I do some occasional modeling. Well, more than occasional really. After all, I am my own model for Second Style, and sometimes I work with some friends/photographers on a shoot.

What I don’t get is the attraction that people have to become a fashion model in SL. Probably I am being naive, it is more than likely the same fascination RL girls have with the apparently glamorous modeling scene. Get up close and personal with the big designers, the hot photographers and the VIP’s on after parties. It seems that modeling agencies are the new casinos in SL. They are booming in numbers, but only a few are really working.

• Don’t IM me to model on Second Style blog. Celebrity has a pool of Second Style models that she works with for shoots for the mag and for events. If you want to work with us, contact her.
• Invest in a good portfolio, shot by a good photographer that shows you in a variety of looks, showing how versatile you are.
• When picking an agency, be critical. Inform yourself about their customers. Do they just offer models, or do they also produce events, what possibilties they offer for exposure etc., etc. And also…. are you required to serve as an entourage for non fashion related events and so on (and are you willing to do that?)
• Invest in skins and hair. A possible client will want you to have the look he/she is looking for. An aspiring model once said to me that if a client would want her to change looks, the client would have to provide the means for that. It’s just not working like that. It won;t get you gigs. There are, just like in RL, at least 10 others after that job, you really cannot afford an attitude.
• Which brings me to maybe the most important asset for a model, her personality. Be humble, friendly, punctual. An attitude may look good in a photo, but a model that has one is hell to work with.
• Shop for good poses and learn how to assemble your own AO. Using a customised AO will make you stand out. Leave typical “model”poses out of your day to day AO. Those are runway poses or camera poses. It’s so ridiculous when you are talking to a model and oops.. there go her arms up in the air… armpit check?
• Learn how to deal with rejection. As in RL, you will most certainly not be the only candidate for a job. If you do not get it, it is likely that you do not have the exact look the client is looking for for THAT job, it does not mean you are no good as a model. However, if you are at a public casting and you notice that everyone looks like your twin… it may be time to change your look and make yourself a bit more exclusive.
• Don’t expect to get rich. Modeling is not a well paid job. If you’re in it for the money, become a dancer in a club. Usually models work for photos and the clothes they get to wear. If you are very lucky you will earn a little money. But that is more likely for a runway show that will take several hours of hard work.
• Speaking of runways, lag reducing is the key. Just some quickie tips: prior to a runway job, delete all applications you don’t need from your computer, as well as big files, bitmaps etc. Delete your cookies and browser history. Defragment your computer. When you reboot your computer after that, when logging onto SL, from the login screen, open preferences and in network clear your cache and web cache. In Graphics Detail put all the mesh sliders down and switch to sun and moon only. You will look like crap to yourself, but honestly, your client won’t care less about your SL experience. The public will want to see a model that walks down the runway, not one that lags off the grid. Set your draw distance to 64. You will notice that applying these things will reduce lag big time.

Still interested? Well.. in that case I wish you tenacity … and good luck!

and we went out with a bang! More that 32 million L$ were raised this year, which is a smashing success.Money that will be used for cacer research, for supporting people who are fighting cancer, their relatives and care givers. Not only in RL, but also the SL community will benefit from this with a permanent presence of th ACS in Second Life.

I would like to thank my Shopaholics team members for all their efforts and support that has lead to us being the 4th team in raising funds this year. Not bad for a bunch of first timers!

But I also would like to thank all our fellow fundraisers, from all other teams, as well as all the content creators who have been so kind to make special things of which all proceeds went to RFL. And ofcourse the people who have worked so hard behind the scenes to make this all possible, the SLRFL committee, the designers, the scripters, the angels who were always there to support the teams and answer our questions.

A special thank you for Fayandria Foley, the SLRFL chairperson. Without you Fay, your never ending enthusiasm and dedication, your hard work, and your inspiring personality, SLRFL just would not have been the wonderful experience that is was.

On the day after I am full of mixed emotions. I am glad that is it over, from February til the end of July is a huge time to commit to something in SL. I am also sad that it is over, because we all had so much fun during the campaign. I am glad because I have met a lot of really great people through Relay for Life, and it saddens me to know that some of them by the time next edition starts, will not be with us anymore.

The fight is not over, it will never be unless scientists do find a cure for this disease that comes in so many forms. So, I am looking forward to RFL 2008 and to all the beautiful things that will happen in between. Thank you all for letting me be part of it.