Today I’m speaking with Som, the owner of Landscapes Unlimited. The address in Second Life for the most beautiful sim surroundings and effects like stars and clouds.
Som, Can you tell me a bit about how you got started in Second Life and how Landscapes Unlimited came to be?
I read a report by Ilja Pfeiffer in the NRC. He was active in SL for a while and wrote about it. That piqued my interest, so I decided to give it a try. At first, I was pretty clumsy, but later I started making jewelry. I sold it, but I wasn’t really interested in it at all.
After a while, I stepped away from SL, but after a year I returned and started focusing on what actually interested me: landscapes. There were hardly any, especially not detailed ones, so that was a nice challenge.
When I finished my first one, the reactions were enthusiastic. So I continued and opened a shop. It got busy pretty quickly, and I also attracted attention from Linden Lab. Things moved fast from there, and since then I’ve been creating new things.
I’ve been working on these landscapes for 16 years now, and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon—there’s still so much to do…
Have you always had an interest in landscapes? Where does that come from?
I’m originally a geographer. I was working at the Dutch Water Authority at the time, but I stopped that and continued with this. I also love to travel; every landscape I see fascinates me . Well… I’m not that enthusiastic about a large part of the Dutch landscape, but we better not talk about that 🙂
So does that mean Second Life is really your main business? And do you still have time to travel?
Yes, this is now my work. And I travel quite a bit, also because I can work as long as I have power and a good internet connection.
I work about 40 hours a week; I try to stick to regular working hours. There’s no one telling me I have to keep working or what I should be working on, so it’s all self-driven and motivated.
The income is still good, so I can’t complain there. Recently, I’ve been focusing on learning new skills, so I haven’t put many new products for sale. But next year, that will change!
Tell me about your plans for Landscapes Unlimited and what you’re currently working on?
I’m working on the new possibilities of PBR materials. Objects can become much more realistic with them. This allows for impressive skies but also for creating larger and more impressive landscapes.
Soon I’ll have a new thunderstorm system for sale, which I’m currently finishing up.
I’ll be showcasing it for a while on my work island, “Landscapes Showcase.” It will be the background for an island dedicated entirely to Loktak Lake in India. That’s not open yet; the intention is to make it accessible from Friday October 25.
Is there something at the top of your list that you really want to create?
I’d love to create a mountain peak with snow and rocks, where you look down into the depths with clouds and lakes beneath you, and high peaks with glaciers on the horizon. And to really feel like you’ve just arrived high on an alpine peak via a cable car.
I’ve wanted to do that for years, but I haven’t really had the skills until now. I believe I should be able to do it now.
Now, you’ve been supporting CharitySL.nl as a sponsor for several years. What motivated you to support CharitySL.nl in the past?
I’m not even sure how I came into contact with it… I find it a very important cause. I can imagine how devastating cancer can be for a child, the family, and the close environment… That’s why I like to support research to increase survival chances.
Luckily, I don’t have any experience with cancer in children in my surroundings.
By sponsoring, you contribute a lot. What message would you like to give to visitors of the CharitySL.nl event?
Well… Someone who visits the event must already sympathize with the cause of CharitySL. Every contribution is, of course, fantastic. The research being supported is literally a matter of life and death, and it feels really good to contribute to that, no matter how small or large the contribution is.
Taxi Landscapes Unlimited: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Landscapes%20Unlimited/119/134/56
CharitySl.nl voor KiKa vind dit jaar plaats van 20 november 2024 tot en met 24 november 2024
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