Photosphere vs. N30: which do you prefer?

I bought N30 about 8 months ago because it was 'the best in SL'. Then I ran into Photosphere and bought that too. Then I bought 2 others as well (don't know the names, I deleted them).

Photosphere is rezzed on my land all the time (open for public as well), the N30 hasn't been rezzed for many months. I could never get the lights right with the N30 (the colors ended up as circles, not fading into each other, if you understand what I mean).

However, if you really want to do photography, the studio's won't help you. The advice given here about creating you own little studio (e.g. hollow prim) is great, because if you really want to do photography, you'll do a lot of stuff in Photoshop (or whatever software) as well... I recommend Adobe Lightroom as well, not just for RL pictures!!

There are many pretty places in SL that are wonderful for picture taking, and you could also rent a little beach or so, for nice sunrise pictures. I really never use the studios anymore.

A MUST READ if you are getting into SL photography is http://www.vintfalken.com/tutorials/

My explorations into photo studios were caused by lack of knowledge on how to use the cam in SL. When you read these tutorials, you'll really make so much better pictures... that is... If you know a bit about composition, lighting, etc. as well.. But knowing how to position the cam is a first prerequisite. (my favorite: ctrl-alt-shift mouse-drag).

When I do simple modelling shots I make a floor and background, all set to default grey and full bright. That gives a totally flat background colour with no difference between floor and wall.

If I want an interesting background I go to Damania, Apollo or Azure Islands.

I tend to just create my own fullbright white prims for photography, but then I don't need to model things as often as others do. (I still have a snapshot of a house prefab I made sitting within a massive fullbright white "photo studio" shape. Always makes me smile )

Thus I don't have much experience of either, but I tend not to use N30 because of the primminess, and also because of the weird patent business (supposedly the creator of N30 tried to patent it to prevent anyone else making an SL photo studio).

On a related note, what about poses? I have some in my inventory (lost all over the place, mostly freebies,), I have some higher quality ones that I have purchased. When working in the studio, it has worked fine to dump this into a pose stand, and cycle through them, and then just "hide" the stand before taking the picture.

But what is you aren't working in the studio? What if you are out and about photographing yourself on location. You can't always rezz a photos tand (especially if the ones you have are no copy). I don't want to be scrolling through my inventory trying to make sense of what is in there, expecially when they have cryptic names like "modelpose 42." I lose the shot, in the meantime. So I'm thinking I need a quick and dirty HUD to cycle quickly between poses (assuming that can be copied from the pose stands I put them in, or buy them specifically for the HUD).

So, those of you that photograph yourself on location in various poses, how do you do it? What do you use? I really need to sort this out as it is becoming quite a problem for me, and getting in the way of my photography.

Thanks for any suggestions.

More often than not I photograph the av model in my studio and the background scenery separately and then superimpose the two in an image editing program.
But I agree that either way scrolling through all my ambiguously named poses to get one I like is kind of awkward and I haven't really got a solution to that yet.

HUDDLEs...you can throw your poses in, then set up note cards labeled in some way that makes sense to you, such as stands, sits, back, side, etc. Load the specific card you want and then click the HUD buttons until you find what you're looking for. The poses will load in whatever order they're listed in on the card, so you can put your favorites at the top.

For in studio, this is a pretty cool new pose stand:

http://www.slexchange.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=559943

Just for future reference--I run Glowbox Designs, and we specialize in film and studio gear.

Right now, I do not have a photo-studio, but I'm working on one that will allow a lot of options, lighting features, and poses.

For now, you can swing by the GBD studio and check out my still camera, the Mikon SL100 w/Blitzflash. It's a great prop for a studio or SL photographer--very realistic, and highly detailed. (pose included)

I wish I could recommend which photo-suite to use, but I've not enough experience with them.

ps. If you need anything custom made, concerning film or photography, IM me inworld, and I'd love to make it.

Good luck.

Photosphere! I've used the N30 and homebuilt studio, but Photosphere allows better portrait shots (IMHO) and is just
pretty darn easy to use.

