What is your SL Photography Setup?

[Marianne Little]

Thanks, @Scylla Rhiadra. My upset is so bare as you get. I use a thin prim up at 1000 m, that cover all my land. It is 64 X 64. I use this so it is less risk to fall off the edge. I find that walls are bothering me, because I can select them by a mistake when I zoom around.

I got a free poseball with a script years ago. It is many full perm pose scripts on the Marketplace, and also on the forum. I do not bother to put individual poses in it. I play poses from my inventory. You can see that I have enlarged the ball a lot. Compare it to the default cube. It is so big because I can click anywhere on my avatar from waist down and hit the invisible poseball. I can then move and rotate myself totally free without using arrows on a posestand.

I have made the light projectors myself. I have full control over colors and strength through the edit tool. I have on highlight transparent to show them.

I use the EEP setting "Phototools - No Light" that only show objects hit by projected light. This only works with advanced lightning and show projected light.

And that is it. I can now upload it as big as I want, and edit it if I want.

If I want a photo with background, I can build it on my land, or buy a photo backdrop and rez it on the platform. I have used projected light and my big size poseball here too.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by Marianne Little
So many mistakes

[Marianne Little]

11 hours ago, Janet Voxel said:

Since you're premium, why don't you just use one of the many premium sandboxes? Whenever I have a large backdrop I want to rez, thats where I go. Nobody ever bothers me at a premium sandbox. People that actually use them tend to be off in their own little corner, doing their own thing.

I second this. Some backdrops are several hundred in land impact and almost impossible to use at home.

If you use Firestorm, it is super easy to get more privacy up in the air than on the ground. Go to a Premium sandbox. Turn on fly, but do not fly up. I type the height want in the chat window, like "gth 1000". It must always be "gth" first. I go 1000 m up in the air. I wasn't flying, I would start to fall down.

I type "rezplat" in the chat window, and a platform, a thin prim, appear under me. This prim is modifiable and I can enlarge it if I want. I can now turn off fly, land there and set up my backdrop.

[Ayeleeon]

I rarely use backdrops or any post processing, relying on locations and windlight. I will crop when I can't get the picture framed right in the viewer. I use pictures to document my SL, in fact I do the same in RL. My Facebook is full of pictures of places I go, and interesting things I see.

[Maitimo]

@Scylla Rhiadra thank you for tagging me on this, I am honoured that you thought of me.

My "studio" is a plain white sky platform with two white walls, which I tint and sometimes use fullbright, when I want a plain white, black or coloured background. (and yes, this is located above my Linden Home - as long as you're above the flying zone you're good).

The tiny yellow thing in the middle is a blank poseball, then I play a pose direct form my inventory. The blue thing is a pose stand for dressing rather than photography, and the green thing is a lagmeter.

However, I do MUCH more photography on-location rather than in the studio, and if I can't find what I need in-world, I will visit Backdrop City or some similar place and use theirs.

Lately I've been using Black Dragon a lot more often for the better graphics quality and for the poser feature which is awesome.  Since switching to BD I do much less post-processing of images now, except to crop for composition. Sometimes I'll add a special effect like sepia toning, vignette, and sometimes add depth of field (background blur) if it didn't show up so well in the original. Pics taken in Firestorm usually need tweaking for contrast and vibrancy as well.

 

[Orwar]

9 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Not all of them use platforms or backdrops, but it would be worth maybe attracting their attention here and getting their input.

   Don't buy fancy (read: laggy) backdrop screens with all sorts of scripts and textures in 'em to bog down your process. Ctrl + Alt + B is all you need for 2D backdrops. Pretty sure I wrote a lengthy tutorial (*cough*rant*cough*) about it somewhere around here a while back. 

   For the platform: a prim.
   For the backdrop: a prim.
   For the light setup: 3 prims = 3-point-lighting. Maybe extras if you need to tweak anything in particular.

   And if you need a pose stand or pose ball .. A prim. There are free scripts for running whatever animation you toss into it in the script library. 

[BelindaN]

I don't consider my approach to the process to be at all "professional".

No Black Dragon. No skyboxes.

My ideas & inspirations ebb and flow, and kick off with either an outfit, or a location. So that means shopping or exploring. For collaborations, the theme and location comes along by consensus.

Then I either use a photogenic location, or a Premier sandbox, as mentioned above, or a shared location a few of us use for constructs. That all depends on my ideas.

I recently started using 3d backdrops, and I enjoy this approach. I use Lumipro, or other lighting when it works out. I also recently cleared out my houseboat lounge and set up a studio in there.

