Photo Cafe' Beach Lounge
~ Chat Transcript ~
19th February, 2022
H.11:00 AM SLT[ The following Episode #12 will be on:
Sat, the 5th of Mar H.11.00 AM SLT! ]
[11:04] Duraya: It’s our third Fun-Photo Challenge today already!
[11:04] Duraya: Before we turn to the portraits Kika has some information for us. Ready Kika?
[11:04] Kika Yongho: Hello Photographer friends! We introduced an ongoing project for you all to join and enjoy: the “Photo-LMs”!
[11:04] Kika Yongho: Basically we have been collecting the Landmarks that you can continue to submit in our red mailbox located near the Info Point behind me. Simply touch the mailbox for a sample notecard that you can use to submit it (CTRL+drag&drop onto the mailbox)! Or just send your LMs to me!
[11:05] Kika Yongho: The Photogenic LMs are always updated with your contributions so don’t forget to check them periodically to find the perfect location for your photo shootings! The last update is from a few days ago and many sim have been added, like the new “Blade Runner” sim or “Ravenport Raclaimed” that is currently having a photo contest and and and.. Go and see! 🙂
[11:05] Kika Yongho: But.. where do I find the notecard? Locate, on the Info Point right side, just next to the News Board, a pile of magazines on the floor: click it.. Voila’! The list is now yours too!
[11:06] Kika Yongho: Don’t forget to keep us posted with your new LMs to share with your fellow Photographers and enjoy your next photo-visits on the listed locations!
[11:06] Kika Yongho: As you are around the Info Point, I will “point”.. out as well a new addition to the sim on the other side: the Art Korner kiosk where you can grab the Exhibits
HUD of the week, with the most recent expos on SL! There is as well a great article on the Photo Cafe’ today on the website, that you can check here:
https://artkornersl.com/2022/02/19/photo-cafe-beach-lounge-meeting-place-for-photographers/
[11:07] Kika Yongho: Last but not least..
[11:07] Kika Yongho: We have now a Flickr group!! Don’t forget to join it to post your Photo Cafe’ related photos and assignments!
[11:07] Duraya: I did, I did!
[11:08] Michiel Bechir: it is a good way to promote this sim and its events
[11:08] Kika Yongho: Alright and this is all from the Photo Cafe’ latest initiatives for now. Thank you all for your attention!
[11:08] Duraya: Thank you Kika
[11:09] Duraya: And thank you all for sending your images. I love the variety of outcome.
[11:10] Duraya: you know – when I receive a texture, I always feel like a child unwrapping a gift!
[11:11] Duraya: it’s always exciting to see what you made
[11:11] Duraya: let’s turn to the pictures
[11:11] Duraya: Soooo – how did it go for you? Did you enjoy shooting the portrait, was it challenging? Was there anything you struggled with?
[11:11] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): c
[11:11] Michiel Bechir: c
[11:11] Duraya: Remember the c, q, r routine and please say ‘done’ at the end of your input, that helps a lot. Thank you.
[11:12] Duraya: onceagain will you start please?
