InSecond Life, light is everything. It defines the boundary between a flat, digital build and an immersive, living environment. Since the implementation of the Environmental Enhancement Project (EEP), lighting has evolved from a local viewer setting into a tangible asset; something you can buy, own, modify, and share.
Whether you are a landscape photographer chasing the perfect frame or a homeowner trying to make a parcel feel like an escape, EEP is your most powerful tool. To understand its impact, we look at the creators crafting these atmospheres and the sims that put them to work.
BAJA COAST
PHOTOS: ARYA BRAVEHEART
The Creators: Engineering the Mood
To get the most out of EEP, many residents turn to specialised creators who engineer custom environments. Two standout brands dominate this space, each offering a distinct approach to virtual atmosphere.
BattleScars
Known for its cinematic and high-drama flair, BattleScars specialises in highcontrast, moody, and intense lighting. If you need a fierce thunderstorm, a scifi sky, or sharp, casting shadows that give an edge to urban and gritty scenes, their EEP packs are the gold standard. They bring a photographic depth that makes textures pop and avatars look grounded in their surroundings.
Specter Skies / SOULSCAPE
If BattleScars is drama, Specter Skies is poetry. Renowned for their immersive SOULSCAPE showroom—where you can test environments live before purchasing—this brand focuses on dreamy, ethereal, and colourful horizons. Their EEP settings excel at soft golden hours, cosmic nights, and pastel gradients that add an emotional, peaceful layer to any scene.
EEP in the Wild: Transforming the Canvas
How do these settings translate to actual spaces? By looking at a few distinct sims, it becomes clear how much a sky or water setting dictates the entire vibe of a build. For instance, a rustic, weathered environment like The Rusty Nail relies heavily on shadow and texture; a bright, default midday sky flattens the wood grain and ruins the mystery, whereas a moody storm or a dusty golden hour brings it to life. Similarly, the cosy, nature-focused residential spaces of PusuSaari and Cherishville thrive under soft, realistic daylight or a misty morning fog that enhances their tranquil atmosphere. On the sun-drenched shores of Baja Coast, highclarity noon skies or vibrant ocean sunsets are essential for achieving true coastal realism. Finally, a fantasy epic like Leloo’s World - Age of Giants demands a sky that matches its grand scale, something only achievable through celestial, multi-layered cloudscapes that a standard viewer sky simply cannot deliver.
For the Homeowner: Curating Your Sanctuary
In Home & Garden design, EEP is just as important as the furniture you choose. You can spend millions of land impact on the perfect house, but if the lighting is harsh, the space will feel cold.
Fixed Parcel Settings: By assigning an EEP asset to your parcel, you ensure that visitors and family experience your home exactly as you intended.
Controlling the Clock: If you want your cosy cabin to permanently sit in a state of twilight, or your tropical beach house to always enjoy a 2 PM sun, EEP lets you freeze time.
Water Customisation: EEP doesn’t just change the sky; it controls water clarity, wave movement, and reflection. For coastal homes like those inspired by Baja Coast, matching your water settings to your sky creates a seamless, realistic horizon.
For the Photographer: The Ultimate Lightbox
For SL photographers, EEP eliminates the need for heavy post-processing correction. It allows you to bake the mood directly into the raw shot.
Local Overrides: You don’t need to own the region to change the light. Photographers can apply EEP settings locally, altering the sky and sun position on their own screen without disrupting the sim’s default environment.
Emissive Clouds and Fixed Horizons: EEP allows for multi-layered, moving clouds that react to light. This adds literal depth to landscape shots, preventing the background from looking like a flat curtain.
Avatar Lighting: Custom EEP tracks can be used to cast soft, directional rim light on an avatar, highlighting hair and clothing folds perfectly before you ever hit the snapshot button.
Conclusion
Lighting is the invisible architecture of Second Life. Whether you are framing a shot at Cherishville, building an epic landscape at Age of Giants, or just relaxing on your personal homestead, EEP is the bridge between a good scene and an unforgettable one. Don’t settle for the default sky; treat your environment like the art piece it is.
