow that energy to flow without allowing "myself" to get in the way of the creative element. I think one of the largest hurdles for beginning photographers is the daunting element of entering a community which is filled with such amazing amounts of talent and creative visions being offered by others who have been involved in photography for far longer. It is easy to become far too judgmental of our own work when first beginning due to this. My advice to myself in the beginning would be to simply move forward with my own vision without holding myself back. There is much that can be learned by those senior photographers and many are willing to offer advice and experience to those who ask politely and earnestly. I would advise myself to become involved with my peers earlier on in the process in order to share, grow, learn, and evolve alongside them at an earlier point.
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Q: You have your own style, and it’s beautiful, how did you evolve to reach it? A: My style has evolved in large part through simple trial and error. I believe artistic expression is much like an individual and both often evolve side by side. We experience struggles and growth within our lives as artists, and it only stands to reason these evolutions and trials will manifest within our work. Photography and other forms of artistic expression are reflections of ourselves and the vision we wish to share with the world. As such, I cannot pinpoint one particular act or moment which developed my own photographic style or precipitated my evolution within my own work. As with any form of creative expression, evolution comes from the consistent utilization of the tools available within the chosen medium. My style has evolved through the struggles and experiences in my own life, the shifting and changing vision and stories I desire to share with the world through my work, and the dedication to simply continue photographing every day, constantly attempting to learn new techniques along the way.
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Q: How do you get inspired? Do you lose inspiration? A: Music largely serves as a form of inspiration for me within my work, but it is not the only source I utilize to feed my photographic muse. Music itself often serves as a vehicle to the manifestation of the piece, with foundational stories and moments being plucked from elements of my own personal life as the basis for the photograph itself. Much of what I am inspired to create comes from a mixture of the mundane world around me colliding with the fantastical realm of possibility made available to us within our imagination and the visions offered by content creators within SL. Many times there is a song that resonates with me on a personal level, a set of lyrics or melody that applies to something I have or am currently experiencing within my life. At that point, I draw on that captive moment and blend it with the inspiration I take from the elements and items I utilize in the creative process. I think there are times we all lose inspiration within our work. Whether we are simply overworked - taxing ourselves and pushing our own capabilities and realistic energy - or events in our lives leave us with a more difficult time connecting to our muse, lack of inspiration is something we all face from time to time within the creative process. My own personal methods of dealing with that occasional lack of inspiration tend to fall within the concept of "power through it". I will listen to particular types of music, focus upon particular elements of my life which have always proven beneficial for use as an inspirational force. I drag myself forcibly out of that rut and continue forward. Many times that struggle itself then plays into the resultant work that manifests and can open new doorways for expression.
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Q: What tips would you give to someone that wants to improve their photographic skills? A: If asked to give tips to photographers seeking to improve their skills, I would advise the world of youtube and photographic blogs. There is a wealth of information available on the internet for aspiring photographers and those who wish to hone and advance their current skill sets. There are many photographers who take the extra time to offer their own techniques and processes for post-processing so that others may learn and experiment with their methods. Artistic and photographic blogs can serve as endless sources of support and inspiration for photographers seeking to create more dynamic compositions or branch out into new arenas. Finally, I would state that persistence and dedication is key for any and everyone who is seeking to advance their own skills. Artistic creativity and technique are elements which improve through constant use. Through continuous use and repetitive application we are able to become more comfortable with the tools at our disposal and utilize them with more fluidity over time. This opens the door to advancement and within its own right can bring an evolution of the skill set we employ.
