A Little Bit of Photography by Zoe Demar - Cropping

A great photo consists of many things tied together.  One of the most important aspects that differentiates a good photo from a great photo is composition.

In the visual arts — in particular painting, graphic design, photography and sculpture — composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art, as distinct from the subject of a work. It can also be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art. - Wikipedia (click link for more details)

One way to help achieve this in any photo is by cropping photos appropriately.  One rule of thumb to keep in mind is to avoid cutting off limbs in awkward places.  Cutting off feet is something I commonly see made with a lot of good photographers on the grid.  If you have to crop off at the legs, I recommend hitting about mid calf or mid thigh.  Same applies with arms - don't cut off right at the elbows - hit mid forearm or bicep.

Keep in mind the focus of the photo.  Whether it be landscape, model, fashion, object or shoe - make sure that you don't have so much going on that the photo loses the subject.

My biggest suggestion is to play.  Following I'm showing an example of playing with different crops all from the same photo.

Original Snap:

Close-up Crop:

Half-body Crop:

   Two-thirds Body Crop:

You see that even playing with the dimensions causes your eye to look at different elements but all maintaining the focus, which in this case should be the model.

Enjoy!
Love, Zoe

Quick Credits:
Dress: Mon Tissu
Hair: 69
Skin: Tres Blah
Location: Lulu
Pose: LAP aka Long Awkward Pose

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar - Sky High

I wanted to feature a bit of a store called, Erratic.  They're new but high quality with a LOT of color.  Erratic currently covers a lot of hip club and sporty styles.  They're located on the LE LOOK SOUTH sim.

I'm showing off more of a sporting style mix displaying their razorback tank, sporty shorts, and striped socks.  Note: I did a bit of photo-shopping on the shorts to fix the annoying glitch that all SL designers have to put up with.  I won't go into a long explanation of it but it is extremely frustrating and limited pixel area.

As far as the rest of the look goes, LAP's Skater Chic Poses definitely were a big part of the inspiration.  Elikatira's Play hair was perfectly suited paired up with Pink Fuel's early teaser and highly anticipated release of Kumi skin part of the Pacific Crisis Fundraiser.  An oldie but a goodie, Porn Star's Xtra Hi-Tops that come in a wide variety of customizable/scripted colors and textures.  Last but not least - Tres Blah's Blue eyes which I've worn on a number of occasions.

Enjoy!
Love, Zoe

Quick Credits:
TOP: Erratic - Tracy Racerback in Blue 1
SHORTS: Erratic - Jamie Sporty in Red 1
SOCKS: Erratic - Striped in White-Blue
SHOES: PornStar - Xtra Hi-Tops in MultiColor
SKATE BOARD: LAP (aka Long Awkward Pose) part of Skate Chic pack 
HAIR: elikatira - Play in Black 04
SKIN: Pink Fuel - Kumi in Milk/Amethyst (Pacific Crisis Fundraiser)
EYES: Tres Blah - Blue
POSES: LAP aka Long Awkward Pose

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar - Howdy

Yay for new Surf Co. clothes AND boots!  

Enjoy!

Love, Zoe

Quick Credits:

Alison Hair - Truth

Godiva Skin - Cashmere

Sundance Halter Tank - Surf Co.

Olea Boots - Surf Co.

Walkabout Denim Skirt - Surf Co.

Jejune Eyes - Tres Blah

Poses - On The Cover (no longer available)

*images have been photoshopped

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar - Mix It Up

I was inspired by the newest release from The Secret Store.  The Chiffon skirts come in 6 textures, 5 of which I am showing here.  B is currently only available at Dressing Room Blue, so be sure to swing by to pick that up.  The skirt comes in two options, with or without sash, I mainly stuck with the sash in all styles but A.

Enjoy!

