You
don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography
all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have
heard, the people you have loved.
Ansel
Adams
Welcome to a new series in my
blog!
In this ongoing series, I will
meet the photographers of Second Life (SL) and discuss their lives and
work.
Since first rezzing inworld
several years ago, I’ve noticed that there are experienced professional
photographers from Real Life (RL) working in SL as well as many talented
amateurs. Their body of work is quite
large, diverse, and impressive.
This series will call them out
individually and introduce them hopefully to a wider audience. I’ll talk about
their backgrounds, their influences, and naturally their work!
My first subject is Michael Romani, an old SL
friend of mine whom I actually met at his poetry reading somewhere back in the
mists of virtual time. Michael is a photographer
in RL among other things and has recently passed the 14,000 pictures mark on
flickr with his work.
Let’s meet Michael!
For this story, I met Michael
and wife and partner in SL, Ally
Romani, at their home
Michael goes by Michael Romani
inworld which he feels is an extension of his RL persona where he is known as
Michael but with similar interests.
He had a collection of 14,000
plus photographs in RL, mostly nature, buildings, landscapes, and surfing. Unfortunately, all of these came to be
destroyed.
So, when he was pulled into SL,
he was brought here and given an avi that looks like a younger version of him
and his intention was to play live music.
He was going to not play so much the progressive hard rock that he played
in RL but more like a beachy acoustic thing comparable to Jack Johnson.
Michael was a serious musician
in RL, playing multiple instruments and had been in a wide range of bands since
he was eleven years old.
So, Michael was/is a musician,
photographer, poet, and a surfer in RL he hastens to add.
Michael says some people come inworld
to escape reality. He came to be a
musician because so many friends wanted him to do that. It sounded fun to him
However, a few weeks into
getting here, Michael became very ill. Spending
eight days in an ICU and nearly dying. Long
story short, despite recovering, he could no longer sing as he once did. Instead,
Michael became someone who photographs SL and writes passable poetry. (His words not mine, I actually like Michael’s
poetry!)
Michael’s reason for coming to
SL in the first place is one of the more interesting stories I’ve heard since I
started blogging. (Trust me, I’ve heard
a lot!)
Seems Michael was in a pirate
game, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online. He led two guilds there. While doing that he realized that many of
those in these guilds, about one thousand people were also part of SL. Disney's game was ending and his fellow guild
members wanted him to come inworld and perform live music.
The rest is history now!
I next ask Michael about the
challenges of being a photographer in SL.
He replies that there are
several.
The first challenge was realizing
that he had no camera. Michael had to
learn how does the computer camera work in the SL environment.
The next challenge was
learning about windlights and how they can blend to make for more interesting
photographic compositions.
His third challenge was
learning that there are ways to make shadows and so on to create a more natural
feel in this artificial world we are in.
Ally adds that Michael doesn't
photoshop his work.
Michael agrees and adds that all
of his photos are what he sees here inworld. But, he will tweak the lighting and
so on for nuances.
He emphasizes that none of his
work is photoshopped as many inworld photographers apparently do.
I ask Michael what are the
themes of his work?
He replies that he’s himself
in every world that he’s in adding that if one looks at the photos in his
flickr account, one'll see that he has photographed a great deal of SL, a wide
range. Michael prefers to look for the
beautiful, noble, good things and play with their windlights.
He says that playing with
windlights is perhaps his main theme, and after that nature.
I ask if it's suitable
subjects with a strong technical challenge for him in his work inworld? Michael answers that would be a fair description.
He says that what he really
loves is when a RL photographer tells him that many of his photographs look as
though they are in the real world.
Michael adds that for the last
year there has been one main recurring theme and that’s been his wife inworld, Ally. (Who blushes at her mention.)
Ally protests kiddingly that
Michael doesn’t pose her, he just shoots!
Michael explains that he doesn’t
like to have people pose either inworld or in RL. He likes his photography to be as candid as
it can be.
My next question is always a
tough one for creative types, which of his works is his favorite?
Michael says that’s like asking
which of his children he loves best!
(Told you it was a tough one!)
Michael turns the question on
me and says that if he had to limit it to which photographs he loves best he’d
select pictures done by Ansel Adams. He particularly likes how he worked in
black and white. Turns out, Michael
actually had the opportunity to meet Ansel while working on an environmental campaign
in California.
I ask about any projects that
Michael currently has underway inworld.
He replies that presently he
is working more in the poetry world now that he’s reached his goal of 14,000
photos inworld. At the moment, he’s
concentrating on the photos SL14 Birthday Bash. (Second Life’s fourteenth
anniversary celebration inworld.)
Michael will also do multiple
series based on visiting different sims and doing photos that either go with a
story or poetry line. For example, he’s doing
a series in poetry based on the old The Twilight Zone series. He will take the photos that people like most
and write a short poem for each so that they can be on the photograph. Michael may do a couple haikus or
things like that.
My final question is about whether
RL influences SL for him or vice versa?
Michael thinks for a moment
and replies that RL influences SL and SL influences RL. He finds that especially so when it comes to
his writing, but true is also about photography and how he sees things. For example, when he photographed a lot in RL
he would not filter or anything like that.
He wanted what the world would see was what he saw then himself.
At this point, our interview
ends and we walk over to the nearby gallery where Michael has some of his work
on display.
Upon entering the gallery,
visitors will notice a statue of woman on horseback. This a
The gallery is two floors with
a small area for receptions on the second.
Walking out the back door on the ground floor reveals a waterfront path
with spectacular views.
At this point, I thank Michael
for his time and candor, and take my leave.
What draws me to Michael’s
photographs, besides the depth and breadth they reveal of SL, is how they
capture the ordinary places and events inworld and some how make them feel
special.
I’m not much of a photographer.
(Significant Other nods in violent agreement.)
Just look at my own crude efforts accompanying this blog and you’ll see what
I mean.
But, I do know great
photographs when I see them and that’s what I see when I look at Michael’s
work.
Michael is a prolific and
talented photographer who is documenting the story of SL. Someday, all we may have left of this world
we share, will be the efforts of photographers like him. He contributes to the cultural and social
life of SL as few do.
Check out his work!
Fortunately for us, Michael’s
work can be found in many places.
There’s his inworld
gallery (Only the gallery, the house is off limits!), his flickr page, and
his blog.
Also, he does poetry readings
Mondays at 5:00PM SLT at this location.
Now, you may wonder why I
haven’t plastered Michael’s photographs all over this story. After all, he did give me permission! The truth is there are so many wonderful
Which one of Michael’s
photographs is your favorite?
I’d like to thank Michael for
allowing me into his home and life to meet him and Ally, and taking the time to
answer my questions and to share his life with us!
As always, I’m grateful to all
inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was
passing through their lives.
More pictures from my
interview with Michael can be found on this flickr
page.
I can be found on Google+ as
webspelunker Ghostraven.
On Skype I’m webspelunker
Ghostraven.
I welcome feedback from
readers, please either comment on my blog or
e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com
.
If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.
If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.
Open roads
and kind fires!
