Monday, April 3, 2017

House Tour - Lunar Family Home



Hello everyone! I am back again on my personal blog with another vlog to share with you. I have finally done a long awaited, largely requested home tour of the Lunar Family Home & Farm! I am so excited to finally be able to share it with you all.

I just put down a new house building and I feel like it's not even finished as I am always making changes to it each day, I never seem to be happy with the results, but I finally pressured myself to just do the tour and get it over with. The video link is below, and I will also be sharing links of products you will see in the video below.

I hope you enjoy! And if you've ever done a house tour video, be sure and share!


I WAS NOT PAID TO FEATURE ANYTHING IN THIS VIDEO!


What I'm Wearing
HAIR - Little Bones
NAILS - Formanails
SHOES - Purrfection
BLOUSE - Blueberry
CAPRIS - Blueberry
TAIL - Sweet Thing
EARS - P&S Stores (My Own!)
CHOKER - Mary Gossamer

Learn about becoming a foster parent, or finding a temporary home with the Lunar Foster Parents Agency





"Hold Him" Wall Decal (Also available for Girls)







All Music in Video By www.bensound.com

Friday, February 24, 2017

Pregnancy & Kids In Second Life, and Why People Do It


Have you ever wondered how people get pregnant in Second Life and why they do it? In this blog, I will be covering it, as well as covering some other points such as misconceptions, pro's and con's.


I know this has been covered a thousand times already. But often times this can get confusing for some people. Being a physician, I find myself having to answer many questions regarding pregnancy and babies in Second Life. In regards to getting pregnant, sometimes people don't have a partner, but I'm also here to tell you that you don't even need a partner to get pregnant in Second Life, nor do you need to ask a random stranger to "knock you up". There is even adoption aside from pregnancy.

It's an uncomfortable topic for most to talk about. There is a lot of judgement and nasty comments regarding pregnancy and babies and Second Life. I know I've heard it all throughout having & adopting my 4 children. I'm not entirely sure why people feel the need to try and dictate what others do in their time and what makes them happy, but they do. This blog is all about pregnancy and babies, getting pregnant and some of the taboo topics of pregnancy, babies and family life in Second Life

I also know there are HUNDREDS of different ways to get pregnant and raise a family using many different systems, but today we're going to be discussing one way using one system when we get to that section. Also you should know that our clinic runs on Donations Only, and at anytime should you need assistance, have questions or need a physician, you can contact us!

Why Do People Have Kids in Second Life?

A lot of people ask this question. "What's the point? They're just annoying dolls! I have kids in real life, I don't need any here!" While that's great and all, there are many reasons why someone would want them in Second Life, and really, that's no ones business but their own. But here are some common reasons why people do.

DISCLAIMER: There are plenty of reasons why people choose to have children in Second Life, these ones are just common ones that I have experienced in my Second Life Career of family life. 

1. They can't have kids in real life...

Unfortunately, this is my reality. I may not have this opportunity in my first life, so I embrace it dearly in my Second Life. This is a good reason why you should not harass someone that makes the decision to have kids in Second Life; they simply may not ever have that opportunity in real life, or simply, it is too late for them.

"But why can't they just adopt in real life?!?!"
Do I really need to answer that question for you? It's simply none of your business. Some people just don't have the resources financially, physically or emotionally to adopt a child in their first life. Simply let them do what they please. They don't need to answer to you.

2. They have real life children, but they're grown...

I have friends in Second Life that happily have children in their first life. Some of their children are old enough to be in school, some of them have moved out and started their own families. A lot of them miss the infant or tiny stages of their real children, and they enjoy their Second Life babies. 

3. Role Play Community...

Another common reason someone may choose to have children is strictly for role play. This may be on an RP sim where the avatar visits an emergency room with an upset stomach and later finds out that it isn't food poisoning, but they're pregnant! Another example of role play, which is also incredibly taboo to most is the fetish community. This is not to be mistaken for people committing heinous crimes within SL, this simply means that some people in the fetish community "thrive" off of getting as many people pregnant as they possibly can (with consent of the recipient). This is not within my nature to judge people that participate in these actions, as long as it is done safely and consensual. 