THE DREAM GOES ON: PALOMMA CASANOVA REMEMBERED
Coco St. George
Few places in Second Life have left a mark on the community quite like The Free Dove. For nearly two decades, it was much more than a simple destination for free clothing and accessories. It was also a welcoming space where newcomers could take their first confident steps into the virtual
world, transforming default avatars into unique identities while discovering the generosity that has always been one of Second Life’s greatest strengths.
Founded in 2005 by Palomma Casanova, The Free Dove quickly became one of the grid’s most beloved institutions. Its shelves were filled with high-quality gifts from some of the platform’s most respected designers, allowing new residents to look and feel at home without spending a fortune. Yet the real mission behind The Free Dove was never simply to hand out freebies. Palomma believed that helping people enjoy Second Life from the very beginning would strengthen the community as a whole. Her vision inspired countless designers to contribute their creations and countless residents to pay that kindness forward.
Those who knew Palomma remember her not only for what she built, but also for who she was.
According to Shelby Monitor, the current owner of Palomma Plaza, “She loved to talk for hours. She loved everyone, and her passion was to help others enjoy Second Life.” That warmth and generosity became the heart of The Free Dove. Visitors were never treated as anonymous avatars but as people beginning a new adventure, deserving of encouragement and friendship.
The community was deeply saddened when Palomma passed away on January 14, 2023. For many residents, it felt as though a piece of Second Life history had been lost. But while one chapter had come to an end, another was about to begin.
For Shelby Monitor, the news immediately sparked a sense of responsibility.
“The moment I heard she had passed away, I rushed to the store,” Shelby recalls. “I had a feeling inside that I needed to protect her store. That turned into a need to make it last forever.”
Determined to preserve Palomma’s legacy, Shelby contacted both Linden Lab and Palomma’s husband with the idea of transforming the location into a lasting memorial that would continue serving the community. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Palomma’s husband embraced the idea and transferred the land so the project could continue, while Linden Lab worked with Shelby to make the transition possible.
On May 5, 2023, the very day the original location closed, it reopened once again—on the same land and in the same building—as Palomma Plaza. Although the inventory would gradually evolve, the spirit of the place remained unchanged.
Shelby is quick to acknowledge that the project could never have become reality without one very important person.
PHOTOS: COCO ST. GEORGE
“If it wasn’t for Palomma’s partner, Dollen McMillan, none of this would have been possible.”
Dollen has handled scripting, rental systems, security, land management, and countless technical challenges behind the scenes. According to Shelby, working together has also helped Dollen cope with the loss of Palomma.
“He knows that all I do is for her.”
One of the most remarkable aspects of Palomma Plaza has been the enthusiastic support of Second Life’s designer community. Rather than allowing the project to fade into history, many creators eagerly embraced the opportunity to continue Palomma’s mission.
Shelby first contacted every designer who had previously supported The Free Dove, inviting them to become part of the memorial project. After that came the demanding task of recruiting new creators. The response exceeded expectations.
“Most were very thrilled to take part in the memorial for her,” Shelby says. “They all enjoy helping the public with items to help them enjoy Second Life.”
Today, Palomma Plaza continues to provide quality gifts while also introducing residents to many talented designers whose generosity keeps the community thriving.
Although Shelby is the sole owner of Palomma Plaza, maintaining such an ambitious project has never been entirely a one-person effort. Alongside Dollen’s invaluable technical support, Shelby also received extraordinary help from a close assistant, Kitty Azalee (kitteh.whiskers).
Sadly, Kitty passed away on April 10, another devastating loss for the community.
“I’m still heartbroken,” Shelby says. “She was my everything.”
Kitty helped recruit designers for both the Plaza and Shelby’s events, managed group notices, and remained deeply involved with several well-known Second Life communities, including Sweet Pea Shapes, SugarSL Blogger, Universa, eBody Juniper Events, and The Arcade. She was only 47 years old.
Despite the emotional weight of these losses, Shelby remains committed to carrying Palomma’s vision forward.
“I gain nothing for doing this,” Shelby explains, “other than knowing I did what was right for my friend.”
That dedication continues to inspire new projects. Beginning on October 7, Palomma Plaza will host the Doves Deals Event, a bi-monthly themed shopping event starting with a Halloween and Fall celebration. Participating designers will offer exclusive items priced between L$50 and L$99, giving residents affordable opportunities to expand their wardrobes while supporting the creative community that has stood behind Palomma’s dream.