[11:12] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): I’ve had a lot of fun this time
[11:12] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): first because I’ve at last learned. the DOf
[11:13] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): and now is like a universe that open the arms for me
[11:13] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): I’ve done several photos, and I was in trouble choosing one
[11:14] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): at least I ‘ve done this one because I think wasn’t so simple to realize
[11:14] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): and the dof is there even if not so evident
[11:15] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): and I have to say thank you to Kapan
[11:15] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): done
[11:16] Moki Yuitza: c
[11:16] Duraya: thank you onceagain
[11:16] Kapaan: Pleasure, So glad you found it useful
[11:16] Duraya: Michiel, you are next
[11:17] Michiel Bechir: I was not able to attend the previous meeting, but Kika helped me with the info on the Dof
[11:18] Michiel Bechir: I always was a afraid to use these buttons in my viewer
[11:18] Michiel Bechir: because i did overheat my previous laptop in the past
[11:18] Michiel Bechir: but it was a nice experience to play with the settings
[11:19] Michiel Bechir: i am not completely satisfied with the result till yet
[11:19] Kika Yongho: c
[11:19] Michiel Bechir: because i was limited in my time i could use
[11:19] Michiel Bechir: but i hope to learn more about it to use it in my photography
[11:19] Michiel Bechir: done:)
[11:20] Duraya: thank you Michiel
[11:20] Duraya: Moki, it’s your turn
[11:21] Moki Yuitza: first, for Once: i think your use of DOF in your photo is perfect, and it is evident (whatever you say)
[11:21] Moki Yuitza: the amount is perfect to show all your companions 😉
[11:21] Moki Yuitza: just my humble opinion, obviously
[11:21] Moki Yuitza: then, about my photo
[11:21] Elfi Siemens: c
[11:21] Moki Yuitza: i decided to try this challenge as an exercise for me
[11:22] Moki Yuitza: i’m not so good in challenges, i cannot work so good with a theme
[11:22] Moki Yuitza: but portraits, and specifically self-portraits, is something familiar for me
[11:22] Moki Yuitza: so i decided to try to understand better the Dof, that i already know, to explore more the settings
[11:23] Moki Yuitza: and also, to explore the eep effects and lights
[11:23] Moki Yuitza: that photo is different from all my previous photos, because it is not edited as i usually do
[11:23] Moki Yuitza: done °͜°
[11:23] Duraya: thank you Moki
[11:24] Duraya: now it’s Kika!
[11:24] Kika Yongho: Thank you Duraya 🙂 I have two things to say..
[11:25] Kika Yongho: First one.. I just wanted to remind to our new photographer friends that all the chat logs with the previous episode (i.e. how to use DoF – Depth of Fields and much more!) are in the Info point, in the magazines rack, where you can take and read back at ease to be up-to-date!
[11:25] Kika Yongho: Second, About my experience with the challenge.. Since we started, I have become acquainted to work with a theme. It makes a better challenge and is also a help to focus towards a direction. I found this portrait theme “easier”? compared to the last Industrial one because I had experimented – even wrongly – with it in the past. Nowadays going back on it, I found it easier being able to apply all the new acquired knowledge
[11:26] Kika Yongho: And I am done :))
[11:26] Duraya: thank you Kika
[11:26] Violette (violette.rembrandt): c
[11:26] Duraya: Elfi, will you please be next
[11:27] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): c
[11:27] Elfi Siemens: ok… i’ve been experimenting with DOF for about a year now, in Firestorm and in Black Dragon
[11:27] Elfi Siemens: one big problem was lag
[11:28] Elfi Siemens: using advanced lighting and shadows alone already gets my viewers to very low FPS
[11:28] Prins (skylog): c
[11:28] Elfi Siemens: and if i add DOF, i usually just crash in the moment i take the pic
[11:29] onceagain (manoji.yachvili): me too, most of the time
[11:29] Elfi Siemens: so in the worst case everything is ruined, eventually a pose or the camera position gets lost or whatever, very frustrating
[11:30] Elfi Siemens: took quite a while, but i found a workaround – actually i cheat a little, lol
[11:30] Kika Yongho: c
[11:30] Elfi Siemens: i use the firestorm depth map and photoshop to create my DOF effects
[11:32] Elfi Siemens: that way i don’t crash anymore while taking pics – plus as a very positive side effect i can eliminate the irky behaviour of the viewers when its about DOF and alpha items, especially hair
[11:32] Duraya: maybe you can teach us some time – seems more have a lag problem
[11:32] Elfi Siemens: more work to do, but i’m happy with the results
[11:33] Elfi Siemens: of course, i can, but it will take more than an hour i think
[11:33] Elfi Siemens: and i don’t know if it’s possible with any other program than photoshop
[11:33] Duraya: we will find a way and the time 🙂
[11:33] Elfi Siemens: done
[11:33] Duraya: thank you 🙂
[11:34] Duraya: Violette – will you please be next
[11:34] Violette (violette.rembrandt): Sadly my laptop is on his way to the other world… it couldn’t afford dof (Elfi we’re sorta in the same boat ‘^^) so i worked with lights to try to add some “blur” on the photo . As always i struggled with EVERYTHING, i started to take some photos in Grauland because i thought of a cool idea behind a window but it didn’t render the way i was hoping it would :/ so in the end i kept the pose and worked with colors and lights ‘^^
[11:34] Violette (violette.rembrandt): but i improved… it took me only a few hours this time, not days !!! XD
[11:35] Kika Yongho laughs!!
