Second Life’s First Ever Photography Fair - Fynnyus Resident Reporting ~ The SL Enquirer

In the planning stage for the past two years, creators Angela Thespian (angelathespian resident), Frank Atisso, and Cesar Lighthouse, have brought the first ever Photography Fair to Second Life. Sponsored by Focus Magazine & Art Galleries, this unique event runs from December 18, 2020 to January 1, 2021. Why have a photography fair? As Angela told me, “It's really out of dedication to our loyal readers and to continue to constantly try to provide assistance and encouragement to explore their creativity.” And so, the Photography Fair features some of the most creative photography specialists and creators in Second Life. From 3-D tools, to props, and backdrops to poses, 33 of the best-known photo brands are here at the fair bringing everything a photographer could need, from the beginner to the professional. And many of the creators will have some very exciting offers just for this event. In addition, photography workshops will be offered over the course of the fair (see the workshop schedule below). So, if you’re interested in Second Life photography and enhancing your Flickr collection of images, this fair is a must!

The event started with a live performance by Nefer who sang popular songs of the Top 40 variety. Nefer was the first of many live performances at the fair (the schedule of live and DJ performances at the fair is provided below). The people at this opening performance had been waiting several hours for the event to open at noon, at which point dancing and lively conversation ensued. I spoke with several people about the fair and there was overwhelming enthusiasm expressed by everyone.

When asked for her impressions of the Photography Fair, Freja (freeflying), the owner of Unbound Spirit, told me, “I’m impressed. It’s the first time FOCUS has had an event like this. It feels professionally done. There is always someone online, making sure vendors are on track. They have arranged some really, really good events and not just one or two, but one every day. The people who have visited have shown real interest and have asked good professional questions. So, it seems like a high-quality event.” If you get a chance, visit Freja’s booth at the fair.

The event organizers were enthusiastic, too:

Angela Thespian-Ireland (angelathespian): this fair is an opportunity for vendors to share their creativity!

Patrick Thespian-Ireland: Of course, another cool feature of the fair is that backdrop designers are offering "gifts" of props with their sets - such as flowers, or drinks etc. - all bringing a special flavor to each photo. It’s all quite brilliant mind you, I just love how this has come together.

Frank Atisso: There is something that we have here especially for backdrops. Backdrop creators often lose out because they can at most display one product in the limited space of the booth. So, we provided each backdrop creator with the option of a platform to provide them more space. So, this is something creators can use so that people get to see more of their work.

I asked famous Second Life photographer, Artemis (artemisgreece) what she thought of the Photography Fair and she told me, “It's good they thought about it because I think it's the first time in Second Life for an event like this. Poses and backdrops are presented at other events, but only as support and not the main thing because you know at events mostly clothes catch the eye of the visitor and here photography is the main subject and that's good.”

Another well-known Second Life photographer, Hermes Kondor told me, “I think this is a very important event for the photographer community in Second Life. The choice of products is excellent.

The fair appeals to the extraordinary popularity of photography in Second Life. I asked why is photography so popular in Second life? Here is what I found out:

Angela Thespian-Ireland: that is much like asking "what is the meaning of life?"

Patrick Thespian-Ireland, Angela’s partner told me: I can answer that from my own perspective. First, it's super fun. CGI and digital art have been around for years. Traditional mediums such as painting with oils and acrylics, or watercolor, etc. are wonderful and of course traditional photography with a DSLR camera and fancy lenses. However, many people in Second Life just love to take snapshots. Many VR games allow you to do that and have for years. So why it's fun and exciting is that the virtual world here in SL is so amazing, and pretty real - many SIM designers and creators of mesh do amazing work. An example would be landscape photos. Photographers take fab shots and create such beautiful shots that rival real life.

Angela Thespian-Ireland: There are bloggers who are passionate about sharing their sponsor's merchandise artfully, but then there are CGI artists who focus on creating art and I think most of all, Second Life photography is accessible to those who need/want a creative outlet but don't have the skill to paint or draw. The fact is that people want to be seen and show their creativity. It’s innate is almost all of us. Some people write, some people sing, most people can do neither. Everyone is creative, though and Second Life offers people a medium to explore their creative selves and this fair is meant to provide those people with the tools they need. The point is not income for us - that may be one of the biggest differences between this and other fairs. Our mission for this event is truly to provide information to photographers, primarily our readers, and also to help our vendors reach photographers.

Hermes Kondor: Well, because it's an excellent form of expressing our feelings, creating art. And it's very good that Second Life photography is so popular. In this sense we are obliged to take even better photos and work more technically and creatively. We need to try to be better because it's not easy. The competition is great and very good. There are great artists in Second Life who could very well show their work in real life in a gallery. Second Life is a world of creativity and we see that here at this excellent event. Second Life, in its essence, is a work of art, too and needs to be discovered and seen in different ways. We need to see differently and better to show even better works of photography.

And there you have it! The Photography Fair is a wonderful opportunity for you to get started on your photographic journey, or for those already well-versed in the visual arts, a way for you to up your game. And just another quick note: so far the fair has been very successful with an average of 500 visits a day and most of the vendors already recouping their investment in renting the booth, so come and see what’s happening at this unique Second Life event before it ends.