As our conversation came to a close, Shelby wanted to express one final message.
“I just want to thank everyone in the community for their support. Most of all to my designers, who have hearts of gold and are true angels.”
Then, with words that perfectly capture why Palomma’s legacy continues to live on, Shelby added:
“Palomma is inside me now, shining out to help everyone in the community.”
The buildings may have new caretakers, the gifts may change over time, and the faces behind the counters may be different. But the dream that Palomma Casanova began in 2005 remains very much alive. Every newcomer who leaves Palomma Plaza feeling a little more confident, a little more welcome, and a little more at home is proof that kindness can become a legacy, and that some dreams never truly end.
On a bright digital morning, Junie Bing is already working the rows. Corn, wheat, sugarcane—hundreds of plants in orderly patches—pulse through color cycles like traffic lights on a country road. “White is growing, Purple is needing care or water, and green means time to harvest,” says Zeus, her farming partner, watching an orange tree flip from ripe to ready.
Moments later, a system prompts: “Done harvesting.” The cycle snaps back to white, and the season begins again. Welcome to DFS—Digital Farming System inside Second Life, where agriculture is both a craft and a community. Hundreds run such farms, ranging from full scale major operations. Junie Bing and Ravencroft are examples of those who till the cyber soil, in their farm . “I am a Texas farm gal,” Junie says. “I like to grow stuff, and with this. I can grow crops, sell to others, and make food from what I grow.”
Junie’s endeavor includes flowers, fruit trees, and plants of every origin. The farm’s customers include other farmers and people who want to bring plants into their homes and landscaping. She started in December 2021, drawn first by
fishing. “The DFS had fishing, so I started there,” Junie recalls. She fell headlong into seeds, recipes, and an ever-expanding grid of fields.
Her SL sister Heart and partner Dak came along, and together their farms blossomed across neighboring sims, anchored by a family storefront. DFS is a simulation that rewards attention without punishing absence. “You can do as much or as little as u want,” Junie says, about her SL farming experience. “Nothing dies, except the live animals. You have to care and brush them every day. But all the plants and fields you see never die.” The system tracks needs with plain telemetry; a plant at “62% water” can run until it dips below 50 percent, at which point it needs topping off to continue.
It looks like farming because it is, just reimagined for a world where weather is coded and seasons are optional.
Over time, Junie’s farm catalog ballooned. She estimates having 500 different plant species. The staples read like a general store ledger: sugarcane, corn, wheat, fish, crab-trap chum, tomatoes, fruit trees, and more. And then there is the work.
“Some days are light; others, relentless,” adds Zeus. “Some days we spend two to three hours,” notes Zeus. “Other times we spend all day here It all depends on what needs tending to or harvesting.”
Animals add a living edge. In coops, “each chicken needs water, food, and tending to everyday,” Zeus explains. After a week, they collect eggs. Currently about 31 birds are here.
Elsewhere, there are cows, llamas, pigs, ducks, and on today’s visit, two elephants.
The kitchen is culture as much as it is commerce. Junie’s pantry veers delightfully from practical to convivial: “I make our booze too, she adds. “Such down on the farm beverages include whiskey and
PHOTOS: CARA PAINE
tequila which Junie notes serving to Zeus and others. “It makes for happy farmers,” she laughs.
If the farm is the heart, their store is the livelihood. “We sell what we make in the auctions or in our family store,” Junie says. Sugarcane is a star. “They are the big sellers in the store and require the most attention,” Zeus notes, pointing to banks of cane that turn harvesting into choreography. Inside, shelves mix DFS essentials and homespun extras: crafts, tools, kitchen aids and equipment for making food.
For the uninitiated, the appeal is part mastery, part mercy. Junie teaches new farmers to “start small, when it comes to raising crops. “Do as much as you like and what you like,” she says. Nothing here punishes you for logging off Second Life. Plants wait patiently.
The rules are simple, the feedback immediate. Water a field and watch the colors nudge toward green. Harvest, and see the cycle reset. It’s a loop that rewards attention and craft.