[11:35] Violette (violette.rembrandt): it was a cool exercise and i enjoyed it a lot
[11:35] Violette (violette.rembrandt): btw i’m amazed with all the cool portraits you guys shared, really some great inspiration for me in the future
[11:36] Violette (violette.rembrandt): done
[11:37] Duraya: next on my list is Prins
[11:37] Prins (skylog): It should have been taller – I haven’t had time to do the task, so when I saw these 2 sculptures I blured the background. Last I rezz it it was 3×5. I used DOF but it to fast started to blur the woman and I wanted her sharp.
I love the prostitute she is cute in her own poor way – she has her style and offer her goods to the nice Gentleman.
The Gentleman have his manners and lift his high hat, he has in the background the corporate world and the firm – I cut it with the S – thinking it was nearly a $
I ended looking more at Windlight and made one with hearts for Valentine. My computer like preset since it is old.
[11:37] Prins (skylog): done
[11:39] Duraya: thank you Prins, yes, she is sharp 😉
[11:39] Kika Yongho: Quick comment to say that there are many inexpensive HUDs on MP to store many camera positions (and even share them). They can be handy in case of crash – or if you take photos with another viewer than Firestorm. I use one called KTC Camera Director (14L$ on MP) but there are really many alike. Done 🙂
[11:40] Elfi Siemens: yeah lumipro has that function too
[11:40] Duraya: thank you Kika and Elfi
[11:41] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): c
[11:42] Duraya: yes Franny
[11:42] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): btw I like the specific exercise about a topic because they are like homework for me. They force me to think and to learn more.
[11:43] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): On a side note indeed I use to work like Elfi but not because I crash, because I have to understand better the dof and it’s simpler to use photoshop
[11:44] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): In this pic I wanted to have a purrrfect detail of the avatar skin…but
[11:44] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): It was not so simple, many parts of the avatar looked imperfect to me
[11:45] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): I added the wetness on my face that’s something that comes with lelutka head and at the end I don’t like it at all
[11:45] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): So decided to go for the little bear earrings…
[11:45] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): Done
[11:46] Duraya: yes – the bear is lovely
[11:46] Duraya: and I like how you cut the eyes off – interesting effect
[11:46] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): I did because I didn’t like the upper part
[11:46] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): but the outcome was interesting to me
[11:47] Duraya: yep – I heard someone say ‘if you don’t like it, crop it’
[11:48] DaneAlbion: c
[11:49] Duraya: yes please Dane
[11:49] DaneAlbion: I struggled a bit with this challenge, (i blame the sitter for failing to inspire) but i’ve always loved the Caravaggio style of using darkness to bring out a subject so i tried to emulate that. One technical thing that i did notice, i always save my pictures as large as possible 4096 x 4096…not sure if this is necessary but it feels like i have more pixels to play with for editing, i also tried using a little DoF but when i tried to save the pic at 4096 x 4096 i lost the DoF! I had to drop down to 2048 x 2048 to get it to show. Not sure if that is a local problem to do with my machine or a problem others have encountered?
[11:49] DaneAlbion: done
[11:50] Moki Yuitza: c
[11:50] Duraya: thank you Dane
[11:50] Duraya: Moki has a comment
[11:50] Moki Yuitza: for Dane
[11:51] Moki Yuitza: i save up to 5000×3000, to have more resolution while editing
[11:51] Moki Yuitza: and it keep the dof effect, if i use it
[11:51] Violette (violette.rembrandt): c
[11:51] Violette (violette.rembrandt): for Dane
[11:51] Kika Yongho: c
[11:51] Elfi Siemens: c
[11:52] Duraya: if Moki is done …
[11:52] Moki Yuitza: it could be a problem of settings, i had sometimes and almost ever i had forgotten to save the parameters before taking the shot
[11:52] Moki Yuitza: done °͜°
[11:52] DaneAlbion nods
[11:52] Duraya: thanks – now Violette for Dane
[11:52] Violette (violette.rembrandt): Dane are you in BD or FS ?