I use poseballs sometimes, or added poses. Sometimes I just grab an AO still. For every ten shots, only a couple make my short list.

I use filters occasionally, and crop, and mess with exposure and colour, but I don't photoshop, unless I need to mask over some clipping. 

One day I might try proper photoshopping, or BD, but time as always is the enemy in SL.

I have always chased collaborations here, and this activity has provided some strong and lasting friendships from like  minded people.

 

[taisiyakarpenko]

If it is of any interest, here's how I do it:

75% of pictures taken "on location" with Firestorm. I use Black Dragon only if I need "The Tilt" or have trouble getting the DoF I want in FS - or need to use the Poser to finetune a pose. Then - if I need to rez stuff to be in the picture, I tend to do it in my "studio"  (Pic 1). Or for more elaborate scenes - I build them in my skybox where I have plenty of room to play with (Pic 3).

I most often start with a premade pose from one of the many great makers out there. Either as a standalone animation, or I put it in a empty poseball if I can rez on the location. Then I almost always use LeLutka Axis to dial in the head/face/eyes, and less frequently AnyPose to adjust some body positioning. To bad the AnyPose have quite course steps when it comes to ajusting positions, so once in a while I have to fire up Black Dragon just to use the built in Poser to get stuff right.

Lighting is done with the Bedazzle Photo Lighting Kit or the FAC Shadowlights Studio at most times - in locations with great environmental lightning, it might boil down to just a single facelight - but there is almost always some kind of added directional lighting included. When I'm in the studio doing shots against a neutral backround I use the built in lights in the stage (as seen on the control buttons in the pic)

I take the pics in 6K resolution, to leave room for cropping/reframing etc. - Although I do my best to have the framing done in the actual shot, I always crop to 16:9 or 3:2, and that usually take some minor reframing to get the composition as I want it.

Frequent use of CTRL-0, CTRL-8 and CTRL-9 to get the FoV as I want it. 5-6 x Ctrl-0 clicks in from default for most shots with myself as the main focus point to get the proportions right, but I of course use wider angles to capture more when it comes to landscapes etc, or just as an effect.

Workflow after the snapshot is taken then almost always follows this path:

• Look through the 5 to 50 raw snapshots I have taken for that specific shot.
• If I see a promising snap that need some retouching due to clothing mishaps/clipping etc. I do that in Photoshop (v.23 or something). Nothing else but fixing those things, leaving colors etc as shot
• Open the most promising picture in Photoscape X (used free version until some months ago - now on paid Pro version)
• Crop/reframe to desired proportion.
• Corse color grading/adding the colorprofile I want.
• Add a touch of vignette
• Add a pinstripe frame
• Add a touch of Chromatic Aberration (a recent fad - might get over it but I think it adds a bit of "depth" to the image)
• Resize to a height of 2000px (width being decided by the aspect ratio)
• Save, and the open it in Photoshop - only for adding the signature and do a smart sharpen. If there should be the need for some final retouching, I'll do it here.

If there is any special effects like lens flares etc added, that would be done in Photoscape X before scaling down, I am to lazy to use anything else than the included effects in Photoscape X Pro.

Most of the recent pics are taken in a hurry to meet sponsor deadlines - some of them can be inspired and turn out OK - but most of them are run-of-the-mill blogger pics. Once in a while I get the time to work on an idea for a photo just for the sake of a photo, and that is what I enjoy the most - which almost always makes me think of quitting the blogging stuff (but I'm to addicted to the free stuff ) - and on the other hand, those chores/deadlines gives me a reason to log in to SL.

[Jackson Redstar]

I was never into studios. Just shoot in world with the WL. Which is why the Lumipro HUD was so essential. But then I don't do much photography anymore, just video. Sure there are other HUDs like LumiPro out by now

[Doris Johnsky]

17 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Many of the people who've answered here take great pictures -- Jordan, Rowan, Claireschen, and Janet, for instance.

But we have a lot of other people who see photography as, if not their main activity in SL, certainly as one of the primary attractions of the place. And they have developed systems and routines for what they do. Not all of them use platforms or backdrops, but it would be worth maybe attracting their attention here and getting their input.

@Nalates Urriah

@Eddy Vortex

@Ayeleeon

@Dementia Obviate

@Nick0678

@Orwar

@Maitimo

@Zeta Vandyke

@taisiyakarpenko

@VictoriaGrwd

@Charalyne Blackwood

@Marianne Little

@Chic Aeon

@Eva Knoller

@Saskia Rieko

@BelindaN

@Laurel Aurelia

@TatianaNikolay

There are a ton of others, but that's a good selection, and I don't want to crowd out the thread!

