One of the coolest features of PhotoStage and PhotoLite is the Position Editor, which allows you to position lights, effects generators and gaze points quickly and precisely anywhere on the X Y Z axes. The editor also provides intelligent positioning which finds the model and locates the selected element in relation to her.

The Position Editor can be accessed using either menu, chat or HUD controls. For the purposes of this post, I’m showing the HUD interface since it visualizes the editor’s functions most effectively. Here’s how the Position Editor panel appears on the HUD:

Once you’ve selected an element to move (light, effects generator or gaze point), you can use the intelligent positioning buttons to move the element around the model. The buttons showing a grey human torso plus a yellow circle indicate how the element will be positioned when you click the button. The available options are: (left to right, top row) Right, Left, Back, Front, Back Up, Front Up, Toplight, Footlight; (l to r second row) Centre, Closer and Further (these last two buttons move the selected element closer to or further from the model).

You can also use the X, Y and Z buttons to manually adjust the element’s position. Clicking the minus and plus icons will decrease or increase the element’s X, Y or Z coordinates. The distance that the element will move each time you click one of these buttons is set by the 1.00, 0.25 and 0.05 buttons, which correspond to 1 metre, 25 cm and 5 cm, respectively.

A very nifty and easy to use tool, and one of the prime reasons why PhotoStage and PhotoLite allow you to focus on what matters!

One of Second Life’s most talented pose-makers, Myllie Writer of Persona has created nine exclusive fashion poses for distribution only with Ananke Media Systems (AMS). The new Persona poses are included in PhotoStand, and have now been released in the latest update (1.1.3) for the AMS PhotoStage, PhotoLite and PhotoTools Pro.

When combined with the PhotoStand’s existing poses, the new Persona poses now provide AMS customers with a total of 52 high quality poses, most only available in the AMS PhotoStand. That’s a L$2600 value - free with the purchase of all AMS products!

PhotoStand allows you to add your own poses and to navigate through them efficiently. The stand also provides precision rotation and alignment. Menu and chat controls make it easy to cycle through poses, and then adjust or fine-tune your model’s position without altering the camera angle.

You can check out the new Persona poses at the AMS Demo Site or the Metro Models store, where you can also purchase your own PhotoStage, PhotoLite or PhotoTools Pro and start taking your Second Life photography to a whole new level today!

Other Credits:

Viela Flexidress in Spring Olive from .:LBD:.

ZuZu Monokini from .:LBD:. (top photo)

Nana Heels in Copper from ~enkythings~

Suzana Sun 6 Skin from LionSkins

Prairie Hair in Blonde from Detour

Second Life offers an abundance of amazing locations for great shoots. Yet optimizing the lighting for an on-location shoot can be challenging, which is one reason why many SL photographers opt for studio shooting. I recently took Ananke Media Systems‘ PhotoLite toolkit to the beach to see how this highly versatile system can enhance the look of images you capture inworld.

This first photo shows our lovely model (none other than moi - of course!) posing on the beach with the existing night lighting. Nice location - what you can see of it!

Here’s the same location with lighting and effects added from the PhotoLite toolkit. I’ve used lights to brighten certain elements in the background (the pampas grass and palms) as well as the model (isn’t she gorgeous? — okay, I’ll stop). I’ve also added a very light mist with two effects generators to soften the reflected light from the sand and provide another colour detail.

After hiding all the lights, effect generators and the pose stand with a couple of quick clicks on the  PhotoLite HUD or menus, the scene becomes a vivid yet still natural looking setting perfect for capturing the romance of LeeZu Baxter’s Noir line!

Moving in for a closer view, I made some minor adjustments in the positioning of the lights using the PhotoLite HUD - all without ever changing the camera frame! One of the beauties of AMS products is the ability to stay focussed on the specific camera angle you want while using the HUD, menu or chat controls to adjust lighting, effects and even the direction the model’s eyes are looking. (Click “More” to see the photo.)

And as a final reminder, here’s that close shot again… this time without the PhotoLite enhancements. By the way, apart from cropping and resizing for the web, none of these images have been photoshopped in any way.

So there you have it. With PhotoLite, you can take your on-location fashion shoots to a whole new level, anywhere on the grid! Stop by the AMS Demo Site to try it out soon!

Ananke Media Systems (AMS) has teamed up with the 2008 SL Footwear Expo to offer PhotoTools Pro as part of the Grand Prize in the Flickr Footwear Contest. A demo of the PhotoStage is now on display in the Contest Voting Station at the Expo.

You can read about all the prizes and rules at the official Footwear Expo website. Lots of great prizes and already plenty of amazing footwear photos to satisfy even the most ardent footwear fetish!

Be sure to visit the Flickr site to check out all the photos entered in the Footwear Contest! The Footwear Expo runs now to July 27th. Lots to see and do. Everyone’s there! Don’t miss it!

