The Wilder PR Team had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Rebecca Tolk (SL nom de guerre: Petal Fairlock). Rebecca is a real life photographer who has used Second Life to expand and enhance her business. She shared with us how she came to Second Life while recovering from an illness and how she has used the platform to continue her business as she recuperates. Rebecca's inspiring story of ingenuity and perseverance remind us of what a powerful tool for good Second Life can be.
Rebecca shared with us many interesting facts about her photography including the special toy camera she uses as well as a little about her artistic process. We had a great time learning about how she got her start in photography, how her business in Second Life operates, and what she has planned for the future.
If you were unable to tune in this morning, we encourage you to listen to the broadcast at:
We also encourage you to check out Rebecca's photography online at:
And you can learn more about her Holga camera at:
You can visit her galleries in world at:
We had so much to cover with Rebecca and so many questions from listeners that we didn't quite get to cover them all, so we're going to add a supplement here!
A few questions from our listener, Kristopher:
Q: I find your photo eye fascinating. Looking at your website you take everyday things and make them extraordinarily beautiful. Is that something you are just gifted with or did you train yourself some how?
A: Thank you for your compliments. One of the things I try to do with my photography is make people view every day occurrences in nature in a different way. I want to show a different way to look at the world around us; so that next time you see a buttercup you think twice about stepping on it. I wouldn't say that I had any training specifically to learn how to how to take this type of photo. Art has always been a big part of my life, and I think growing up surrounded by it has helped me develop my talents. Of course I've had many mentors who have taught me a great deal and influenced my work, but I would say that for the most part what I do is based on my own gift.
Q: I see you have lots of color comp. shots but I find the few black & white winter shots the most compelling. Is your preference color or are they simply the best selling?
A: I definitely prefer color. Though they make look black and white, those photos are actually shot on color film. When I shot portraits, I used to do them in black and white because I feel like that shows emotion in people. For what I do now though, I think it has to be done in color. Color is vital to the content I shoot, and the color distortions are one of the unique features of the Holga camera. Color is even a big part of my personal identity-- I don't even own any black clothing! I couldn't imagine my art without color.
And a one of our own:
Q: Do you have any additional projects or interests in SL?
A: Well, so much of what I do has always been solo work, but as I said before, Second Life is a lot about community, and I've found it so easy to meet and work with people from all over the world here. I mentioned previously how much I love the plants not only for their photographic qualities, but also because of what they offer humans, be they edible, medicinal, etc. I hope in the future to collaborate with SL gardener/plant makers to combine my art with their three dimensional representations. I hope to offer the people of SL the chance to see the plants this way and learn about how valuable they are to us. As for other interests in SL, I would really love to get into landscaping. I see plants and trees that people have created and I see that they are really art as well. I would love to use my aesthetic skill to help create beautiful virtual landscapes using these components. I'm also learning to make clothing. I have a friend teaching me the basics and I am really enjoying getting to use parts of Photoshop that I don't normally use with my photography. I'm also excited about my recent purchase of Poser. I have always been interested in animation in Second Life, and I would love to make some of my own. The program is a bit complicated though, so I think I may have to take a class before I can really get into it. I think the beauty of Second Life is its creative potential, and I am always looking to explore every bit of my own by taking advantage of the opportunities offered here.
Wilder Public Relations wishes the thank Rebecca again for coming on our show. We enjoyed our interview immensely and look forward to all the great things sure to come for Petal's Place and Rebecca Tolk Photography.
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