I had begun to doubt the day would come when I published this image. It is very much a composite that was plagued along the way by many instances of “oh! it would have been easier if I just….” So, when the opportunity came to create a profile image for Pattie and her new head, it was a welcome break. Believe!
Even while working on the other image I was considering just starting over with the original photograph for this scene and then do it as I realized I could have done it much easier. That was interrupted by my new interest in the viewer Black Dragon after learning that one can also set poses from within the viewer. Were I to use Black Dragon, Aedan would not have to be composited into this scene… However, Black Dragon may become a post of it’s own. In short, I’m struggling and may have to actually read the manual!
However, after over a week away from the image, when I opened it again I realized it was very close to being done…too close to start over. At that point, it required only some shading on his palms and a level adjustment for the entire image.
Getting to that point included taking two photos – one for the primary night scene and a second daytime image to be illuminated by the three sources of light. I didn’t realize that getting such a bright moon near the horizon is not an option in SL these days so to achieve the full bright moon and it’s subsequent moonlight, I used a curves adjustment.
Aedan was shot in the studio using AnyPose and then carefully painted in behind the fire pit. The fire was added so suddenly that the snow hadn’t even had a chance to melt from the stones or pots 😉
I hadn’t chosen a name for this image until I found a tune I wanted to associate with it.