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PHOTOGRAPHY APASSION Y OUAREBORNWITHATALENT
DRAETIA RESIDENT 70
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PHOTOGRAPHY APASSION Y OUAREBORNWITHATALENT
EDWARDI MOSELY 73
PHOTOGRAPHY APASSION Y OUAREBORNWITHATALENT
MAFALDADIESEL 74
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PHOTOGRAPHY APASSION Y OUAREBORNWITHATALENT
VIOLETTAINGLEWOOD 77
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Turlaccor Custombike-
Andrea Lockjaw
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ROQUAI poses Interview
Writer Draetia Resident 82
Q. When was the idea born to create in SL? What made you take this decision? Why poses? A: To answer this, I have to go a bit back in time. You know, in RL you are often limited in your creativity as you do not have the space or money, but by turning SL into your canvas, almost anything seems to be possible. In the years between 2012 and 2014, I was a lot into landscaping and had a sim called Annwn Willows (www.flickr.com/groups/2174445@N23/). There I first shared some of my “installations” with the public. That was also the time, when two of my friends have been doing poses and asked me about feedback or to assist. It was also them who planted the seed and encouraged me to do poses myself later on. As the sim was visited by many bloggers and artist, I noticed that often poses missed out on little but important details. While we all know a pose is static, it doesn’t have to mean, it has to be “without life” or without emotion. Back then I only knew of one or two pose creators, that had been “passionate” enough to work on the certain something. Creating a really good pose can take almost as long as anything else in SL and it’s complexity is often underestimated. To answer your questions about the What and Why, I think it was on one hand the love for details and the other being aware of the niche to offer artists a greater spectrum of opportunities to express a message or even emotions. The way a pose is created surely can influence the complete look of a picture, which makes them not less important than anything else.
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Q: Have you ever had times where you thought you couldn't do it? A: The only time when I was in a bit of a doubt was, when switching the software for creating poses. I started of with the small program called QAvimator, but with the bento release I switched to Blender, which can be a bit overwhelming first. Thankfully, I am very passionate and can be quiet stubborn with what I do. An idea can surely drive you nuts, especially when you think of the times before bento and the new avatar skeleton, but now with the new releases things have gotten way less frustrating. Q: Where do you get your inspiration? I mean, poses are something that makes our photos more “dynamic” and when you look in the MP they are so similar one another but when i saw yours they where different, dynamic and charming! A. (smiles) You kind of answered the question already, at least in parts. First, there is the marketplace with a huge library of already existing poses. Why create something that already is there? Then and to me my greatest inspiration are all the great photographers and artists sharing their work on blogs and flickr, including the creators within fashion and decoration. The combination of these is that inspire and kind of tell me “their needs”. To me everything tells a story and it is only limited to your own imagination and on how you want to present it. As well this is a reason why I look at poses always from more than one angle and why it sometimes can take up to a day until i finish one.
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Q: Plus, how in the world you came out with the idea of animal-hands poses? They’re just awesome and cute! A: (laughs) The Shadow Puppet Friends came with the release of the bento hands. Before those something like that wasn’t possible. Also, as we often work on realising fiction and fantasy within our SL creations, there is the oddity of the desire to also get as real as possible. By the shadow puppets, I saw those two united and plus, who doesn’t want to be a child again from time to time?
