4 Behind Scenes - Fav Photos 2023

Behind the Scenes 2

Continuing to look at how things were done

Dragons in the Crabapples

I wanted some photos of Winston and Saphira on a short trip before their eggs hatched, and thought the crabapple trees over at one of the local high schools would make for a nice setting. So Jan held both dragons in amongst the flowers...

Then I photographed the dragons, up close....

Book Cover

Marianne and I were working on a new book - the Toilet Paper Chronicles - and it wasn't going to be a very big book, so we really didn't want to use any of the photos in the book for the cover. We had decided that I'd put together a new 'shopping' scene...

But the white background blended in too much with the rolls of toilet paper, so I taped some gray and beige construction paper onto the upper walls. That worked much better.

Then I also had the idea to photograph Coco in a pile of toilet paper rolls, since he was featured in the first few photos in the book...

So I took a couple of close-ups, and one of them ended up on the front cover. The other 'store' photo ended up on the back.

Mr. Ropuha, A Toad's Life

We were working on another new book, and the wedding ceremony page didn't have any front views of Tiana coming down the aisle. So, I dressed her in her wedding gown, cut some pink 'carpeting' for the picnic table, and added some flowers to recreate the scene.

Then I took a close up....

Maritime Adventure

Just a few Behind the Scene photos from our Maritime Adventure.

With both of us getting older, and developing shaky hands, it's always better to support the dolls while they are standing or leaning on something. Like the railing of the new observation deck railings at the Peggy's Cove lighthouse.

Then the dolls are standing straight, and the right height to each other...

I really wanted to take some photos in the little park in the St. Lawrence at St. Roche-des-Aulnais. But it was raining. So I set up the scene inside on the RV table, so I'd know exactly how I wanted the scene set up as soon as it stopped raining outside...

I was working on a salad for our own dinner while we waited...

Then when it stopped raining we quickly took everything outside and I set it all up again on the picnic table and I took the photos...

I had to work fast since the next thunderstorm was already rumbling in the distance, heading our way. It was already starting to rain again as Jan gathered up the last doll and props.

Mini Afghans

I'm working on another mini afghan. I use vintage needle-punch yarn for my mini afghans. It's a very fine yarn, perfect for tiny projects. I've been collecting them and have a huge box full in a wide range of colours. The afghans are a nice mindless project to work on in the evenings while listening to the TV. Back in June I started a mini version of a full size one I'd made for our second son when he was little. It was called a 'Granny Ripple', and I couldn't find the book the pattern was in, so found a picture online and had to work from that.

The finished afghan....

I used it on the bed in the Tooth Fairy photos....

With that afghan done, I chose another to work on. I personally prefer bright colours but decided this time to go with something more subdued in all my least favourite colours; beiges, browns, and greens (well, I do like cream and turquoise). After all, 'variety is the spice of life', and I'm sure some of my dolls would prefer a more neutral coloured afghan.

An Anniversary Portrait

I saw a painting online of King Theodan in LOTR like he was standing for a portrait with his horse.

So, after making armour for his horse, and adding a fur edge to the bottom of his royal robe, I took lots of photos of Lawrence and his horse. I finally settled on one to serve as the model for the painting for a future photo shoot.

I need the painting to be only partially complete because the artist will still be working on it, and I have no idea exactly what the actual background will be like, so just underpainted it in vague dark colours. Then it took me two days to paint Lawrence and his horse to where they need to be.

I was very happy with Lawrence's outfit and his horse so far, but just couldn't get his face right, even after several attempts. So I doubt I'll finish it after the photo shoot. So, just one more for my growing collection of unfinished portrait paintings.

Mini War Banners

I'm also working on some props for my little DreamHigh Studio 'army'. Otto, the Otter arrived recently, and I finally figured out how to manhandle him into his suit of armour.

He came with a stretchy red scarf, but it's too bulky to wear with his armour, so I need to knit him a finer one. He also needs a sword. And I decided to make some tattered war banners. They are mini versions of the ones that hang in Winston and Saphira's den.