4. They prefer Second Life children over Real Life children...

This seems like it doesn't make any sense, but this is something I've heard before. I've met a few people that have said they don't want kids, or may want kids in the future, but they prefer to have Second Life children as they are far less maintenance than real life children, and you don't have to smell them!  

Misconceptions About Families, Children & Pregnancy in Second Life


1. Only women like Second Life Babies...

This is simply untrue. There is a base of not only fathers that are active in the community with their partners, but there is a large community of single fathers with children. Whether it be single dads with adopted child avatars or prim babies, or fathers who had kids with a mother in their life at one point. But it is not just women who find joy in having a family. 

2. Men behind female avatars find obsession with pregnancy...

Another misconception. While it is true that some biological men in real life that play women in Second Life want to experience pregnancy, there is also nothing wrong with it and it is no different from a woman who can't get pregnant in real life. I have had patients in my clinic come in that have expressed to me that they are men in real life that were just curious how it all works, or simply just wanted to experience pregnancy. 

3. People can perform "drive by" pregnancies... 

You're probably scratching your head right now if you haven't been in Second Life for very long or you don't know much about the pregnancy or family life community. Basically what this means is back when security wasn't as strong as it is now on Second Life, there were objects & scripts that could take control of another persons avatar that would forcefully "get them pregnant" without them knowing. This may have made their avatar perform certain behaviors that resembled a pregnancy. This is similar to the illegal vampire games. However, this doesn't happen as often as it use to. 

Although, there are "add on's" for RP purposes, for example, Mama Allpa's Forced Add On which allows avatars wearing the Male Mama Allpa HUD to inseminate females on a walk-by basis without permission. But by default, this add on is not installed, and is only installed by choice of the Female HUD user.

4. You have to have a female avatar to get pregnant...

This isn't true. An avatar can have a male form or even a non binary form. Some fertility systems such as Deciduan offers a "Hermaphrodite" system where either male or female can be pregnant, or get another avatar pregnant. Otherwise, avatars just need to be wearing the Female version of a fertility HUD. You will find that some Maternity Clinics are totally fine with delivering the baby of a non-female avatar as this adds to their list of experience!

5. Babies in Second Life will die if you don't care for them...

In accordance to TOS, babies cannot and do not die within Second Life! However, some babies can become sick, but can be treated with medicine or by seeing a doctor from their manual.

6. You need a fertility HUD to get pregnant in Second Life... 

That's actually up to you! But you don't need a fertility HUD. Some people choose to RP their pregnancy completely. Fertility HUD's are basically an aid in role play to make the experience far more realistic and easier on the patient & physician. All you really need to do is have a romantic night with your partner, role play out a pregnancy test, frantically shout "I'm pregnant!" then change the shape of your belly each month up until you decide is time for your baby to arrive, then find the baby of your choice to call your own!

7. All Second Life babies are expensive...

Not all babies have costs! While some babies come with a huge costs, than other huge costs after that, some babies will come with one huge cost, then the care costs are low or free. There are also free babies on the market that come with no maintenance costs. They aren't fancy, but they're good for people that are just starting out, or can't afford the care costs but want something to snuggle with.

8. Some babies are born disabled/sick...

This actually isn't true, but I get why people say that. Sometimes you will see babies in wheel chairs, in leg braces or come with special needs. This is because the parent chose to add to the RP experience. People may ask, why would someone want a disabled child? It's not that they "want" a disabled child, sometimes the answer is as simple as disability awareness, or someone close to them in real life has a disability, or they themselves have one, and they don't want other people to be ashamed of it.

9. Adopting a child is more difficult than pregnancy...

NOT TRUE! It certainly doesn't have to be. There are multiple different ways to adopt a prim baby, and you don't need an adoption agency to do it.
You can choose the adoption agency route, you would do a land search for the brand of baby along with "adoption agency" to bring up a list of results, for example "Zooby adoption agency" to find a list of adoption agency with zooby babies. Some adoption agencies have babies that were left by parents that have set their own adoption fee, the adoption fee then goes to the parents after the adoption is complete. This seems to be the best option in addition to agencies that "buy babies" because when adoption agencies buy babies, they buy them for a cheap price, and essentially sell them for a more expensive price. This seems unethical to some.
There are also people that foster children that you can contact individually, or sometimes parents will post in parent/baby groups that they are giving their child up for adoption.
One last option is simply buying a prim baby from the original seller without the RP of a pregnancy, although this can be more expensive depending on the age of the baby, you will have a choice on your babies appearance and age if this matters to you.

