A surprise :)

Yesterday i got a TP from a friend.
As soon as i accepted it I came face to face with a true Command Squad, determined upon celebrating my 4th rezzday!
My closest friends, Laura, Yvette and Bety did summon me at Sonatta Morales's main store - one of my SL Dreamlands - commanding me to choose my gift :)
I thought to take advantage from their decision and I solemnly declarated I would be happy to accept the whole store as a gift ;)
After being listening a lot of laughs from them, I turned serious and I began the hard task of choosing among the endless wishes that store make me feel.
It should take even some weeks watching, desiring, comparing, choosing between gowns and cocktail dresses, reflecting on that pretty texture or on that cute ribbon... but I couldn't stole my friends so much time. So, I let my instinct driving me. And this is the result:

Aldebaran is a mid-short coktail dress made by a multi-layers skirt and a semi-transparent top, enriched by a darker men's taylored collar and by a wonderful black velvet sash with a big ribbon on the waist.
It comes along with matching textured shoes and clutch.
The wonderful black and gold flowered texture, the wide skirt, the classy and sexy shape of the top that leaves shoulders naked, compose a perfect whole, inspired to 1940s best elegance.

As usual, I'm grateful to Sonatta for offering all of us these great clothes. But, of course, I thank even more Laura, Yve and Bety for giving me this great gift. They know very well my taste, my preferences, my whims. I couldn't ever get their gift without their advices, based upon their model's and stylist's great skills.
Today I wanted to shoot the dress for this post, and I couldn't find a better place than the renewed Sonatta's shop at Seraph City. I love that City, one of the best retro environments in SL, and I find that the wide empty space of the shop's main hall, surrounded by a parade of Sonatta's masterpieces, would be a perfect background for this great creation.
I've chosen a pose by Reel: it's an homage to that great pose creator, who unfortunately left SL since a while.

Vanity is a matter of love: love for friends, for creators, for ourselves. So I'm happy to spend this time shooting the dress and writing this post, so full with vanity, and to dedicate it to my beloved friends.

Solitudes photo exhibit

Thanks to Serena Estates Center for Artists and the Arts managed by Vita Theas, I could display the whole collection of my photo themed "Solitudes". I got a small preview at my e-mage gallery at Chelsea, but i think that meanings and style of that kind of picture is enhanced when they are all together.

The pretty gallery open spaces gave the photos a great environment to be seen at their best. I loved seeing them on sky or trees backgrounds.
Many friends did enjoy the opening and could look at the exhibit chatting and drinking good champagne and vodka. I thank all of them and the others who will come visiting until the show will be open (end of September). 

The text that follows is taken from the Introduction on the Exhibit's sign, and expresses well my aims and the mood I got when working on these photos.

Solitude is a plural word. We can be alone in the most crowded places, we can find loneliness in a town street as well as in a desert. Solitude can be desperation but also peacefulness, just rest or push to fill the void.
Second Life adds new dimensions to these feelings: large spaces, few people, empty landscapes or buildings make us feel all the appeal of an uncrowded world. It can be slightly sad, but it makes us talk with things, lights, shapes. And they have a lot to tell.
I took a lot of picture of lonely places that fascinated me. I invite you to fill these empty spaces with your feelings.

If you like these thoughts, pls, visit the exhibit and enjoy it!

Some sample pics:

A streetcar called Desire

(taken at Paris 1900)

DeChirico

(taken at Hope for Emilia project)

Misty

(taken at Reasonable Desires)

Aftermath

(taken at The Abyss)

 50s

 (taken at Reasonable Desires)

 Dream

 Twins

(taken at Reasonable Desires)

Wrinkled

(taken at Tableau)

While writing this post, I realized I've been appointed as Photographer of the month by More Moolto magazine. Thank you, Moolto!

Read the article here (at page 81)