Love, Zoe

A - Style
JACKET: Maitreya - Short Trench in Red

SKIRT: Secret Store - Chiffon in Red Squared 

EARRINGS: Paper Couture - Faceted Parrot Stone

SHOES: Mon Tissu - Cottage Flats in Black

SKIN: Dutch Touch - Mensje in Peach Basic

MAKE-UP: Dutch Touch - Mensje lipsticks in Soft Salmon

HAIR: !lamb - Soma in Honeycomb

EYES: Tres Blah - Blue Eyes

EYE LASHES: Dutch Touch - Eyelashes
SHAPE: Dutch Touch - Mensje


B - Style

SHIRT: Armidi Gisaci - Kongo Chain Shirt in Bistre 

SKIRT: Secret Store - Chiffon in Silk Kerchief (only available at the Dressing Room Blue)

EARRINGS: Mandala - Takayama in Gold

SHOES: Mon Tissu - Cottage Flats in Moss

SKIN: Dutch Touch - Mensje in Peach Basic

MAKE-UP: Dutch Touch - Mensje lipsticks in Soft Salmon

HAIR: !lamb - Soma in Honeycomb

EYES: Tres Blah - Blue Eyes

EYE LASHES: Dutch Touch - Eyelashes 

SHAPE: Dutch Touch - Mensje


C - Style
SHIRT: Fri.day - Basic Cami in White
SKIRT: Secret Store - Chiffon in Pale Tartan
SHRUG: G Field - Ruffle Bolero in Ivory
NECKLACE: Mandala - Pearl Rain in Cream gold
SHOES: Mon Tissu - Cottage Flats in Beige
SKIN: Dutch Touch - Mensje in Peach Basic

MAKE-UP: Dutch Touch - Mensje lipsticks in Soft Salmon

HAIR: !lamb - Soma in Honeycomb

EYES: Tres Blah - Blue Eyes

EYE LASHES: Dutch Touch - Eyelashes 

SHAPE: Dutch Touch - Mensje


D - Style
SHIRT: Mon Tissu - Prudence Cardigan in Yellow
SKIRT: Secret Store - Chiffon in Granny's Roses
SHOES: Mon Tissu - Cottage Flats in Mustard
SKIN: Dutch Touch - Mensje in Peach Basic

MAKE-UP: Dutch Touch - Mensje lipsticks in Soft Salmon

HAIR: !lamb - Soma in Honeycomb

EYES: Tres Blah - Blue Eyes

EYE LASHES: Dutch Touch - Eyelashes 

SHAPE: Dutch Touch - Mensje


E - Style
SHIRT: Surf Couture - Canvas Garden Top - Palm 4 
SKIRT: Secret Store - Chiffon in Old Bloom
EARRINGS: Zaara - Hiral Wood Earrings in Gold
SHOES: Mon Tissu - Cottage Flats in Beige
SKIN: Dutch Touch - Mensje in Peach Basic

MAKE-UP: Dutch Touch - Mensje lipsticks in Soft Salmon

HAIR: !lamb - Soma in Honeycomb

EYES: Tres Blah - Blue Eyes

EYE LASHES: Dutch Touch - Eyelashes 

SHAPE: Dutch Touch - Mensje


All poses created by TorridWear

Zoe's Quick Pick - Madi's Secrets

Ah I love shopping and coming across a new store to me - I am impressed by the collection over at Madi's Secrets.  I was happy to find the time and effort that Madilyn Ling has put into her lingerie.  The shine in the satin and detailing in the lace had me fall in love.  In another piece that I picked up called Coffee Brocade, she has the seams in the pattern matching perfectly!  Trying my own hands at designing, this area is a nightmare and I congratulate Madilyn for doing what many won't.  I look forward to seeing more pieces to come!

Enjoy!