10. You have to adopt a child avatar after your prim baby maxes out...

Another misconception I've heard. You do not have to do this if you don't want to. Two of my children, my biological children have already "maxed out". This means they've reached their maximum growth and development level, Like myself, some people enjoy having the privacy of their home limited to themselves, their partners and their prim babies, while some just don't have the finances or the space to support another avatar in their home. However, my own parents have done this with one of my sisters, they gave birth to her as a Zooby and when she maxed out, they adopted a Child Avatar. This is completely up to you, but you should not feel pressured to do this as adopting a child avatar comes with new responsibility.

11. Child abuse can't happen because they aren't real...

It is against the Terms of Service to engage in inappropriate, violent or sexual behavior in regards to inappropriate age play and in game interaction in general. Even if the child isn't "real", it is still deemed unacceptable according to Linden Labs, and the actions you are performing are still considered inappropriate regardless of who or what they are directed at. People have been banned from Second Life for performing heinous actions within Second Life in regards to children and there are certain requirements in regards to Prim Babies that creators and brands must follow in order to prevent these crimes.

EDIT:
12. Breastfeeding isn't a big deal...
I had to add this one in here, and I almost forgot to, because with my first baby, boy was this a shocker. Just like in real life, people are incredibly closed minded about breastfeeding in Second Life. Due to this, I ended up adding International Breastfeeding Logo's to my store to let moms know that I wont ban them, nor will I stand for harassment when it comes to feeding their crying babies. I've heard stories of mothers being banned for feeding their babies, and in my own experience, I've been yelled at by other people to stop or told to leave, because it was deemed as "inappropriate" even though they weren't on G rated sims, nor was I exposing my breasts. Mothers must be aware of this if they decide to go the breastfeeding route. People can be incredibly rude about this, yet if you didn't have a baby attached to your breast, they'd be totally fine with it!

And if you don't know it already, if it exists in real life, it exists in Second Life. 

The Joys & Disasters of Second Life Pregnancies & Children

A pregnancy in Second Life can be great, as can just having a child. It can also be a complete pain, especially to first time parents. Also, people must know that having a child doesn't always mean owning a prim baby, it can also mean adopting a Child Avatar. Some people prefer one over the other, or sometimes both. 