Otto with a new scarf and a belt for his sword...

the Garage Sale

I keep a list of interesting Special Days that I might want to do a photo shoot for, and August 14th was national Gargae Sale Day, and I really wanted to do it. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but I like a challenge.

For anything that complex I always do a preliminary set up inside on the kitchen table before bringing everything outside. So the first thing was to gather all the sales tables and larger props that would be up for sale. Then I piled on all the 'old' toys, books and glassware.

I took a photo and printed it out so I'd know how to set it all up again outside, then emptied the contents of each table onto a separate tray to help keep everything organized.

I set everything up again on the patio picnic table, then started placing all the dolls into the scene. First the adults...

Then after the children were positioned I started taking photos.
The whole secret of forced perspective is to take the photos straight on at the doll's eye level.

Then I walked around taking close ups...

And in order to get the feel of all the stuff for sale I took some photos from a higher angle..

I didn't think of taking a wider behind the scenes shot until after all the children had already left, and we were in the process of cleaning everything up...

Then it took me a while to put everything back into storage where it belonged, so I know exactly where to find it next time I need it.

Sewing Machine Day

September 10th is National sewing Machine Day, and sine I only have really small miniature sewing machine, I decided to set up a smalls scene with Daisy and Emily House Elves. I was in the middle of photographing something in my castle interior, so just set up Daisy's sewing room in one small corner....

Then I took close up photos....

Coastal Cleanup Day

September 18th was International Coastal Clean Up Day, so I gathered lots of trash, and four dolls to pick it up, and we headed down to the lake. I posed the dolls and scattered the trash...

Then afterwards we had to pick it all up again...

Comrades in Arms

I had just finished ottos scarf and sword belt, and wanted to take some photos of him and his soldier comrades.The garden plants were way too big, plus I wanted a background that wasn't quite so busy, so I set everyone up on the projector stand in the middle of the lawn....

The late day sun was peaking through the fence, so Jan shaded everyone with a tray...

Then I'd take photos....

Playdoh Day

September 18th is National; Playdoh Day, and I had borrowed some Playdoh from our youngest grandchildren. The I set up the scene on the end of the dining room table, without any background walls, like in the old days...

Then I took close-ups....

Elves and Dragons at the Ruins

We took the elves and dragons to the Ruins Gardens in hopes of getting some nice photos of Otto and his companions. With everyone being so small, they'd get lost in the grass, so I only posed them higher up on the monuments...

And then I'd just take close ups at their eye level.

Guys at the Lake

I needed a photo of my three MSD guys for my Fashions book, and it needed a neutral background. So we took them down to the lake, and photographed them standing on our projector stand...

Heading back to the car afterwards....

the Phantom in the Mirror

I needed a photo of Christine in her dressing gown for my Fashions book, and decided she would look nice in her dressing room after her performance. I had a castle set on the table, to just set up her dressing room in one corner...

Working with a mirror is always tricky because it can reflect all kind of things you don't want to see in the mirror. So the mirror was hung on one of the diagonal walls, and the three styrofoam pillars were placed at the far end of the table, so they'd show up in the mirror, and block the view into our kitchen....

I filled her dressing room with bouquets of congratulatory flowers....

Then I positioned Bianca in the set, and gave her the rose from the Phantom.

It was a greta photo, but the whole idea was to take a 'costume' photo, and the rose totally blocked the most detailed part of her outfit. So I changed her pose and took some more photos....

Owen Going to Work

November 12th is Take a Model Train to Work Day, and I wanted Owen to look like a proper businessman heading off to work in the city. So we drove around the mall, and I thought the building at the southwest corner with the bridges across the 401 to the GO train station on the other side of the highway would work....

So Jan held him so I could take some forced perspective photos....

Bathtub Party

December 5th was National Bathtub Party Day, and I had the idea to have the Avery twins and the baby dragons taking a both together. I already had a castle interior partially set up on the table, and just needed a small space, so just set up the House Elf 'room' right in the middle, at the front, with some cupboards serving as background...