2 Behind Scenes - Fav Photos 2025

Behind the Scenes 2

Continuing to take a look at the 'magic' behind my doll photos.

High Tea

I was planning on taking really close up photos of Holly, so it didn't matter what was in the background. So I just set her up in Matias and Agnes' home, which was still set up on the table after having photographed a short story there.

In winter it's usually not bright enough, so I have to use photography lights. But not too close as I want the lighting to look natural.

Then I take the photos in close, straight on, level with the doll's eyes...

Scilla Time

One of the first flowers to bloom every spring are the little blue scillas. I used to take a lot of photos every spring at the property on the town line, but the current owners have let the field get overgrown with dog-strangling vines....

I used to love taking doll photos there every spring, and have taken some gorgeous photos over the years, so it's a shame how its now so overgrown...

Even so, I had wanted to take a photo of Baron & Naomi and their children out for an Easter egg hunt, and tried a spot near the road. I was disappointed with the photos, with the road showing and the masses of weeds behind them. Plus the flowers were rather sparse and hid the bunnies and baskets with eggs...

However, I did have a patch in my backyard, but it's not the easiest to take photos in...

There's big rocks and an unattractive fence as background, so I positioned two large roots, and 'planted' pruned evergreen branches into the ground to create more of a 'natural' background. Then tried another set of photos.

More Photos in the Scillas

Even so, I missed the gorgeous background setting at the town line, so went back to try again. There was one small spot that was less overgrown and still usable. I'd set up the dolls in the flowers, go sit down at a distance, and then direct Jan to make any small adjustments if needed, since things can look very different once I'm down at the doll's level, as opposed to from above when I'm placing them in the flowers.

Then I'd take the photos...

We went there several times over the course of the blooming period, each time taking dolls who had not been there before.

I also tried to take advantage of the patch in my backyard. I'd pose the dolls...

Then get down on the tarp to take the photos...

I tried other dolls as well...

The easiest place to take photos is if they are posed in the upper garden, but there's not a lot of scillas up there (yet). Plus the tulip leaves are way too big out of scale, so have to be avoided, as well as the ugly fence. But there was one small spot which had enough scillas to work for some photos. So I positioned the mushrooms and posed the mice....

Then took the photos...

All in all I managed to take photos with fourteen different subjects this year, all in the course of a week. It's a lot of work, but the flowers don't last very long, and I was determined to take advantage of them as much as possible during their short bloom period. And I'm glad that I did, because time flies and in no time at all, the flowers were finished, and the plants were mowed down, becoming a memory for another year.

Doll Show Finds

I always look forward to attending doll shows. There aren't very many left these days within decent driving distance, so I make a point to go to the two that are still reasonably close. It's always fun to hunt for that special treasure, and this year I discovered something really special. A carved table and chair set originally from Germany. It was pricey, but I had to buy it. I also bought a tiny doll cradle...

Dandelion Fluff

I had wanted to take a photo of my tiny babies with the dandelion puff balls, but the plants in my garden were already way too big, so I had to create a setting from scratch. So I got out my mushrooms and the bags of moss, and went out into the neighbourhood looking for dandelions. There weren't very many, as most neighbours had mowed recently, but I found enough, and picked them carefully as they are very delicate.

Back on the patio I set up a scene on a board elevated on a pot on the picnic table.

Then I 'planted' dandelions by inserting toothpicks into the bottoms of their hollow stems and poking them into the moss behind the two little girls...

Behind the Scenes with Sarah

Looking behind the scenes at a few photo sessions with Sarah.
First when she was wearing Asa's Queen of the Night gown. I wanted dramatic lighting so only needed the end of the set nearest the diningroom window...

Then I took close ups...

Taking photos outside is a lot more work, and requires setting up a 'garden scene' on my patio table. In previous years we used to have a bright red dragon-wing begonia in the pillar urn, but I was finding the bright red flowers too distracting in the background, so this year I purchased a pot of pale purple/blue violets, which are far more subtle in the background. The first step in creating a mini 'patio'scene, is to position the pillar and then place baskets of million bells around it to create a 'garden'. I'm partial to the lighter colour flowers, as they are more subtle in the photos, so tend to purchase pinks and light purples, and I avoid any dark or bright coloured flowers, like red, orange, and bright yellows. After the million bells are in place, then a thin carpet gets laid to cover the big gaps in the rotting table top, and any furniture gets positioned.

Then I take photos of Sarah down at her eye level...

Making Dragon Art

Ever since I photographed the story about the little dragons making a disaster out of Narin's studio when they were having their family portrait painted, I wanted to do a more positive follow-up story, so I decided Narin would forgive them, and send all his old paints and brushes to them so they could learn to use them properly. So I started by making six tiny aprons for the dragons and the Avery twins., Then I set up the dragon's lair again...