There’s also the quiet pull of the place. “I usually spend most of my time here on my farm,” Junie adds. “I find it very Zen like, a retreat from RL.” She says, about the green rows stretching out before her. Zeus tends the chickens, harvests when the light turns green, and keeps an eye on the big sellers. Together, they trace a rhythm that feels centuries old and newly coded, a collaboration of friends and family bound by work that, while virtual, is tangible in its satisfactions.
By the end of the walkabout, exploring farm flora and fauna, and more, the one has seen enough to understand: this is not a game in the traditional sense. It is a practice. The farm is tidy and prolific, the store busy, the kitchen inspirational. Here, nothing dies—well, almost nothing—and what does is honored, turned into supper, and sold by the pound. The rest waits for you, patiently, white to purple to green to white again. Today is another day of life rendered in pixels, down on the farm.
LE RÊVE DES ÉTOILES: (THE DREAM OF STARS)
INTERNATIONAL SPACEFLIGHT MUSEUM - SPACEPORT ALPHA
Jay Anson
Igrew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Star Trek was not a television show, but a way of life. The Federation Trading Post in Berkeley, a precursor to many collector’s shops of comics, action figures, etc., was a particular treat to find all things Trek.
At the old Chabot Observatory in the Oakland Hills, my dad took my sister and I to a lecture when Viking first landed on Mars. I looked at color photos, not of our own moon, but of a planet that didn’t look too awfully different than our own.
As I got older, I wanted to escape the light pollution of the City. And so, after a trip to the nearest army surplus store, I wore a brand new set of jungle boots, packed an ALICE pack that I still have, and headed up Mount Tamalpais, Mission Peak, Mount Diablo.
Sometimes I had a portable telescope strapped to my rucksack, sometimes only binoculars. Sometimes, I carried nothing at all and made sure I cooked my dinner before sunset. I wanted nothing interfering with my vision as I lay back in my sleeping bag watching the turning night.
So when I came to SL I began exploring space stations, space ships, other planets.
I’ve walked on the Moon and ridden a space buggy on the surface of Mars.
Finally, I found a place that reignited the desire of going to those new strange sights I saw as a child and young man.
The volunteer-run educational facility International Spaceflight Museum is a huge simulation here in Second Life. The manned space activity museum is located on the island sims Spaceport Alpha and Spaceport Bravo.
Spaceport Alpha, presenting the history of the Space Age, was opened in 2006 by current and past employees of the real world’s NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Boeing’s space station program, Northrop Grumman Space Technology, the European Space Agency, the UK’s National Physics Lab, and the aerospace museum at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Spaceport Bravo opened in 2007. It added detailed exhibits of the Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), the space shuttle, more kinds of rockets and a full-size version of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) – the world’s third largest building by volume. The real original VAB was built by NASA to construct the mammoth Saturn 5 Moon rocket. The building is 604 feet (184 meters) tall and contains an interior volume of 4.79 million cubic yards (3.66 million cubic meters).
Going to http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ Spaceport%20Alpha/128/161/63 brings one to one of the largest collections of digital representations of spacecraft in either the physical or virtual world. The Saturn V, shuttle, Starship, even Zond, the failed Soviet moon rocket, are there to be seen and admired. To be imagined.
PHOTOS: IVOCENO ROSSINI
On the ground level are simulators of early spacecraft, particularly the Mercury capsule to be found at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ Spaceport%20Alpha/125/111/24.
One of the things I love about SL is not only that we can be who we are, love who we wish, but that we get to experience the digital recreation of the world outside. We get to feel the ever increasing and evolving weight of human ingenuity.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ Spaceport%20Alpha/24/127/81 is a Dragon Capsule ride that will bring you to the ISS and a multi-teleport display of the entire solar system and providing interesting information on each other planets and their major moons.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ Spaceport%20Alpha/87/48/571 brings us to Mercury, the moon-sized planet closest to the sun and has an orbital period of only 88 days.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ Spaceport%20Alpha/166/48/591 brings us to, oddly enough, the hottest planet in the solar system: Venus. The second brightest object in the sky, Venus has a day longer than it’s year! It’s temperature at an average of 866 degrees, it is hot enough to melt lead and rains sulphuric acid.