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Q: Do you work alone or you have a team or some friends that helps you? A: On the poses I basically work on my own, but at times friends do give me important feedback. When it comes to their promotion, I do have a great team of artists and bloggers. Without their support, I probably would be still doing poses for my own. And I do collaborate with other designers / creators, e.g. for presenting their creations in a special way. Last but not least, I have started to blog for some stores, which also is a great and very helpful tool to promote the own work. 89
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Q: What would you advise to someone that wants to start creating in SL? And to someone that wants to create poses? A: When you have found something, that interests and inspires you, don’t get disappointed if the first results don’t turn out as wanted. We all have started somewhere and there is a learning curve to everything and there are many people that are very kind in helping. You can find tutorials online (text & video) about almost everything and then there are classes you can take IW by the Builders Brewery. If it comes to poses or animations, it is very helpful to have an understanding of the anatomy, human or animal, as well as of knowing how the mesh bodies and limbs work with the avatar. If you look at them you’ll notice differences and those do interact differently with a pose. Especially with bento, this got very complex. Knowing the tools and materials simplifies things a lot and can be a real timesaver. After all, It is only your own imagination that can hold you back… besides the avatar skeleton and materials provided by others of course (winks) This was fun! Thank you for having me. 91
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Itakos Art Gallery Writer Edwardi Mosely photographer Mafalda Diesel
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lad we interviewed one of the organizers of ITAKOS ART GALLERY recently opened and inaugurated with an exhibition on March 3rd with works by artists such as: Akim Alonso, Paola Mills, Charlie Namiboo, Imani Nayar, MM(Mysterr) ARnnO PLAneR 99
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Q: Hello and thank you, we're pleased to interview you. But now we want to hear from you, Akim Alonzo, what was the motivation and the path to Achieve the ITAKOS ART GALLERY? A: My inspiration and goal were to realize a place where meet and collect the best talented visual artist of Secondlife. The name Itakos evokes not randomly Ithaca, the island of Odysseus as a metaphor and symbolic significance of the Journey, one of the inner travel metaphor that runs through the fantasy, the dream, the search for beauty and emotion, but there is not the real goal: rather the road that runs to get it. And the Illusion of Virtual Worlds, for me, perfectly suited to represent this evocative path, and through the Visual Art shapes our imagination into emotional pixels. Q: What were the parameters for selecting the artists of the exhibition and what can your reveal about future projects to our magazine? A: Just started with some representative artists, in the future I will try to explore and discover new talents of photography in virtual reality, but also, shortly, I will expand the exhibition to 3D productions, field where there is a lot of activity in Second Life. 101
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Q: How art, in a virtual world like Second Life, can express itself and how should be more attractive for visitors? A: I think visual arts are a great potential way to express ourselfs here. As I said about the Journey and the Itakos, I can imagine SL and the virtual worlds as perfectly suited to represent this evocative path, and through the Visual Art shapes our imagination and it can developed into emotional pixels. After all, this concept is not so different from the meaning of art in real life. In the virtual world there are many limitations, but also new sources and resources to explore to create art.
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xtropia editions Flying a place for culture where rillega books as it was once, to visit the library of writers who have the same avatar in the virtual world.
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Extropia Edizioni Volando
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ABItalia is the brainchild of a group of Italian citizens of Second Life to create union, closeness and proximity between the Italian people who live Second Life and you want to know and recognize in a community. This Italian Laboratory is taking its first steps to try out new forms of living the Italian Second Life and, as in any laboratory, evolution is continuous LABitalia has chosen as a method of group work, whose members identify with the values of EQUALITY, TRANSPARENCY, COMMON LANGUAGE, FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, WORD, OPINION, EQUAL DIGNITY ', FUN COMMUNICATION.
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LabItalia 107
ITALIAN HUB FIRESTORM HELP LAND 108
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LOST TOWN
Enchanted world full of secrets ...
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Hobbiton lovely places
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Hobbiton
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Hobbiton
Golf Louisiana a beautiful golf course 120
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Golf Louisiana
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Golf Louisiana
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Aphrodite Shop
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Writer and photographer Draetia Resident 132
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rranmore is a suggestive Sim that will kidnap you from your happy Place and put you in a horror experience. It's all built to make you feel uncomfortable and wanna always look back behind your shoulders. I really loved make a tour in this Sim, i love creepy/horror places and if you want to do some suggestive shots for those witchy clothes you have, Arranmore is for you, a lovely Sim to be scared out off the "Halloween Season". I don't want to spoil it to you as i always do, so, please, go there and take a peek.
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RATES AND SPECIFICS SPECIAL ADVERTISING PLACEMENT (1 year) 1st / 20th pages ADV + SLurls + link L$ 50,000 slurl free
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double page
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Virtual Second Night Magazine My Second Night Magazine is published by Edmose Group, which has a competent staff of writers, photographers and graphic designers. Distribution : Free to all on two monthly basis via our in-world kiosk, groups, subscribomatic, website/blogs, feeds and issuu.com The magazine is also available on our website : http://edmosegroup.com/index.html For editorial content submissions and press releases, please email to carmyson@gmail.com - bennetmai@msn.com
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