Pros of Second Life Pregnancies:
  • Unlike real life, you decide how your pregnancy goes. You can decide how long your pregnancy lasts for, a few months, to a few weeks, even up to a few days!
  • Also unlike real life, you don't even need a partner or a one night stand to become pregnant.
  • Not all Maternity Clinics & Hospitals cost Lindens. 
  • A lot of Maternity Centers & Hospitals give you the best RP experiences that are so comparable to real life that you wont even be able to tell the difference. 
  • Like real life, you can choose how to give birth: In a hospital bed, water birth, c-section, even in your own home!
  • You can make your tummy grow during your weeks of pregnancy, or simply choose not to change at all!
  • Most birth centers & hospitals give you sonograms so you can see your baby, just like real life.
  • Most fertility systems in Second Life are highly interactive, so you can interact with your tummy during your pregnancy, and your friends, family and partner can too!
  • Some systems will also give you the full experience of a real pregnancy such as morning sickness, fetal movement, food cravings, need for prenatal vitamins, insomnia, swelling in the feet, etc.
  • With most Second Life fertility systems, there are NO RISKS of miscarriage or stillborn birth. 
Pros of having children in Second Life:
  • There are many different prim baby brands out on the market, hundreds that are customizable to suit the race/species and appearance of you and your partner. 
  • You get to meet other parents and set play dates with your kids.
  • Some parents opt out of the Prim Baby option and go straight to Baby/Child Avatars that they can find from various adoption centers.
  • Some prim babies come with very little care costs, or none at all.
  • Babies in Second Life NEVER DIE. Although, some babies do get sick, but can be treated.
  • You don't need to be a human avatar to have a baby in Second Life. There are hundreds of Fantasy/Fur babies in Second Life such as vampires, neko's, imps, lycans, minotaurs, wolfs, and hundreds more!
  • Many babies are completely interactive, holding, cuddling, feeding, changing, burping, breastfeeding, sleeping.
  • Many babies learn to do new things as they get older such as sit up, grasp objects, crawl, walk, and some learn to TALK TO YOU!
  • Some babies are so intelligent that when spoken to, they talk back! 
  • Some babies come with their own unique personalities that differ from their siblings, so there is always something to look forward to learning about your child. 
Cons of Second Life Pregnancies: 
  • Can be frustrating and confusing without proper support.
  • Some Maternity Clinics & Hospitals cost thousands of Lindens. 
  • Some Maternity Clinics & Hospitals have ill intent. Do some extensive research on your physicians and talk to friends and support groups about clinic recommendations. 
  • Relationships do not always turn out as planned, and this often times results in an unwanted pregnancy. (I see this a lot in my clinic)
  • Possibility of multiple births (twins, triplets), some people are scared off by this. 
  • Some people will become annoyed with the fact that you are pregnant with no reason other than ignorance. 
  • Some of the "interactive" features of pregnancy/fertility systems may come off as spam to some people. (Try selecting one that doesn't have interactive features, or simply turn them off)
  • Pregnancies in Second Life require a lot of maintenance such as making sure you arrive to your scheduled appointments with your doctor, keeping your body shapes in the correct order according to your stage in pregnancy, and following the instructions of your fertility system. 
  • You will have to buy maternity clothes, or clothing such as fitted mesh or standard/applier clothing that will not be affected by the shape of your growing body. If buying a mesh pregnancy belly, you will have to buy a whole new wardrobe specially designed for the mesh belly. 
Cons of having Children in Second Life:
  • Some babies can be very, very costly (on average, it can cost a parent $10,000L in the first month of a SL babies first month home) 
  • Regarding breastfeeding, in some instances, people have banned mothers from their SIM's for simply breastfeeding their babies. Ignorance against breastfeeding within Second Life exists.
  • Some babies can become kidnapped or lost (some stores have databases set in place that prevents theft or loss of children, but not all) NEVER hand your baby over to someone you do not trust or know, and always verify who store staff is. 
  • Some people have ill intent for children in Second Life. Always use your better judgment when bringing children or child like objects around other avatars. 
  • People may be incredibly judgmental over the fact that you have your children with you, and may make rude comments. 
  • Some babies in Second Life do in fact POOP! Don't have one if you don't like the sight of it!
  • Some babies do not develop on their own, even if you do feed them and care for them without the help of development/milestone stars or vitamins. This will wrack up extra care costs on your baby bills. 
  • Some babies talk in local chat, this may be considered "spam" to some people. 
  • Some babies make a lot of noise like coo, babble and cry, and some of these noises can be consistent and repetitive. 

How To Get Pregnant in Second Life

Like stated before, there are many different fertility systems people can use in Second Life such as Pooterbilt, Twisting Fate, Tantra, Deciduan, Etc. But today I'm going to be discussing Mama Allpa which is what our clinic is exclusive in serving. Please keep in mind that our clinic also serves patients using Deciduan and Pooterbilt/Twisting Fate. 

Also keep in mind, we are not excluding people who are considering adoption and the trans/non binary community. 

The Essentials List:

This is what is needed to get pregnant, it should be worn at all times that you wish to attempt to get pregnant. It represents the female reproductive cycle just like in real life, it tracks menstruation, ovulation and your non fertile cycle days at a default cycle of 28 days. 

You do not need to be a female avatar to wear this HUD. If you are male, or non binary and wish to become pregnant, it is completely up to you and it is possible.

A Physician 
You can select a physician from the Mama Allpa board of certified Physicians, or, you can visit our clinic that serves Mama Allpa patients. We also run on donations. 

A Prim Baby or Baby Avatar:
If you wish to go with a baby avatar, you will need to locate one by doing a land search for an adoption agency, and visiting their panels to find the most suitable one willing to be in your family.

There are hundreds of prim baby options available on the market, you can read this article by an unrelated blogger that talks about some of the most popular prim babies available and their costs. 

You will also need to purchase the care items that are required in their care manual such as diapers, formula, development vitamins and furniture items. Keep in mind that not all babies have care costs. We also carry a FREE prim baby fat pack affiliate vendor in our store for people that can't afford a premium prim baby. They're not fancy, but they're great to start out with and they require no maintenance. 