Love, Zoe

Quick Credits:

Madi's Secrets' Satin & Lace Corset Set in Black

Truth's Mena in Night

Glam Affair's Jadis in MedTan 11a

Tres Blah's Blue Eyes

LAP aka Long Awkward Pose's DQ-Cam Hor 

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar - Golden Rose

It is always a surprise sometimes that certain stores haven't been blogged by me before.  One store in particular is Indyra Originals.  I've been a fan for awhile and even did a photograph for her store in the past, but sometimes a piece just doesn't work out right with the look that I'm going for.  That changed today as I made my focus the blouse of Indyra's Catalan in Antique Rose.  A fine pair of jeans even comes along with the blouse but I wouldn't be true to my blog style by sticking with them.  Instead incorporated other pieces.

I will say it wasn't the easiest look because the top does require some technique to match properly mainly due to the cut.  I also didn't wanna go the easy route and put a pair of jeans with it especially when the outfit already includes a pair.  SO a skirt was in order.  At first I tried something I had been eying for awhile but was a bit too high wasted and didn't give the proper silhouette that every girl wants.  Then I stumbled upon the perfect fit at Maitreya which surprisingly enough was already in my inventory, the Viento skirt in Eggplant.

Truth hair was on my head while shopping and though it worked for the look, as soon as I put on the elikatira boots it was going a bit more country than what I wanted.  I browsed through Truth's webstore on the marketplace and decided on Sonya Streaked in Barley.  This helped pull the more sexy appeal that I wanted with the blouse.

As mentioned the new Secret boots by elikatira in Sepia was perfect to pull out the gold belt option of the top and accessories (Catalan Ring & Snakeskin Clutch Purse) that Indyra already had matched with the look.

One skin that I have been wearing the past few days but hasn't been released yet - I'm happy to share that the wait for Belleza's Erika should be over SOON!!  I'm showing off the Erika Sunkissed tone in make-up #8.  I really like the variety of make-ups that Tricky is releasing in the Erika skin line and refuse to tease anymore about it.

And I am featuring Tres Blah eyes in blue...again!

Enjoy!

Love, Zoe

Quick Credits:
Blouse: Indyra Originals - Catalan in Antique Rose
Skirt: Maitreya - Viento in Eggplant
Clutch: Indyra Originals - Snakesin in Gold
Ring: Indyra Originals - Catalan in Old Rose
Boots: Elikatira - Secret in Sepia
Hair: Truth - Sonya Streaked in Barley
Skin: Belleza - Erika SK 8
Eyes: Tres Blah - Blue
Pose: Maitreya

Zoe's Fashion Feature: Tram

It is so nice that even after years of being in Second Life I can still find something new that I adore!  The newest release from Tram caught my attention but it isn't the first time I have come across the designer!  moca Loup is definitely a designer I will be visiting from now on.    

I bought the Narcissus dress at Designer's United (center picture).  It isn't available for sale in this color but she does have other shades for sale at her main store.  It was an automatic purchase at the time but like many things it gets in my inventory as a "gotta blog about" or "photograph must" and gets a bit lost in the shuffle.  So unfortunately until today I had not yet been to Tram's store.

I picked up the beige colored Piping shirt today (right picture).  I had seen it initially on some blogs here and there and fell in love with the effortless feel.  My favorite fashion pieces in RL or SL will have that type of quality.  I don't think it is something you can produce when trying, but comes naturally with the end design.  In SL's case the flow of the flexi in a skirt.  

Wandering through the store I fell in love with all the pieces for one reason or another but what I like most is the creative and unique looks to the items.  I'm not sure of where she gets her inspiration but I am very excited to see what she'll come out with next.  One of the stand out pieces was the Drape dress (left picture).  This is the first of these types of skirts I have seen and very well crafted with the use of a flexi skirt underneath. 

And a great thing about Trap - they do more than clothes.  There are animations (group gift at the entrance btw), accessories, and shoes!  I'm wearing one of the cool jewelry accessories in two of the pictures called, "classic hair accessory" in yellow.  

TP today to Tram

Enjoy!

