MVW 2013 and SL photographers

The announcement is out. MVW 2013 has the first entries' photos at BOSL blog.

I read the press release and public announcement. The document also explains how to apply and the kind of photos the candidates must submit.

I particularly like point 9.

9. Photoshop is allowed, but please keep photographs realistic so that it reflects how you actually look in Second Life.

And if you take a good look at all entries, you'll see that most of the photos have been heavily editted in PS. Some entries are just SL photos - quite unprofessional, I must say - others are skewed and twisted. Bottom line, if the idea is to actually see the avatar's face, heavily editted photos make their all faces look alike. So, we have several entries with avatars looking 'similar', sometimes because the photographer is the same.

Don't get me wrong, some of the photos have been taken and worked by SL photographers that are considered to be the best. But, in a case like this, a simple, tasteful photo, showing the avatar's face should suffice.
What matters is not the skill of the photographer , but the face of the female avatar.

Let's see some? I do declare, hereby, that I do not own any rights over the photos below. The names of the photographers are clearly stated on top of each row of photos and are used here, to illustrate my opinion .

Photos by Elle Ahren (view her work)

Photos by Julie Hastings (view her work)

Photos by Skip Staheli (view his work)

Even though the photos are very well done, they are heavily editted and we don't actualy see the real avatar behind it.

In RL, a model that goes to several agencies for castings takes her own book, however frequently, the agency they cast for takes a quick snapshot of their faces, as they are. No makeup, simple hair, etc.

To be eligible for MVW, these ladies hired some good photoshop editors in SL. It's quite frustrating, because we actually love the quality of the photo, but how's the avatar really like?

You may say, that's what live auditions are for. That's a fact, but before the live auditions, the first pre-finalists are going to be chosen among this group of photos. Are they going to consider the quality of the photographer or the beauty of the avatar? Because in the photos you see above, they all look 'the same'. Different eye color or hair color, but they all look so much alike!

There are very good photos though. Photos that really show the avatar's face, they stand out for me, because they are so simply worked, that 'what you see is what you get' and this should be the whole point, right?

Another year, another round at MVW. I'll be watching, as usual ;)

Miss and Mister Virtual World 2012

Yes, you all thought I had vanished ;) no! I'm always here, watching.

SL Models have been improving, that's why I don't feel the need to write as much as I used to; until these two events came up, again. Still, for some reason beyond my comprehension, SL Models aim at these two beauty pageants.

I'm making Mr Frolic Mills happy, because I'm talking about his things again. I'm glad I make him feel so important.

Now, to the point. I just watched one of MrVirtual World challenges, which was to style according to some samples that were provided to the candidates. These samples are public, they were provided in the NC sent out in the Group's invitation to the event. That's why I'm publishing them.

I didn't take photos of the candidates, but I'm showing you the samples that were supposed to inspire them.








Personally, I think this was an excellent challenge. To style this isn't easy and only some people can do it right. As you can see, there's a lot of black.

That was what most candidates did: they styled themselves in black. However, it was tough to see, because only a few, maybe one or two candidates really grasped this casual/high fashion style.

To wear black doesn't mean they really understood the challenge. Almost all of them wore black boots, just like the samples.

One of the candidates decided to style fantasy and wore a white dress, not walking on the runway but floating. I don't think that this was the idea of this styling challenge. He completely missed it. He stood out, yes, but for ther wrong reasons.

Obviously, everybody is intitled to their opinion, but, come on!!! The male candidates for Mr Virtual World need to step it up!!

Probably one or two really grasped the styling concept of this challenge. The rest of the candidates, didn't stand out for styling this impeccably. Actually, the two best candidates in this challenge were quite discrete and styled as real models, not fantasy. Exactly applying these samples they were given to their own style.

It was a disappoitment for me; it was quite a challenge indeed! Not many people have the skill to style that.

_______________________

Now, to Miss Virtual World Candidates. It's time for selections and live auditions and they will go on, still.

This weekend was one of the live castings; the second, I believe.
As a Fashion Critique, observing SL Models for quite some time and also observing these beauty pageants, the live casting for the female candidates was probably the worst I have ever watched in SL!

It's obvious that I know that some of those candidates are already modeling in SL. Let me tell you, it was hard to watch; I remember clearly one of the candidates in particular; she went to a live audition for MVW wearing a full leather black bodysuit with long boots!!! Then, she posed! I almost lost my temper there! This candidate to Miss Virtual World (these female avatars are supposed to be the most beautiful and elegant and so on and so on) used an old pose, the poses that were used like three years ago, that are very quick and have the two fingers pointed - you know what I mean, right?. She posed like that! I almost lost it!

Oh she stood out alright!! As the worst avatar I've seen in my SL, on a runway!!! Here is where I thought to myself 'probably, if the female candidates keep being like this, SL professional models will understand that this is not a contest for them, but for those who look for fame; not professionalism, but fame. '

I hope I really hope that SL Models understand that a modeling career in SL comes from hard work and not really fame - this kind of fame, that's what I mean.

There is something going on in SL - regarding shapes, skins, styling skills - cause the quality in these two beauty pageants is decreasing rapidly.

Miss Virtual Word Competition

I am a SL Model observer, on the runway.

As far as we all can tell, a "Miss World" Competition in RL does NOT include Models, right? Why did the rules change inside Second Life?
Yes, in Second Life, we can create our own life, be what we want to be, but a Miss Virtual World Competition should abide by the same rules as in RL.

I state again, Miss Virtual World is NOT a SL Model Competition!! It's a beauty pageant.
That's why I will not pay any more attention to this so called "competition" organized by the owner of 4 sims in Second Life. I will not publicize here the name of this avatar, even though we all may know the name.

Any kind of publicity regarding this kind of situations in Second Life will be ignored by me.

I watch Fashion Shows and look at SL Models. I do not go to any "Miss Pageants", not in RL nor in SL.

Winning such a pageant in Second Life will not make the winner a good SL Model.