Ananke Media Systems announces the opening of a second PhotoStage display site in the new store at Metro Models. AMS is delighted to be the first company chosen by the Metro Models Agency to set up shop in their glamorous new headquarters. Agency Director Alaska Metropolitan has been a strong supporter of AMS from the beginning, participating in the beta testing of the PhotoStage and serving as one of the judges for the photo contest at our original Launch Event at Princeton University’s Alexander Beach sim.

At the new Metro Models store customers can try out a demo of the PhotoStage, and purchase all three AMS products:  PhotoStage, PhotoLite, and PhotoTools Pro.

For more information about Metro Models, please be sure to visit the Metro Models website.

Welcome to the new look for the AMS website.

As announced in her recent post, Anna Tretiak has decided to leave AMS in order to pursue other RL interests. Her departure is amicable, yet necessary, and I’m sure all of you who know her in Second Life will join with me in wishing her the very best in her future endeavours.

While Anna’s involvement in the company will be missed, it would be wrong to think AMS is now under new management. Anna and I created our business together and I have been actively engaged in its operations from the very beginning. Please be assured that AMS will continue to provide high quality products and excellent customer service.

I hope you will like the fresh look of the new design scheme. All of the content from the old website is still here, and I will be continuing to update with new notices and information on a regular basis.

Serenity Mercier

Anna, Cantlos Point, 2 October 2007

After six months running Ananke Media Systems, I am off. I am leaving the business. My partner Serenity Mercier will be taking over from now on.

Starting up and running AMS has been quite a ride. I have learned a lot, and made some money too. I would like to send a warm thank you to all our customers who have trusted us, and to all others who have liaised with us in so many ways.

For me, this is over. Goodbye. Hugs. Kisses. Some tears. And good luck to Serenity. You be nice to her.

We are proud to accept Ewing Fashion Agency’s invitation to co-showcase our products at their booth in SL5B. Second Life turns 5, and we are there to celebrate.

There are two PhotoStages rezzed so you can try them out. Feel free to play with them.

See us at http://slurl.com/secondlife/SL5B Phantom/88/236/37!

The winners of the First Second Life Portrait Contest have been announced on the Koinup blog. Congratulations to Jaxi, Lano and DahniElla for their awesome work.

These are the winning photos:

“Anticipation” by Jaxi - http://www.koinup.com/Jaxi/work/36068/

“Beo with feather mask” by Lano - http://www.koinup.com/Lano/work/36070/

“Paper Flowers” by DahniElla - http://www.koinup.com/DahniElla/work/35911/

In addition to the winners, the following runners-up have been especially regarded by the jury:

• “dreaming-of-music” by Paol_Oh - http://www.koinup.com/Paol_Oh/work/39363/
• “drift away” by MelodiousSource - http://www.koinup.com/MelodiousSource/work/37726/
• “fierce elf” by elusyve - http://www.koinup.com/elusyve/work/36432/
• “heheh” by Jaxi - http://www.koinup.com/Jaxi/work/36385/
• “Insomnia” by LeilaCarroll - http://www.koinup.com/LeilaCarroll/work/37514/
• “KRISS” by Nyla - http://www.koinup.com/Nyla/work/38619/
• “Landsend Korobase” by LandsendKorobase - http://www.koinup.com/LandsendKorobase/work/38390/
• “Last Goodbye” by Morgause978 - http://www.koinup.com/Morgause978/work/39314/
• “narciso’s-reflecting” by zheling - http://www.koinup.com/zheling/work/36841/
• “projekt square” by KeanKelly - http://www.koinup.com/KeanKelly/work/34389/
• “Queenie” by Tur - http://www.koinup.com/Tur/work/35501/
• “Ray” by Venk - http://www.koinup.com/Venk/work/39443/
• “Steph Berry” by JuiLoon - http://www.koinup.com/JuiLoon/work/38331/
• “The Moment Before” by Kee - http://www.koinup.com/Kee/work/38605/
• “thief” by GabrielleSinatra - http://www.koinup.com/GabrielleSinatra/work/37661/
• “Tormented” by KimberlyMirabeau - http://www.koinup.com/KimberlyMirabeau/work/35411/
• “viv” by vivienne - http://www.koinup.com/vivienne/work/37522/
• “WIllolw_007″ by Willow - http://www.koinup.com/Willow/work/36925/

Many thanks to Koinup and their management for hosting this contest. And, especially, many thanks to all of you who participated in the contest, and congratulations to winners and runners-up. You have demonstrated that photography in Second Life is a beautiful and exciting endeavour to pursue.

The First Second Life Portrait Contest will close for submissions in a few hours, with roughly 400 entries competing for the prizes. In the next few days the contest jury will pick three winners plus a few runners up. The final decision will be announced on this site, the Koinup web site and the Koinup blog by 16 June.

Stay tuned!