The little aprons were double layer, clean on one side, and with paint splatters on the other...

I did the same with the newspapers that were spread on the floor (who knew dragons read the paper?) I started out with clean newspaper, and would switch to paint-spilled papers later...

I had planned for Narin to come and give them some art lessons, so started by making some samples and finished art. Jan even agreed to do some as well...

But then I thought they looked way too good for the kid's first efforts, so I did another set, this time a messier one more in keeping with how they had applied paint in Narin's studio...

I had the idea for some of them to be doing 'finger painting' but there was no way I was going to put paint on their hands or feet. So I traced their hands and feet onto cardboard, cut them out and hot glued the cutouts to a short dowel.

And we were ready for some hand print painting....

Then for the second set of paintings I decided I couldn't use a brush, as I just can't do 'simple' child-like art even if I tried, so I painted the four outer paintings below with my finger and only added the details with a brush, while Jan did the two middle ones....

And I was ready to shoot their art class...

Miho & Dominic's Love Story

It was just two weeks before we were going to leave on a month long road trip, so I had just one week to photograph the entire story. The first set of photos were taken at the Guild Ruins Garden. It had to be right away, before the Greek Theatre became a stage for the summer productions, or I'd have to wait until September. So I packed up Miho and Dominic and we went.

I got down on the tarp to take the photos at the doll's eye level. I don't normally like to take photos in full sun, but it was a very hazy day from all the wildfire smoke in the air, so the filtered light was perfect.

That afternoon I tackled all the patio scenes. I created Miho's terrace using the pillar unit and baskets of million bells...

I especially liked the bridal wreath spirea and blue pansies blooming in the background

The next day I photographed all the letter writing scenes, then piled all the furniture and props to one side to create Dominic's library....

and take the photos of them close up at the window end of the room...

The biggest, most challenging scene to put together for Miho and Dominic's back story was the Banquet scene. I wanted a totally different 'great hall' so pushed the dining room table up against the china cabinet and used the background props from the 'cathedral' set. I have a long wooden board which extends the top of the table, as well as a table cloth specially made to fit on it. Then I placed three banners over the table cloth to help break up all the 'whiteness'.

I needed a large group of fantasy figures, but couldn't use any of my other fashion size dolls, except my newest lady, Serena, who wasn't a relation to anyone. I also couldn't use my Wizard bjd since he was the Bishop performing the wedding ceremony later in the book. So, I gathered as many other fantasy MSD dolls, as well as several of my old OOAK art dolls. The art figures were all standing, attached to bases, and couldn't sit, so had to be positioned on boxes and crates behind the table to make them the right height and look like they were actually seated at the table.

Then to add some interest in front of the long table, I positioned two groups of smaller figures. The entire set up took me several hours.

I took some photos, and cropped in on the scene.

I was really happy with the photos, and emailed one to my sister. She was impressed and though it would make a great two-page spread in the book. But then I'd have to reshoot it straight on with a bit of a space in the middle so Dominic wouldn't end up in the centre spine. So, I tried creating a wider space in the middle by moving the dolls a bit further apart towards both ends of the table. And while I was at it I gave Dominic a more prominent seat, since it was his castle after all.

Then I took more photos....straight on as requested....

I sent the photo to my sister and she said Dominic was looking straight into the spine, so could I turn him and reshoot? Yes I could.

Then I realized that I'd forgotten to include the Raven, so perched him on Dominic's arm, and reshot AGAIN. Then I had to wait to hear if the photo was good enough before I could take the set down. And it was. Here's the final two-page spread... with a space and small overlap in the centre for the spine...

Once I heard that the final banquet scene was perfect, I could strip the set for the next scene ...

...which was the private dinner...

That afternoon I needed to tackle the Gathering photos. It was hot and humid and I was tired, but it was only five days until we had to leave on our trip, and the next few days were going to be even hotter, with chance of showers, so there was no choice. Thankfully Jan offered to help me.

I didn't want the same old patio background as usual, so he moved the patio table onto the grass so the blooming bridal wreath spirea bush would be in the background. Then he brought out the old table top which I've used several times before for large outdoor gatherings. I laid the floor covering, positioned the styrofoam pillars and arches and the nicest baskets of million bells. Then brought out all the dolls and a laundry basket full of chairs, and positioned them in a circle with the smallest figures at the front.

One of the photos taken slightly elevated a bit above straight on so the figures in the foreground wouldn't obscure the ones at the back.

One of my favourite photos ...

Then as we were taking everything down, I realized I'd forgotten to include the unicorn as well as the Raven. But there was no way I was going to set the entire scene up again and reshoot. I was exhausted, and I was done.

In the end I'm glad I made the effort to photograph Miho and Dominic's back story when I did, and it makes a wonderful addition to the new book.