i've been keeping a second life photo diary since before both conejo & waterfairy existed..around 2018 is when i started the habit.
second life has a built in screenshot tool, and i use that and just take screenshots whenever i feel like it
throughout the years my photography skills & second life skills have increased, and the diary remains pretty candid, nothing in it is staged or planned save for photo shoots here and there
i omit a couple but not a lot, its uploaded mostly as is
my diary first became known by people through a twitter account i had called sofalaughing
i wouldn't post the whole diary like i do now, just small sets of photos at a time
the diary combined with conejobeat and other events got some people interested in joining second life, a lot of conejo residents came in because of the twitter precense
then comes glaring issue, that site and the photo diary format arent very comptaible
i tried some alternatives, but in the end i came to the conclusion to start sharing it here
i used to keep most of my SL diary to myself.
but i've thought many times that when i die, or when im way older, that i'd like my whole diary to be out there in some way.
so theres something inside of me that wants to share it like how i like to share paintings
when i check the entry folders after a couple months im shocked at how it natrually materializes into art
its worth sharing, i like having things i can share for free and it feels right.. for now.
the whole diary is well over 11 thousand pictures by now!!
in the beginning, i 'lived' in second life a lot more
this is no longer the case, but because most of my relationships have come from conejo, the line is still blurred
improvisation & chance has always been my strong suit, a major part of how i work..
i look through the diary and i see my life very vividly.
i see relationships that have fallen apart, things that havent worked out, ways things have changed . . .
second life diaries reflect a raw representation of virtual world, and from someone who actually lives in it.
second life, like a lot of other virtual worlds, is a case where if you dont take a picture, a place could suddenly be gone forever, with no way of going back or seeing it again.
as conejo grows, the diary's purpose deepens
i played a huge variety of virtual worlds growing up and a lot of them have little to nothing saved or documented
if you play second life a lot, consider taking more screenshots, i'd be happy to see more diaries around
i don't intend to put older entries up in web format because it'd be a lot of work.
but someday, i'd like to write more about my experience, and share those pictures somehow..
..MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT THE DIARY
i started doing the diary during a dark time
second life had become the sole light in my life
second life is a great way to work that muscle because its very 'make your own fun'
the diary is really fun.. and its barely any effort. its good to have projects that are fun and simple to do, to balance out the grueling ones.
it activates strong memories of what i was doing irl at the time, or what the time felt like.. it gives me special feelings and i love it
the diary makes it all beautiful, leaving no bad taste in my mouth.
i can accept it for what it is. life is a balance of good and bad.
there is not enough out there that frames second life as the beautiful place it is.
builds change, people dont log on again, etc.. so photography is very important in helping virtual worlds transcend time.
thats a big factor for me, preserving not just conejo but art i see around second life.
its proven useful because places did dissapear and i only have my diary to revisit them..
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