Love, Zoe

Quick Credits:

Left Picture

Hair: lamb. - Clover (limited item at 111)

Jewelry: Tram - Classic hair accessory in Yellow

Dress: Tram - Drape dress in Navy

Skin: Tres Blah - Joy (limited item at 111 - sold out)

Center Picture

Hair: elikatira - Season (limited item at 111)

Dress & Hair Accessory: Tram - Narcissus (Designer's United item - no longer available in this shade)

Skin: Tres Blah - Joy (limited item at 111 - sold out)

Right Picture

Hair: lamb. - Clover (limited item at 111)

Jewelry: Tram - Classic hair accessory in Yellow

Dress: Tram - Piping shirt in Beige

Skin: Tres Blah - Joy (limited item at 111 - sold out)

All poses by Di's Opera Poses

Images have undergone some shading, otherwise untouched.

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar - All Dolled Up

Who can resist such a fashionable dress?!  It came into view across my flickr contacts and had to be mine.  It is brand new called Orelle by Tee*fy for winter available in 6 shades, if I recall properly.  Color choices are so difficult sometimes!!  I went with black due to the color of the bow and sparkle in the skirt texture.  Typically you'd see me use either only the top or the skirt, but I really loved the sophisticated feel that the overall design brought to the table.

Stunning, elegant, clean are the three words that I wanted to go for this look.  I pulled out one of the newer 69 hairs called Jessica 2, which I absolutely adore!

I knew I wanted some sort of hair piece.  I was thinking feathers but recalled this hat that was the first piece that brought my attention to the Rozoregalia brand.  The detail in the texture of the sculpted flowers heightens the detail of the overall style.

As for skin, I checked out &Bean but went with Redgrave's Trinity in Tan to warm up the look.  I'm happy to see Redgrave producing skins again!  Also if you haven't checked out the redesign of their build it is fabulous and should stop by to gander.

Heels were easy!  I've wanted to put a look together with Maitreya Gold's Hana for awhile.  They make me want to go dancing.  I would love to find a lovely flamenco dress to pair up with another color in the future.

And just to add a bit of sparkle, although hidden with the pose (by LAP), is the Leather Blossom ring by Paper Couture.

Last but not least, the eyes - which I've used before in other shades is JeJune by Tres Blah, this time in Violet.

Design Tip - always pull in harmony of three.  Silver is found in the hat, heels, and skirt/bow; the tan in the hair, bow, and ring.  Overall not really noticeable, but you'll like it for some reason or another to bring balance to the look.

Enjoy!

Love, Zoe

PS - Images have not been modified

Quick Credits

Dress: Tee*fy - Orelle Dress in Black

Heels: Maitreya Gold - Hana in Silver Patent

Hat: Rozoregalia - Rosenkavalier Black Hat & Hair (shown in non-hair option)

Ring: Paper Couture - Leather Blossom 

Hair: 69 - Jessica 02 in Light Mocha

Skin: Redgrave - Trinity in Tan / Smoky

Eyes: Tres Blah - JeJune in Violet 

Pose: Long Awkward Pose [LAP]

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar - Free Flyin'

It's summertime! I decided to put together a couple looks that lead towards or from the beach. Having spent some time across the globe at some beaches you don't always have the perfect weather to get to the beach without some form of cover.

My first look is inspired by Cynful's Kini in Green with yellow polka dots. Cyn has a new collection of bikinis available in different colors and patterns.

I paired it up with a set of Boardshorts from Reek - also available in a wide varity of colors. The boardshorts also come with an option of with or without prim - the prim/sculpted version is shown here are are very well made and easily adjustable.

Adding to the look, some of Reek's slides for easy walking on the rougher terrain before hitting the beach. They have these slides in a variety of colors as well as with or without socks (something I hope to feature in a later look).

LeLutka's highly detailed sculpted bag complete with draped jacket that is scripted to change to your choice of 4 colors. If you haven't checked out the other new accessories by LeLutka, I really highly recommend it - the detail that they put into their pieces are amazing. One feature I do need to mention is the fact that the bag comes with its own animations with hud (AO).

