Grid Expectations

One of the people who shares space with me on my sim is photographer Shoji Kumaki. He’s been featured on NWN a few times, and for good reason: his photos are amazing!

It’s true that this world is a virtual one made up of code, prims, and textures; but thanks to all the residents breathing life into it, it becomes so much more. It’s this sense of wonder over it all, the feeling of  adventure that comes across in Shoji’s images, that appeals to me so much. Whether his photos feature a crowd in front of a busy street cafe, a couple in their own intimate little world and sharing an umbrella, or his own avatar contemplating an uncertain vista, it’s always imbued with the promise of a story that wants to unfold itself before you.

I was browsing Shoji’s photos on his Koinup account a few days ago, and noticed that one sim in particular was showcased repeatedly: Cap Estel. I decided to pay a visit a few days ago, and was impressed with what I found! One of my favorite features was the giraffe tour, which will take you all around the sim. I put together a little clip to show parts of the tour, hope you enjoy!

Giraffe Tour, Cap Estel from Melanie Kidd on Vimeo.

I’m really impressed with what Maurice Messmer has done with the sim. It’s even more impressive when you take into consideration the fact that it is a Homestead and he therefore had only 3,750 prims at his disposal. He put a lot of thought into the overall feel of the sim; you’ll hear the sound of tribal drums all throughout your tour and you’ll even notice vultures circling over areas where hyenas and lions are feeding on their kills. And be sure to look for the cafe that’s hidden near the waterfalls!

Edit: I met Grey Lupindo while I was roaming around Cap Estel, who has also written a nice article about the sim at SL Newser. Go check it out!

I also had fun taking lots of pics of my new outfit while I was there. I figured posing with zebras would be a great way to show off my new zebra stripe leggings from House of Hucci, ha.

And last but definitely not least! I’ve been living in my new LAQ Susan skin for the past week or so, and I’m loving it <3 Since I was in picture-taking-happy mode, I figured it was as good a time as any to take a few headshots to show a few of the makeups and skintones.

I didn’t wear any prim lashes in these pictures because I was too lazy to put them on, but I think this skin looks fine as is with the drawn on lash textures. (And I didn’t realize this until after I’d taken the pictures, but the coloring on the skins appears a bit warm in these images due to the windlight setting I was using.)

One of the things I’m always noticing on skins are the eyebrows; for some reason, I’m always drawn to that first and then the lips second. Susan’s eyebrows are a nice shape and size. I’m like Goldilocks when it comes to brows, I’m super picky and they can’t be too thick or too thin! They have to be juuuuust right. As for the lips, there’s something for everyone, with a nice mix of matte colors and glossy finishes.

Hope you get a chance to visit Cap Estel soon!

What I’m wearing…

Skin – LAQ Susan
Hair – Jade Jeanne
Eyes – Unique Natural brown 11

Sweater – House of Hucci – Decollete Sweater, Dust Rose
Leggings – House of Hucci – Zebra Sequin Leggings, Champagne/Silver
Shoes – Maitreya – Scrunched Prim Socks + Shearling Boots

Poses by POSEUR.

Tagged as: Africa, Cap Estel, Grey Lupindo, House of Hucci, Jade, jungle, LAQ, Machinima, Maitreya, safari, Second Life, Shoji Kumaki, SL, SL Newser, tribal, Unique

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