OPTIONAL'S LIST:
You should first read through the Mama Allpa Manual before getting started. This will tell you everything you need to know and how to operate the HUD. If you are wanting to get pregnant without the help of a partner, you can find a physician from the Mama Allpa Board of Certified Physicians by describing that you would like to get pregnant without the help of a partner, or you can contact us and our clinic and we can help you. 

If you are getting pregnant with the assistance of a partner, you should be wearing your Female HUD at all times, and your partner must be wearing the Male HUD when trying to conceive with you. 

Keep in mind, the best chances of conception are during your fertile days of your cycle, which the Mama Allpa HUD will turn "Pink" to indicate fertility. "Red" will indicate menstruation while "White" indicates neither fertile, ovulating or pregnant. 

During your fertile peak, this is when you and your partner should try and conceive. Read the manual to learn how to partner up using the HUD with your partner, then the RP of conception is totally up to you! It will then be up to your partner to inseminate you on your fertile days in order to achieve a successful pregnancy. 

What To Expect:

When you have reached Day 25 of your cycle, this is when you can visit a doctors office to take a pregnancy test to get an accurate result. If you decide not to take a pregnancy test, after Day 28, your HUD will turn "Green" indicating that you are in fact pregnant. If you are not pregnant, your cycle will start back at Day 1. 

When pregnant, you will set your first appointment with your physician and he/she will ask questions about how you are feeling, take your weight and vitals, perform a physical examination and may perform an ultrasound. You will begin to gain a relationship with your physician and he/she will be able to answer any questions you may have. Your physician will also give you a due date and set further appointments to track your babies progress, and also set up a birth plan with you and how you plan to give birth.

Come your due date, your physician will have already established a birth plan with you. He/she will prepare the delivery room for you, and there may be more than one staff member in the room with them. You may be allowed more than one guest at a time depending on the clinic rules. When it is time to push, your physician will guide you through the entire process, and if your partner is present, they will be able to support you up close. When your baby is born, they may give you a list of further instructions and after care and may offer vaccinations and pediatric care. They might also offer birth certificates, foot printing, parenting classes, baby yoga, etc. 

Every physician and clinic is different, and every pregnancy, birth and family life experience in Second Life is unique! But for every avatar, there is always a purpose :)

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Review: Bento Integrated Neko Tail by Sweet Thing.


Sweet Thing. Fluffy Neko Tail (Bento)
REVIEW

DISCLAIMER:
This review, both blog post and video is not sponsored or paid. I am in no way affiliated with the staff, creators or owner of this brand. The review you are about to see was made voluntarily, and my own Lindens were used to pay for this product.

Today I will be sharing with you an amazing new product that is hitting the Marketplace with Bento integration hitting it's incline in popularity! We see the hands, heads and bodies spreading all across the grid, but now we are seeing Bento integrated accessories.

Don't know what Bento is? You can read more about Bento by visiting this article from the LL Knowledge Base.

The product I want to share with you is a Neko Tail by Sweet Thing. called the Fluffy Neko Tail (Bento) Full Version. They offer 2 Versions of this tail, Lite & Full, as well as a free demo for those who want to try it out. The Full Version contains a Mesh, modifiable tail with 7 faces that you can color and tint yourself, tail deformers to change the length of the tail, a stand alone Tail AO, Static Pose HUD, and a Menu Driven Animation System. The Lite Version is much cheaper, however, the only things it contains is the tail, deformers and Animation Menu.

Full Version Price - $499L
Lite Version Price - $199L
Demo Price - $0L

Please watch my YouTube video below to watch the tail in action, its features and hear my thoughts on this neat find! 


Be sure to subscribe to my blog and channel so I can continue producing more content!

Monday, January 23, 2017

Should My Child Play Second Life?

While this is not a requested topic, this is actually a very common question that I get asked by parents being an active player of Second Life. In this video, I touch very important, yet sensitive topics and reasons why Second Life may not be the right online community for your child's computer time.

DISCLAIMER: Please wear headphones or wait until there are no children present to watch this video as very sensitive topics are featured.

If you are a parent and have any questions for me, I will do my absolute best to answer any questions you may have!

Also note that if you are a Second Life player who is skeptic of anything I am saying, I urge you to get out more in the grid and open up your mind.