I'm buying the stand right now - thanks for pointing it out.
Which version of the Huddles do you use? Which Huddles are you referring to that you like? The Huddles EZ Animator (Deluxe L$1499. Basic L$599), or the real bare bones version, Huddles Quick Pose for L$149? I will buy one of these next, just not sure which one you are referring to that you like, and meets your needs.

Thanks for you suggestions!

I have the Deluxe. It's copyable, unlike the Basic, so I have one for my AOs and dances, and another for poses. That also means if SL eats one, I may lose any no copy poses and animations I have in it, but I won't have to repurchase the HUD.

I don't know anything about the Quick Pose version though...it's cheap enough that it might be worth trying first.

Ah, copyable. I like that. One just for poses for modeling, and another for AOs and dances. I wish it wasn't so expensive!



Basically it is just a bar with numbers 1-10. You have to remember what they are! Might be good if you just have a few dances you like to use, but I think it is too stripped down for me.

Thanks so much for your advice.

Though I don't know about the particulars on either product, I can say that N30 is a lag moster, so much to the point that its a banned product on my sims, it consistantly runs at around .500 ms for the main module, and around .300 for the other various parts, if you live on a private estate I would say check with your estate owner about exactly how much script lag is too much for any individual item

Wow, I didn't know that. Thanks for mentioning it.

Well, you do get free updates and a never ending supply of fresh HUDs, should you think of something else to do with one.

well i use both and updating my n30 or adding ithe I.D everytime i pick it up gets old and the update server hasn't updated mine in a long time even though it tells me i have updates..i can't find anything on the site for updates so i gave up on it....with windlight now i really don't need either..
i use my 512 k lot i bought for my studio and turned it all green and made some light prims..
if i need to set a texture i just drop it in the wall..the background on the n30 is never big enough..anything an n30 has i have in my own place now..i do like the hud features of it..but for simpler ease the photosphere is better..
i have a holo deck also which is kind of neat.

I use the ZHAO II AO currrently. Do you find the Deluxe AO easier to use than that? I must confess, I've never been able to make sense of the ZHAO. I used the manual to set it up the first time, but now I get stumped trying to make changes. And rezzing it on the ground to edit - ugh! I can't tell you how many of those things my husband has found floating around our plot because I lose them!

Sorry to keep pushing with the questions, but the darned thing is L$1499, and I want to make sure it meets my needs (and I can figure out how to use it!)

Princess Ivory

Actually, she just released an updated version based on the ZHAO II.

http://imakehuddles.com/wordpress/?p=116

Reading those update notes, it sounds like it will replace several other HUDs I am currently wearing. While consolidation is good, I'm out the money for the other products!

Thanks for your continued input. I think I'll end up buying the deluxe, but only when I'm sure I've got time to figure out how to use it!

Yep, I only have a HUDDLES and a MystiTool in terms of HUDs.

Setting up the basic functions is not as difficult as it may sound from the documentation. The AO function works like any other AO, and the dances and poses really are just a matter of dropping in the animations and making notecard lists. I haven't messed with the macros yet though, which I probably should. I just know the HUD is capable of more than I'm doing with it! lol

So you said before the beauty of the Deluxe is that you can make copies. Does that mean that you set up one Huddles that has your AO and dances, and another Huddles that just has your modeling poses? Is that how you would do that? Or do you put them all in the same Huddles?

Thanks

The AOs and dances - things I use on a fairly regular basis - are in one and the poses are all in another. I figure, that way, if SL does eat one of them, at least I won't lose all of my no copy animations.

So you mostly wear the version that contains your AO and dance/animinations, and you change to the other one, which just has poses, when you need to "strike a pose" for a photograph? Am I understanding you correctly?

Thanks,

huddles is like a remote control to a vcr or dvd player..the note cards are like the dvd's
.there is a disc button you can click to run the note card you have named for specific things..like dances pick dances card.or dances and poses.pick dances and pose card..whatever you name the card..you can set them up anyway you want in one hud or have two or three on..
i just wish i could make it smaller ..it eats up a good part of my screen lol