About Photoshop, Friends and SL4B

During the past five months I have been learning how to work and what are the possibilities with post process programs. I started with Paint Shop Pro, a program which was installed at work, (version5), installed version7 at home, and already work some years with it now.

While subscribing to Second Life, I got the impression that most of the artists worked with Photoshop. There were comments on “Flickr” referring to that program, and at that time I thought, I must have that program, or I will not be able to learn, which was and still is my main goal being on the grid.

In the very beginning I used PSP, and also Picture It, which was a useful combination.

Now, I work almost only with Photoshop, and still trying to get to the bottom of it. But it takes time, so does SL, so does the photo processing, so does this blog….so does RL. What I mean is, it takes a lot of time, to find the right information, to read or view it, to implement it and to learn the skills of the tools. Here is one link for tutorial videos for Photoshop: The house of Tutorials : Lesson based learning for Photoshop.

And while doing all that, I was missing a very important appointment: SL4B. The fourth Second Life Anniversary. I don’t know how I could have missed it, as most of the bloggers already reported some articles about this event, but still….

Luckily for me, I have still some friends in Second Life. Bella March, a Belgian artist/builder/photographer, who is also on the grid for more than 6 months now, contacted me over IM, a few days ago, asking why I did not participate to the SL4B.

Me, falling right out of the sky (Dutch expression, don’t know if it has the same meaning in English), did not know what to say. She told me that all buildings would stop at 0.00hrs that day. That was SL time, so there were still some hours left, but I had no space, nothing prepared, I could not enter the sim . This would be one of the worst nightmares for me, not being present at one of the biggest events on SL, among other artists, if it wasn’t for Bella.

She told me that she had some space left, and proposed to offer that space for me showing my pictures. Waw, what a great woman! And what a great friend! Reminding me of this event, offering the space, and helping me out.

Now, I was at play. I had to contact someone to ask if I may enter the sim, filling in some documents, and wait for 20 minutes before I could enter. After twenty minutes of waiting, nothing happened, and still could not get into the SL4B. It was almost 0.00 hrs, local time, but after a few IM’s, I received my tag (as a volunteer) and could enter.

Bella helped a hand by setting up a slide show, right next to her stand, with my pictures. Ouf!!

Probably I will not be noticed among the big sculptures and other building projects, but I will participate, what is still the most important thing. Thanks to Bella!

Now, with only one day left, I am trying to have me noticed, by changing my tag into artist, instead of volunteer, and have my name on the list of artists. I am wondering if I will succeed, but sent several IM’s to responsible persons, and waiting for their responses.