[11:52] Violette (violette.rembrandt): i had the pbm in BD
[11:53] Violette (violette.rembrandt): but not in FS
[11:53] DaneAlbion: this was FS
[11:53] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): c
[11:53] Violette (violette.rembrandt): ok then i don’t know because it worked for me in the past with FS (but not with BD) seems the screen resolution might have some incidence on the dof process
[11:53] Violette (violette.rembrandt): done
[11:54] Duraya: thanks Violette
[11:54] Duraya: Kika, your turn 🙂
[11:54] Kika Yongho: I had Dane’s same problem with FS, but didn’t play with the photo size. Rather .. activating the DoF from preferences instead than “Phototools camera” it worked just fine. Done
[11:54] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): we could even work in little groups of course if our timetable allows it
[11:55] Duraya smiles – could that be of help Dane?
[11:55] DaneAlbion: yes, thank you all 🙂
[11:55] Duraya: activate from preferences?
[11:56] Duraya: Elfi, you have a comment
[11:56] Elfi Siemens: yeah, for dane too
[11:56] DaneAlbion: it does seem like it is something local to me
[11:56] Elfi Siemens: maybe… it’s just the fact that what you see on the screen is not what you get in the actual pic?
[11:57] Moki Yuitza: c
[11:57] DaneAlbion nods
[11:57] Elfi Siemens: i mean, maybe you had your DOF just set very lightly on your screen, and it wasn’t visible in the actual picture
[11:57] DaneAlbion: its very visible when i take the pic
[11:57] DaneAlbion: but it does not save that way
[11:58] Kika Yongho nods
[11:58] Elfi Siemens: ok, so the pic is totally sharp in the end? then it’s not that
[11:58] Kika Yongho: Yes that is what I had
[11:58] DaneAlbion: yes
[11:58] Elfi Siemens: was just a thought, because thats what i was fighting with
[11:58] Elfi Siemens: done
[11:59] Duraya: thank you
[11:59] Kapaan: Dane can we perhaps meet up in the week and follow the sequence you followed and see what happens?
[11:59] DaneAlbion: sure
[11:59] Duraya: Franny – your turn
[11:59] Moki Yuitza: r
[12:00] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): I think it might be interesting doing groupworks
[12:00] Duraya: sure
[12:00] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): since every one of us has specific skills or use different environments too
[12:01] Franny Blame The Cat (francesca.pfeffer): done
[12:01] Duraya: you can either just ask people or we find a way to organize that like the model-project
[12:01] Jeanie (jeanienabottle): c
[12:02] Duraya: Jeanie please
[12:02] Elfi Siemens: c
[12:02] Jeanie (jeanienabottle): I’d be happy to work with anyone. I know we all use our specific skills
[12:02] Jeanie (jeanienabottle): would be nice to learn new ones
[12:02] Duraya nods
[12:03] Duraya: we will see how we can make that possible – Kika always has ideas – lots of them 🙂
[12:04] Duraya: Elfi please – last comment
[12:04] Elfi Siemens: just a quick remark about the depth maps, i did a quick google research and it seems Gimp can work with depth maps too, so if you guys are interested i could prepare something
[12:04] Elfi Siemens: for PS and Gimp
[12:04] Elfi Siemens: done
[12:04] Duraya: absolutely!
[12:04] DaneAlbion: that would be interesting
[12:04] Jeanie (jeanienabottle): and Gimp is free
[12:04] Kika Yongho: I will prepare a google shared XLS if you like
[12:04] Duraya: that would be great Elfi
[12:05] Kika Yongho: So everyone can list what they can “teach”
[12:05] Kika Yongho: and others can join the workshops.
[12:05] Jeanie (jeanienabottle): I work alot with layers, so i’d be happy to help with that.
[12:06] Duraya: let me just announce the next cafe – it will be on 5th March
[12:07] Kika Yongho: If you all have been subscribing the news board. I will send out the link to the shared XLS to work on
[12:07] Duraya: thank you everyone, very enlightening and enjoyable discussion
