Behind the Scene 2016

A series of behind the scenes photographs, from the times I remembered to take a photo. In chronological order....

the Ice Falls

Each winter we'll take a little drive up north to see the spectacular ice formations on the rock cuts...

This particular ice formation is beside a very quiet road. So we can safely park and set up dolls at the base...

Jan will venture into the snowbank to set up the dolls, per instruction, while I stay back on the road with my telephoto lens...

Milo's Birthday

This is my dining room, what it looks like when the table isn't being used as a photo studio....

..and this is what it looked like when it was set up for Milo's Medieval birthday party, with all the chairs moved back out of the way, and an elaborate scene set up facing the window...

A scene from the party....shot at the doll's eye level....

On the Rocks

Most years we take a drive out to Prince Edward County to see all the lilacs in bloom, and I usually bring along a few dolls. We know a remote , narrow roadway through the woods, right out onto the rocks along the lake

I have to get right down on the sharp rocks to take any pictures, while Jan makes a few minor adjustments to the dolls....

...with my telephoto lens, at their eye level....

Burntcoat Head

We were headed to Newfoundland, but made a short side trip on our way through Nova Scotia, to Burntcoat Head to see the tides on the Bay of Fundy. As usual, I set up the dolls, sat down at a bit of a distance, and directed Jan to make some final adjustments.

After I took a few photos, Jan had some ideas of his own, so changed Milo's pose...

St. Anthony

We took dolls out on the cliffs at the lighthouse in St. Anthony several times

A couple of times with the dolls in contemporary clothes....

...and a few times with them in their Fantasy outfits...

Labrador

One of the nights we stayed in Labrador, there was a big storm, and we spotted an iceberg that had been smashed into pieces up on the rocks. Of course, I'm constantly on the lookout for some doll photo settings, and I thought the bergie bits would be perfect. So we packed a bunch of dolls in boxes, grabbed some props and my camera equipment, and hiked out to the ice....

The rocks were drenched, and there was no way I was going to sit in a puddle, so I sat on a rock at a distance with my telephoto lens to take the pictures....

Milo and Holly started to build some ice sculptures..

...and noticed someone else copying them. Actually, he was making them for them....

the Inukshuk

We spotted a great little inukshuk along the road in Labrador. The 'ditches' at the sides of the road there are GIGANTIC, and there was no way I'd be able to clamber down and up to the other side. So Jan took the dolls, and set them up, while I took a floor mat out of the RV and sat on it on the shoulder of the road, then took some photos with my telephoto lens...

Cinderella

I wanted to make a photo of Cinderella with her Fairy Godmother for a Fairytale photo contest. It had to be with Kaye Wiggs dolls, and fortunately they have the same size upper bodies as an Iplehouse JID. So two of my girls had to give up their costumes...

....in order for Miki and Hope to portray the title characters in my prize-winning photo....

Along the Colorado River

I only took ONE behind the scenes shot during our entire trip to the Southwest. I had set up my dolls under a white umbrella - to minimize sun exposure - while Jan adjusted Winston. Then I sat down on a rock a bit further away....

The photo, taken at the doll's eye level...

Halloween Witches

The patio table is one of my most versatile outdoor 'photo studios'. In fall I haul up some big roots for the background, and spread mulched leaves over the surface. Then I can pose my dolls...

The photo, taken in closer, so as not to show the table...

Backyard Fairies

In late fall, after a killer frost, we clean out our garden and spread mulched leaves over all the gardens in preparation for winter...

There's not a lot left for doll background, other than that one yellow bush, so I asked Jan to place some big roots in front of it...

Fairies in the Snow

I'm always excited when we get our first snowfall, and try to take advantage of it for some doll photos. There's no way I'm getting down on the ground in the snow - especially wet snow. In fall we always top up the soil nice and flat in the one big urn with a yew behind it (not in picture to far left of photo in last post) to serve as a 'base' for snow pictures......like this one

The photo, taken down at the doll's eye level, being careful not to get any of the ugly fence in the background....

Lily and Winston

With the coming of winter, most photos are taken inside on my dining room table again...

The photo, taken down at the doll's eye level, with limited background...

The most important tips one can gather from these behind-the-scenes shots, is that it's important to try take photos at the doll's eye level, whether you have to get down to their's or raise them up to yours. The other thing is to ignore the 'big' picture when looking for a setting, since often just some small space will do. Then get in close. or crop the photo afterwards.

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