First in the Old OC Crew™ coming to life in Lena's Doll History Part 72 - Minifee Alan, Raen
Obviously, he's not my first OC doll, but Raen has been with me since 2003... so bringing him to life in 2021 was almost an anniversary!
When Fairyland released him, there was something about him, that immediately grabbed my attention. I can't even say, what it was, but I knew I wanted him the moment I saw that snarl face.
I showed him to my bestie @calista-dolls, and since she was at this point rewriting his story, she suggested that the pissed face would fit with Raen... and oh boy, she was so right. I immediately was sold on the idea! Plus, it gave me an idea for my Logan.Dolls Pim, which I got as a present. She would become Raica!
I bought him in a split, hence he came with a faceup. Faceup looked really pretty, and very glittery. I almost felt a bit bad for repainting him. (Well, I DID feel bad in the end because a friend wanted him with faceup and theirs was... well, let's say, it wasn't very good =') but theirs arrived after mine, otherwise I would've traded with them.)
I ordered eyes for him, but in the meantime I dabbled in eyemaking a bit and made his first pair myself. It came out pretty decent I think!
He got a nice outfit designed and sewn by Saphar and he looks sooooo nice in it!!
First in the Old OC Crew™ coming to life in Lena's Doll History Part 72 - Minifee Alan, Raen
Obviously, he's not my first OC doll, but Raen has been with me since 2003... so bringing him to life in 2021 was almost an anniversary!
When Fairyland released him, there was something about him, that immediately grabbed my attention. I can't even say, what it was, but I knew I wanted him the moment I saw that snarl face.
I showed him to my bestie @calista-dolls, and since she was at this point rewriting his story, she suggested that the pissed face would fit with Raen... and oh boy, she was so right. I immediately was sold on the idea! Plus, it gave me an idea for my Logan.Dolls Pim, which I got as a present. She would become Raica!
I bought him in a split, hence he came with a faceup. Faceup looked really pretty, and very glittery. I almost felt a bit bad for repainting him. (Well, I DID feel bad in the end because a friend wanted him with faceup and theirs was... well, let's say, it wasn't very good =') but theirs arrived after mine, otherwise I would've traded with them.)
I ordered eyes for him, but in the meantime I dabbled in eyemaking a bit and made his first pair myself. It came out pretty decent I think!
He got a nice outfit designed and sewn by Saphar and he looks sooooo nice in it!!
after i made my wooden doll, i was musing about what other unusual materials i might use for a bjd. my partner suggested paper, and also gave me access to their craft paper collection -> i made this.
she is almost entirely made of paper & cardboard. the joints are wooden beads & worbla, because i did figure out a way to make ball joints out of paper, but it really was not worth the effort. all her limbs have tubes of rolled-up cardboard in them to keep the structure sturdy, and the origami flowers are glued around those.
this is extremely different from any doll i've made before, and i had so much fun working with pretty papers & figuring out how to turn them into a poseable 3d object.
It was Seiya's first time wearing a dress but he was so naturally graceful the photographer praised him a lot. He could be a model for Moi-même-Moitié or other lolita brand but his dark past would destroy his public image so it's better for him to remain just an ordinary guy.
The most magnificent doll gift I have ever been given... Dream Valley Dawn/Aurora
She was gifted to me by my Brother and Sister in Law after I ranted to them about the unfairness of doll release schedules XD
See at the time she released Luts had also finally done a re-release of thier kid delf bory centaurs and that was a sculpt that I had been drooling over for ages!! I couldn't afford to get bolth and told them about it in a joking manner (" woe is me and my first world problems!!" Type of joking") so that Christmas when They handed me a print out of the Denver Doll order confirmation I was floored!
I hadn't expected them to remember that! Or even take any of it seriously! I literally cried. Because holy hell. What a gift!
I'm in love with it still to this day (now I just need to get over my intimidation and get her painting/face up/all the rest done)
Aka: How to Improve Your Doll Pictures in Three Easy Steps
Decided to put together a little basics overview of things that have helped me improve my doll photography, since I've seen this discussion come up a lot lately.
Note: any of these steps can intentionally be bent or broken for a great photo- a great doll picture doesn't have to do any of these things, but keeping these steps in mind will really help improve your photos, and make it easier for you to take pictures you're happy with in the long run.
Step one: Angle
Take photos of your doll from as low an angle as possible, their chest height or lower even. Put them up on a table or stool or something elevated if you have trouble physically getting low. Taking photos of them from a low angle will make the photos look more convincingly scaled and less "doll-like", as well as adding a more dynamic element. This one is easiest to bend or break, but make sure you're doing so intentionally. Be sure to experiment with different angles, even tilting your camera so your doll is at a diagonal in frame, for different vibes.
Bonus: incorporate foreground and background elements in your shot as well as midground (typically the doll). This will give your shot a lot more depth and help to ground it.
Step two: Posing
Arguably the most important step, nothing brings down an otherwise solid photo like a stiff and mannequin-like pose. First, take angle into account, pose your doll while checking the camera's view- most beginner doll photographers make the mistake of posing their doll leaning backwards and almost craning upwards, or even just perfectly straight, which ends up looking like theyre leaning back. Use those slouch joints if you have them, tilt their head down- further- further. Unless you have your doll looking at an airplane or something, you'll want them looking down at a lower angle, even if not looking at the camera. Just trust me on this one. Experiment and try for dynamic poses as well, humans don't often stand very square- twist the torso joint, put more weight on one of their legs than the other, angle their head slightly to the side, put one hand by their face and have the other relaxed at their side- think of how dynamic marble statues look, and the way the artists exaggerate weight distribution and asymmetry to do it. Try replicating that. Don't be disappointed if your doll can only balance standing square. Using a stand is hugely recommended when photographing dolls, you can edit it out later or just minimize it's appearance. A dynamic pose will draw more focus than the stand will. I've even used a tripod and some shoelace to make a very heavy doll strike some fantastic dynamic poses.
Bonus: think of asymmetry and dynamism when it comes to your dolls clothes too! Pay attention to the folds and flow of the fabric, little details make a lot of difference and can showcase the doll's character.
Step three: Lighting
My final suggestion is to play with lighting. Lighting can do an immense amount to impact the mood of a photo. Avoid harsh, direct light, like full sunlight, overhead lighting, and the like. Color can always be corrected in post processing- you don't necessarily have to avoid yellow lights, but having the right color off the bat will make things easier for later you. Aim for diffuse, soft lighting at first, like in a shady spot, on a cloudy day, or with a diffuser (a handkerchief or paper towel will do fine) on your light. Then start experimenting with different lighting types and colors- like rim light, or soft blue! You don't need professional equipment for this, most of my artificially lit photos are taken using a color changing fish tank light or a workshop ring light with some paper taped over it to diffuse it.
Bonus: MacGyver other things for your photos, not just lighting. Have a sheet of textured acetate? Make the doll look like a monet painting by shooting through it. Have a sheet? Excellent, you have a backdrop for portraits. An old mirror? Try making the doll kneel on it and interact with their reflection. I MacGyver almost every one of my doll photoshoots.
(All of these tips can be done with a cell phone, you definitely don't need a special camera. But, a camera can do a lot more things with depth of field and the like. If you do get a camera, I'd recommend a dslr with a decent auto focus, and a 30 or 50mm prime lens for it, with an f stop of 1.8 or so- it'll allow you to get really nice foreground and background blur in your photos.)
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