If one wishes to avoid jumping between planets, one can always take the station ride and see the grand tour. Earth, a close flyby of the martian martian surface: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Eventually one finds the galaxies found by the James Webb Telescope.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ Spaceport%20Alpha/113/116/948 made me think of granite still hot with the light of the sun, of campfires, and handheld Ham Radio conversations as range varied with an ionosphere shifting between day and night. It made me remember seeing what I could see in the violent sky, that screaming splash of color across the dark, and making me think of other worlds and other places.
I found that again. Here in SL.
BOSL Arts SUMMER
MULTI-ARTIST SHOW
DANTE HELIOS
REKY CORVINUS GOLDEN BEACON BOSL ARTS
REKY CORVINUS LOVERS ESCAPE BOSL ARTS
ELVIRA MISTWOOD
JERZZIE REECE
JAMEE SANDALWOOD
MULTI-ARTIST SHOW
@
BOSLARTS MAIN Gallery SUMMER
NOW THROUGH AUGUST 29TH
Thirteen of SecondLife’s top artists and photographers exhibit their summer themed art in this multi-artist show. Visit the beautifully decorated BOSLArts Main gallery for all the summer fun including food, a game of beach volleyball and lots of fun hangout spots among the beautiful artwork.
Pictured here you will find a selection of the art available in this exhibit. We invite you to come and see the entire collection - it’s all just as representative as these pieces are.
BOSL FASHION TREND PLAIDS
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO:SHANTAL GRAVOIS
MODELS: ANGELINKA NEGA & MILLA BLAUVELT
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO:STEVIE BASEVI
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: STEVIE BASEVI
BOSL FASHION TREND
PHOTO: JAMEE SANDALWOOD
MODELS: JAN BACON & JAMEE SANDALWOOD
CREDITS
FASHION STYLE CARD
ANGELINKA NEGA
Hair | Doux - Xquad
Hat | Viona - Madonna
Scarf | Giz Seorn - Blair
Bra | Stella - Khushi
Panty | Stella - Khushi
Dress | Ersch - Hurrem
Earrings | GeWunjo - Marley
Nails | Formanails - Georgina
Eyeshadow | Cazimi - Paramour
Lipgloss | Ives - Babs Lipgloss
Shoes | Cult - Melina
Attribute | ChicChica - Maldivini
MILLA BLAUVELT
Shirt | Ison - damaris
Skirt | Seven - Asian
Scarf | Asteria - Fullperm
Bag | My Bags - My Estoril
Shoes | Pure Poison - Iwa Pumps
Earrings | Mandala - Hoshigaki
Glasses | Mulloy - Gerald
Brazalet | Asteria - Heaven
Hair | Doux - Iggy
AVAJEAN WESTLAND
Dress | Cheezu - Kei School Dress - Plaid
Shoes | Pure Poison - Leila Pumps - Tartan
Socks | Rue - Katie Knee High Socks - White
Leg Warmers | Gawk - Malia Wool Leg Warmers - White
Purse | Purple Moon - Diana Handbag
Monocle | David Heather - Mase Monocle - Gold
Hair | Unorthodox - Nise Fro - Noir
ELEANOR JEAN
Vest | Pixicat - Andrea Vest Black and Blue plaid
Pants | Pixicat - Andrea Pants Black and Blue plaid
Glasses | Luxe Paris - Besos Sunglasses Smoke
Purse | Pandora - Vivianne Bag Slate
Shoes | Pure Poison - Sama Sandals, Silver and Blue
Earrings | Yummy - Bauble Bracelet Set Gold
Necklace | Ceres - Tribus
Necklace | Chaos, Panic, and Disorder - Tri-color Metal
Celtic Cross
Necklace | Mai Bilavio - 24k Chunky Link Choker Gold
Rings | Yummy Bauble Bracelet Set
Rings | Kungler - Haya Ring Black and Gold marble
Bracelets | Yummy Bauble Bracelet Set
NAARNISSE ABSINTHE
Jacket | Pixicat - Milano Blazer FLF
Pants | Pixicat - Andrea Pants FLF
Hair | Studio Exposure - Doo wop that thing d.brown