I adore the bangs that comes with this new style called Deanna by Exile. The whisps along the side are the remnants of the messy bun in the back. I do hope he develops more styles with this bang style.



The second look was inspired by Boom's Infinity bikini in Hibiscus Brown. Their are multiple ways to purchase from her huge assortment of bikinis. Their are two top styles halter and string (seen here) as well as a variety of bottom styles. Boom has a HUGE collection of all sorts of colors and prints. The prim count in her store took a hit with her offering of choices.

I paired the bikini up with a pair of shorts from a store that I hadn't heard of before called, Zoobong. Takeshi Kiama who I worked with recently for the LE Look shots this month told me about it. They make things mainly for guys but you will find a few items for the females. I really liked their store build too.

The shoelace sandals are from Surf Co. They also are teamed up with the summer festival going on at Tableau. Lots of cute items are out now for the festival if you haven't been yet.

The cute tote bag is by Tres Blah and says "I'm pretty" and "Neato" if you can't tell by the pic. Perfect for carrying a magazine, sunglasses or the all important sunscreen.

Perfect for the beach or swimming pool is the Secret Garden Keys necklace by Glow Studios. Its the one type of accessory that I always take with me when swimming in RL.

A new release from Reek is the hat with hair combo. This one is called Topeka 1 - other variations are also available. I had to go with Topeka because that also happens to be the name of the city capital of my home state of Kansas. The hat also has a variety of scripted options for textures with the leather braid (pictured with white braid texture) and some beads which can't been seen in this shot, but you can check it out at the store. It also has a necktie option that I did not use with this look.

One of the items that I wore with both looks are the realistic eyes by Miriel which are no longer available unfortunately due to her closing up shop awhile back.

The last item that I wanted to share is the Taylor skin by League. I'm extremely pleased with how it looks on my original shape as well as the overall quality. I adore the freckles especially which I'm happy to show off in this look.


Please note that all images are not processed

Enjoy!

Love, Zoe

A Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar - Gone Denim

All sorts of good things to blog about lately but in the end I decided to pull together a bit of a look that utilizes a bit of the same colors and involving some classic uses of denim.



I recently fell in love with the newest skin from LAQ (Laqroki) - Martina.  Which doesn't necessarily bode well for my typical blonde locks that have become my default look of late, but when a girl faces thicker dark brows one can change hair color - or at least in Second Life!  The skin comes in 5 tonal shades along with numerous make-up that is all very afford-ably priced.

Thus was the inspiration that pulled the look together along with not only checking out skins but the clothing over at LAQ.  An area which can be overlooked by many, but you can find a great collection for both men and women.  That was my main focus for this post.

Ladies First:



I spotted this denim dress number and knew I had to have it.  One of my older faves from Nyte'N'Day is a denim dress and it was nice to find something here at LAQ.  It comes in a variety of shades the one shown here being my pick in a nice faded gray.

I paired it up with a new boot being sold at LAQ called Midcut Boots in a beige shade - again not the only color available but what I wanted to use with this look.

Mandala, a newer jewelry maker than where I typically look for great finds I originally came across at LE LOOK.  He has some fascinating pieces available - these Takara earrings and Takayama bangles being part of some newer sets.  I will also give him credit for creating the best SL to RL blends that I have seen.  I really don't encourage SL to RL blends personally as it is extremely difficult to make them look right.  My personal theory is keep SL to SL and RL to RL.

Another new release is the hair by Maitreya called Siri.  It is a very elegant and well made hair that comes in their typical variety of reds, blonds, blacks, whites, and browns.  It does tend to go well with a hair base but no fret to those that choose to go without - I say wear what you like!

I thought about going to my typical set of eyes, but decided to pull out one that I have blogged before from Tres Blah.  I have been meaning to see if she has released some more skins that I have been anticipating where I originally had picked up these pretty blue eyes that have a natural shade already there in their creation.

For the Guys:



Based of my lady look I pulled out the same type of idea starting with the raw denim jeans that stood out to me at LAQ - it comes in both a gold or silver seam stitch option along with belt option and sculpted cuffs.  