And you didn't pick me.   LOL

[Scylla Rhiadra]

19 minutes ago, Doris Johnsky said:

And you didn't pick me.   LOL

Omg I could have just called out everyone on the picture threads!

Well? Let's hear it!!

🙃

[ValKalAstra]

Ohh! Interesting topic as I always love to see how others work - and to learn about ideas and techniques I haven't tried before. While I'm nowhere on the level of impressive skills of others, I do think I can add something of value too. My photo setup tends to fluctuate between using a sandbox or backdrop.

While I don't have my own sandbox at the moment (and the public one I used got overrun by griefers) - I used to just create basic prims in a sort of hollowed out cube. Instead of stark white as seems to be tradition in Second Life - I use the traditional blue or green colours when chroma keying. If I want the sky and sun, I go on a derendering spree - but usually I used my self made spotlights in a three light setup. Main, Fill, Edge. A simple script allows me to let them autofocus on my avatar on a click.

That said, I do prefer to take shots out in the wild. Here my method changes a lot depending on where I am. If I'm in a photosim? Attach lights, go wild. If it's in a social sim, bringing out the heavy spotlight spam would be impolite. Either way, I tend to use Black Dragon to pick and adjust a pose. Pretty standard procedure.

So here is where I think I can add something of value:

I use Gshade, which is in itself a modified fork of reshade. In essence it forces some modern technology into 3D programs, allowing the user to add a variety of shaders and tools on top of whatever else that is on offer. It's pretty popular in gaming circles to customize the look of a game (usually seen in something like Skyrim or GTA). The Gshade fork works on Second Life (around 85% maybe? It's not perfect).

To break it down in simple terms: It allows one to edit a picture while still inside a game. I just find that the ability to adjust settings on the fly, instead of in post quite valuable. Let me give you an example. The first picture is my avatar in a photo backdrop sim. The image is taken raw, no editing, just sat down, activated a pose and then made the shot.

The second shot is with Gshade active. I've used a preset, turned on a colour histogram, adjusted min and max black and white levels, switched on the composition lines and then decided that was enough for a quick demonstration of Gshade.

So there you have it, I hope it was of value to some.

[Orwar]

2 hours ago, ValKalAstra said:

While I'm nowhere on the level of impressive skills of others [...]

[Nalates Urriah]

I suppose which way one goes depends on how comfortable one is with the various tools in the viewer. Orwar obviously prefers to use the viewer tools. His images show he does that very well. Others have a full on photo studio tool that insulates them from the raw viewer controls. They get great results too.

Personal skill, talent, and an eye for art probably make the big difference. Tips and practice improves everyone. So these threads are important.

I use a self made green room, which I can set to any color. A couple of hollow cubes. I'll have to try the cylinders to see the lighting effects I get that way.

Use back drops now and then. Usually when I have a specific image in mind. Otherwise, I get inspired by places I visit.

Black Dragon and Photoshop are my "tools" for mage creation and modification.

[Eva Knoller]

@Scylla Rhiadra Thanks for tagging me here! Very interesting topic. I love seeing how others approach SL photography.

The majority of my pics are taken out on the grid somewhere, as I'm exploring. I like to coordinate what I am wearing with the sim I am on.   It's weird, I know. Once I find a location, I find a pose that suits the mood I am going for. This can take forever as I have way too many poses, and the naming conventions of most of them make what they look like a complete mystery. Once location and pose are locked in, I switch to Black Dragon and wait forever while everthing rezzes. Then I snap a bunch of pics using many different WLs and camera angles. I shoot in 8k. Once I feel I have enough to work with I will start the editing process. This for me is the most enjoyable part. I can spend a lot more time tweaking in Photoshop and PhotoScapeX than taking the actual pictures. I like to ramp up the sharpness and tweak colors, and add various filters and overlays until I am happy. And then I post my pic to Flickr and don't like it anymore.  

@ValKalAstraI have never heard of Gshade! Thanks for sharing.

 

Raw from BD  ---> Edited to high hell

https://gyazo.com/ad06348e9579a32a7929ec05d06c5f95

[Laurel Aurelia]

@Scylla Rhiadra Thank you for the tag!

I don't really have a setup per se. I take pictures when the mood strikes me and its usually in whatever build I am currently decorating. Sometimes I do take pictures in other lovely photogenic regions, but most of the time I am very much a homebody.  I use both Firestorm and Black Dragon viewers to take my snapshots, and have used Gimp and Affinity to tweak my images. I admire people who put more thought and care into their pictures. I'm not really an artist, but I do like cataloging all of my looks!