Thursday, December 29, 2016

Make Clothing in Second Life! Standard, Mesh & Applier Tutorial!

Make a Shirt in Second Life!Standard, Mesh & Applier

Over the last few days, I've uploaded two tutorial videos, one on how to make a basic graphic T-Shirt (Standard & Mesh) using FREE templates, and the next one on how to make an Omega Applier using the free Omega Developers Kit with the Standard T-Shirt we made in the last one! 

The videos were highly requested by my darling friend Aisha who was desperate to learn, because like myself, she was frustrated by the other tutorials circulating the internet and YouTube alike, considering a lot of them contained unnecessary steps or were overall far too complicated and confusing. I was forced to be self taught due to this, and so I brought myself to attempt to teach everyone how to do this a simpler way, without having to do a dozen complicated things that get you no where in the end. 

The tutorials do not require free hand drawing, they don't require you know how to make mesh, they really don't require any experience at all! Just photo editing software, free templates and a bit of time!

Watch along and be sure to view the descriptions of these YouTube videos to get all the FREE necessary materials you will need to make these amazing works!

Part 1: Making The Shirts (Standard & Mesh)


Part 2: Making Omega Clothing Appliers




I hope that these tutorials are helpful to you! If you want to teach your friends and family how to make clothing, be sure to share!


Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Latin Baby Diaper Bag Review [Baby Store]

 DISCLAIMER: I am NOT Sponsored by The Baby Store, Latin Baby, nor am I a staff member or associated with any of the staff of the brand or store, nor am I getting paid to write this article. I am writing this for hobby and educational purposes only. I also can not offer support on Latin Baby products. If you need support on Latin Baby products, please do not contact me, please contact their staff. 



Recently took a trip to The Baby Store (Latin Baby Store) to check out their new Diaper Bags they have in stock. I didn't know much about them so I decided to figure out a little more before buying one for our newest adopted baby Lana. So I teleported on down and they were located in the front of the store in the right hand corner.


Cost: $280L
Contents: 1 Diaper Bag + 100 Rechargeable Diapers (not to be confused with regular diapers) 
These diapers specifically go inside of your diaper bag only
Features: Carries 100 Diapers, 14 Different Color Styles, Wearable, Comes with Milk & Water, Use where Rez Rights are not able

Cost of Rechargeable Diapers after your starter diapers run out: $100L for 100 Diapers ($1L per Diaper) 

Closeup of The Diaper Bag (in pink)


Closeup of The Menu Options


My Thoughts on The Diaper Bag

I LOVE the diaper bag. I visit my mothers house frequently and she never has any prim space for me to change Lanas diapers. So any time I have to rez out a diaper I always lose them and have to relog and change her at home. I like that I can just wear the bag while I'm holding her, click the bag, select clean baby and it automatically changes her without the need to rez her or a diaper. It's super convenient. Same with feeding or when she gets the hiccups and needs water. I think any parent who is on the go frequently that owns a Latin Baby could really benefit from this diaper bag considering the price isn't bad at all, plus you get a starter pack of diapers with the bag! I can't really think of any cons of this diaper bag, but if I do think of any, I'll post an update.

If you want to get your own bag from The Baby Store, just click here or copy and paste this sLURL into your viewer:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Baby%20Store/56/52/30

Thank you so much for reading my review! If you are interested in checking out my store where I sell baby products and accessories that are compatible with all prim baby brands including Latin Baby, you can check out DiaperBum Babies! by visiting us in world for exclusive discounts by clicking here or by liking us on facebook to keep up on our newest products! 







Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Take EASY Pro KittyCatS Photos For FREE on Second Life


You're probably wondering how KittyCatS Breeders take photos of their KittyCatS Boxes & Lives so well when selling on the Marketplace or showcasing their most important kitties in world. But you don't have any money to spend on fancy photo studios, programs like photo shop and you don't have much time either. 

This blog post is going to be dedicated on how to take semi pro photos of your KittyCatS Boxes & Lives using FREE in world tools, websites & SUPER EASY computer software that I myself use all the time! There are many different ways to take photos of your kitties and the method of your choosing is totally up to you. I have even created some of these in world tools so you can use them absolutely free.

Today I will show you 2 ways on how to take photos of your KittyCatS for Free and still look semi professional to wow your customers!