Easily I spotted a pair of beige urban oxford shoes at LAQ which fit the color scheme for this blog post.  I love how much detail goes into shoes.  I am continually amazed.  And for those of you that only want things in all black, yes they have other color options!

Having not been to the fashion section of LAQ lately - I have been here before for my male avie and was happy to find more of a selection available including this high collared coat.  I always have a hard time selecting only one color but went with the gray to help mimic the gray in the denim from my lady look.  It also adds a nice neutral contrast to the blue denim and beige of the shoe.

The jacket was pictured with a white shirt and black tie at LAQ, but I wanted to keep the look casual and teleported over to Truth to pick up one of his Sarg Henly shirts in a nice olive green shade.  I really feel like this is something I can see my hubby potentially wearing in RL - so long as it comes in black (he tends to wear a lot of it).  I was surprised not to see a nice navy shade (unless my eyes fooled me) - it may be something to suggest to Truth sometime.

Lately I've been on the look-out for good male hair and was happy to see this new option called Radient over in the LAQ hair section.  I'm not 100% thrilled with the texture close-up.  I can be a bit picky sometimes - esp when it comes to the lighter colors but can typically handle it most in the darker shades, which is what I wanted to use here.

I decided that I wanted to nab the newest male skin called Cruz over at Redgrave.  I originally spotted it on my friend Yelmer from Alphamale.  I liked the dimples as well as hair base - which you can't see here but can try out with a demo for yourself.

I did pair it up with the Cruz eyes.  Redgrave typically offers a good variety of what I believe to be photo-sourced eyes which is common throughout SL.

There you have it - two sexes with similar styles!


Enjoy!!

Love, Zoe

Little Bit of Style by Zoe Demar in Black Rock

I've been wanting to do something a bit more wild - which I know I could be more but I think having ripped fishnet stockings and some chunky heeled boots is about where I wanted to go with this look. I try to keep things sexy but with a more glam side to it than all out dirrrty.

The main inspiration is the black mini-skirt by Kyoot. I like fashion items that choose something classic like a mini-skirt, then twist it up a bit to make it new. The cut in the front along with the textures makes it a bit more unique and harder to style a top with.

It took me a little bit of time to find something that I really liked with it - I'm sure there are many items that can work but I really liked how the top from Celestial Studios Aphrodixia top pulled together. It isn't pictured here but I thought the back worked out nicely too.

The biker boots by Redgrave was an easy choice for me to use and paired up with the seamed fishnet stockings by Blowpop really hit the mark. I love that Blowpop includes both a torn version and normal version of the stockings to really change the style one might go for depending upon the outfit of choice.

After having the majority of the outfit pulled together, I thought it felt a bit too light on top. I knew I had been wanting to blog something from Aoharu for awhile and decided to pull out the short jean jacket that I bought a little while ago. Paired with the mini-skirt, I really like how the mini-jacket balances the overall look and adds some dimension.

To accessorize, I kept it light but adding a matching bracelet and necklace from Aluinn. I have been a fan of the Y-necklace style and consider it a classic look. I really like the medallion design that Bratty of Aluinn used in these pieces.

As far as skin, it was easy to go with the newest skin from LeLutka's Eclat line. I really wasn't too fond of the lighter skins eyebrows but had seen the darker skins in the ads that caught my eye. I didn't pick up a fatpack but rather just one in a more dramatic eye make-up.

The eyes I picked up from Tres Blah - along with one of her new skins which I hope to blog about with another look.

To top of an finish the look, I decided to go with the Single Lady hairstyle by Exile. I couldn't decide between the black or brown shades so picked up both but choose to stick with mink for the highlights. I do however wish he would change up his textures a little bit but that's just a personal opinion. I especially like this hair using a hair base which is an included option with the LeLutka skin.

Enjoy!

Love,

Zoe

--please note that all pictures are unedited other than piecing them together into my layout--