[SLIM Barrowstone]

@Laurel Aurelia im like you i dont have a set but i also dont and did not jump on the black dragon band wagon but thats my choice i just dont see the point on jumping from viewer to viewer but thats also my opinion as well but the bottom line to me is this its all art to me no matter wat kind of pics you take or do and we all have our own style and that what brings us together and the people who like our work and to quote a famous singer "Now keep in mind that I'm an artist. And I'm sensitive about my *****.  -Erykah Badu-

[PermaRuthed]

I don't need studios and sky platforms.  I just find a party to crash and snap away. I don't need no fancy windlight either. Good old midday is all I need.

[victoravatar]

Maybe do it on a public sandbox?

[victoravatar]

On 11/12/2021 at 3:34 AM, SLIM Barrowstone said:

@Laurel Aurelia im like you i dont have a set but i also dont and did not jump on the black dragon band wagon but thats my choice i just dont see the point on jumping from viewer to viewer but thats also my opinion as well but the bottom line to me is this its all art to me no matter wat kind of pics you take or do and we all have our own style and that what brings us together and the people who like our work and to quote a famous singer "Now keep in mind that I'm an artist. And I'm sensitive about my *****.  -Erykah Badu-

This pic is very nice looking with good detail its close to 4k o-o idk what editing program u use

[Kytteh Wytchwood]

You cannot have a platform or skybox building in the sky above your Linden home. this goes against the covenant for all Linden homes. You can use a sandbox like Builder's Brewery. It's low lag ad you can use one of the platforms to place your white box in. you'll have the natural light from the sim. You can set up one wall and a floor. Make the wall very wide and tall, to catch light from left, right, front and top. You can either choose to create light boxes and wearable light spheres, or you can choose the eep light with personal lighting to a medium light setting, then edit in your favorite art software program.

[Rowan Amore]

14 minutes ago, Kytteh Wytchwood said:

You cannot have a platform or skybox building in the sky above your Linden home. this goes against the covenant for all Linden homes. You can use a sandbox like Builder's Brewery. It's low lag ad you can use one of the platforms to place your white box in. you'll have the natural light from the sim. You can set up one wall and a floor. Make the wall very wide and tall, to catch light from left, right, front and top. You can either choose to create light boxes and wearable light spheres, or you can choose the eep light with personal lighting to a medium light setting, then edit in your favorite art software program.

You may have a platform or skybox in Bellisseria above a certain height but below another (don't have those specs handy) but NOT at the old Linden homes.  Just to clarify.  

ETA.  Above 2000m.

Edited January 12, 2022 by Rowan Amore

[Maitimo]

31 minutes ago, Kytteh Wytchwood said:

You cannot have a platform or skybox building in the sky above your Linden home. this goes against the covenant for all Linden homes. 

That is absolutely not true.

Skyboxes and sky platforms are prohibited in the old Linden Homes (Meadowbrook, Tahoe, Shareta and Elderglen) but they are explicitly allowed in the covenant of  Bellisseria, provided that they are above 2000m. 

[JeromFranzic]

For my shots, most of the time I'm on Firestorm or the recent Alchemy betas from the viewer's discord group. I sometimes use Black Dragon. Most of the time I do the work in Linux (Ubuntu Studio LTS distro). BD does work awesomely with the wine staging branch. 

I have a few places bookmarked if I need free backdrops and studios; they're all in Adult rated areas so I can do whatever to a point. Otherwise I generally size up the location I'm in to the best of my ability. I stick to Shared Environment for lighting (I usually have advanced lighting on when in world), but if I want a specific look, I'll use one of the other WLs and manipulate the Personal lighting to taste. Some of the built in lighting models from the inventory work for me too, like the Dream Light etc. I use facelights, but try to implement them as minimally as possible if used.

Depending on the situation, I use different resolutions and will switch from PNG to JPG. If I'm on an active scene, I'll typically use JPG at 2k-3k, 75-80% quality. Same for regular snaps. If I'm deliberately taking portraits or landscapes or want a high quality shot I use PNG only, often going for at least 6k res. This is all on a laptop that has a Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU... not potato rated (YET), not the fastest rig, but the good SSD's, i7 CPU and 32 GB of RAM help. The lighter setup I have in Linux helps me, too. (But Win11 isn't too bad once it's optimized )

As far as post process, I crank up Gimp and/or Krita. Mostly Gimp as that has the features I use often. I am getting better at using Krita (SLOWLY), and it's great when I occasionally attempt to use my modest Wacom tablet for some manipulations there.