DISCLAIMER: I am not associated with KittyCatS Brand or staff, nor am I being sponsored by any of these programs or tools mentioned in this blog. I am not being paid whatsoever to write this blog and I am sharing this with you for education/DIY purposes only.


Method 1: "Box Shots"
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Computer Software Used: PhotoScape (optional)

ABOUT PHOTOSCAPE: 
PhotoScape is one of the most easiest free photo editing softwares on the internet today! You can do many things in seconds such as create cool instagram like effects, visually enhance photo quality like you see above, put cool frames around your photos, easily crop & resize photos, and much more! Available in many different languages such as English, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and a few others!

This Method also works taking photos of live kitties as long as you put them in a pose of your choosing.

Step 1: Rez out your Portable Photo Studio, and set your sun position to "Midday" 
NOTE: You may need to adjust the glow on your photo studio down a little bit to at least 0.08 or 0.05 depending on the lighting on your land/home so the lighting on your cat isn't to bright or too dark



Step 2: Rez out your kitty or box and position it correctly centered on the photo studio and towards the back of it so none of your floor is showing, we only want to see white surrounding your kitty!

Step 3: It's time to start testing out your positioning of the kitty before taking photos using your camera controls. Use your magnifier tool to center in on your kitty box, zoom in and make sure your camera is centered in on your kitty. 

Make sure your kitty isn't tilted awkwardly or stuck in the ground, if taking a photo of a box, make sure the whole box is visible, that your kitty/box is rezzed in before taking its photo. Make sure your kitty box and camera position is centered & zoomed in clearly and correctly so when you crop it, you can cleanly crop the kitty box in a rectangular shape so people can see the box clearly.

Step 4: Take the photo using Second Life's Camera Button and Save it to disk! 



Step 5: If you are using PhotoScape, make sure it is downloaded and open it up 

Step 6: When it loads up, select "Editor" 
Step 7: Select your photo that you just took and saved from Second Life that you will now begin editing


Step 8: We will now crop the photo. Select the Crop Tab


Step 9: Click, Hold & Drag over the parts you want to crop, making the cut as rectangular as possible, then select the crop button at the bottom once you are happy.



Step 10 (OPTIONAL): To create a nice visual effect, select the home tab at the bottom left hand corner


Step 11: Select the bloom button. DO NOT TOUCH THE ARROW. 


Step 12: Selecting Bloom on Normal mode gives them a nice soft glow for a nice little enhancement to your photos so they don't look so dull when selling your KittyCatS on the marketplace. This is completely optional, but not necessary. If you like the way this looks, select "OK"


Step 13: Once you are satisfied, click save and you are done editing your photo and it's ready to go on the marketplace or to share with friends!



Finishing Product

Now we are onto Method #2 which only works with boxes. This may not help you with your live kitties, but it is 10x easier than the last method we showed you and doesn't require in world purchases or photo taking!

Method 2: "Build-A-Cat Screen Capping"
Difficulty Level: Easy
Website Used: Build-a-Cat
Computer Software Used: PhotoScape & Gyazo

About Gyazo:
Gyazo is an easy screen capturing software used as an alternative to Alt-PrtSc or Alt - Print Screen keyboard shortcuts. You can use any screen capturing methods that you choose but for this tutorial we are using Gyazo. 


Step 1: Visit the Build-a-Cat website

Step 2: Enter in your cats Pedigree information, I will be entering in a random cats information for this example


Step 3: A photo replica of your kitty will appear to the right of your screen, you can now use your screen capturing software such as gyazo to take a screenshot of the kitty


Step 4: I am now going to open up PhotoScape because I need to resize it so the marketplace will not reject its small size perimeters. It needs to be at least 512 in width or in height. I can also make visual adjustments such as adding bloom to it just like in the last tutorial. 

Final Product


Congratulations! You've just learned some new, free and easy ways to take photos & showcase your KittyCatS! I hope this was helpful to you and I hope you can share this blog with your friends!

Don't forget to check out my KittyCatS Shop in world where I always have kitties under $100L in stock and a whole wall of Freebies for you to choose from, as well as tons of Kitty Beds & Accessories and $1L Raffles! 

You can visit P&S PrettyKitties in world here or copy and paste this sLURL into your viewer:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Wendersley/219/31/28

Thank you and have fun!