Behind the Scenes 2017
A series of behind the scenes photos, from the times I remembered to take a photo. In chronological order....
Taking Dolls Out on Location
I made a series of cardboard boxes to hold my dolls when I take them out on location. Company boxes don't work, since the foam insides won't allow a fully dressed doll. Each cardboard box has a white stuffed cushion in the bottom to lay the doll on, and another smaller one to keep the doll in position, without touching their face up. The boxes are in different sizes made specifically for Iplehouse JID, KID and BIDs, but can also be used for other dolls. They will also stack nicely in an overhead compartment in the back of our RV.
Sometimes I'll put two dolls in a box, to minimize how much we have to carry - being careful that their faces don't touch...
I have a large cloth bag which will hold two boxes....a maximum of a JID and KID box....for when there will be a lot of walking involved, like in a park or some public location when we are far from our vehicle...
Ringo's Illness
For the series on Ringo being stuck in bed with the flu, I set up his 'bedroom' on the window end of our dining room table, and left it there for weeks, as new photo ideas developed. I always use just the natural light coming in the window, but sometimes will use a white card to help bounce extra light onto the dolls - especially the darker resin ones....
The trick there, is to crop in close to minimize the actual real room in the background....
the Storyteller
In homage to Jim Henson, I took a photo of some of my BIDs with my Storyteller. I needed a 'dark' background, and the only place suitable was in front of my dining room china cabinet. So I folded back the carpet, and got down on the floor
Usually I try shoot at the doll's eye level, but then the dolls in the foreground would look huge compared to the Storyteller who was actually a bit smaller scale. Things closer to the camera will look bigger than things further back, like in the shot above, so I shot from a bit higher. Then the girls in the front don't have such big heads compared to the Storyteller...
World's Biggest Rubber Duck
The big yellow duck was travelling around the province as part of Canada's 150th birthday celebrations, and was in Windsor on the Civic holiday weekend when we were there visiting our daughter. We went to see it early in the morning before the holiday crowds arrived. I took some dolls along, and our son-in-law snuck a photo...
My photo. I had pre-planned, and had brought along the little duckies from home.
Along with the Big Mama Duck, there was also a smaller 'Baby' Duck. Jan wanted to pose the dolls with it....
But I found it worked better to just hand-hold a doll in front, closer to the camera....
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Camping - the 'Dock'
We went up north to Kilarney twice, and I took along the same group of dolls. I'm always looking for an easier way to shoot a scene without having to get down on the ground, so decided to use a picnic table to set up several of my scenes. I figured the top could pass for a 'dock'. The table had rather wide spaces between the planks, but you don't really notice (until I pointed it out). Working at the table was very convenient. Easy to set up a scene, and easy to make changes and take photos at the doll's eye level....
In town, I set up the dolls and their picnic table on top of a picnic table at the fish & chips joint along the water, and got in close...
Flooded Campsite
It had been very rainy, and many of the campsites were flooded, which just reminded me so much of camping when I was a kid. So of course I had to set up a campsite. I cut up a garbage bag to make 'tarps' over the tent and camper. I sat on a really low bench at some distance across from the puddle, with the telephoto lens on my camera. If I can't sit on the ground itself to take photos at the doll's eye level, then the next best thing it to go way back and zoom in with my telephoto lens.
From the other side of the puddle I directed Jan to make some final adjustments.....
From the other side of the puddle I directed Jan to make some final adjustments.....
It was the day after all the rain, and the sun was coming out between the clouds - which would totally ruin the look of a gloomy, rainy day. So I'd have to sit and wait for the sun to go behind the clouds in order to take a picture. Jan decided the campsite needed a flooded out fire pit....
Jan would splash water on top of the tarps to add to the rainy look....
One of the photos. I love the reflection in the puddle...
Afterwards, back in the RV, Byuri needed a foot bath...
Boating
It was a bright, overcast morning down by the lighthouse, perfect for some doll photos. I did the initial set up, then I sat down at a distance, and directed Jan to make any minor changes...
Then I laid down flat on the rocks to take the pictures. It was impossible to get down right to the doll's eye level - due to the fact that rocks are always going to be higher than the water - so the photos were shot a bit from above.
Going Fishing
Back at Kilarney for the second time, I wanted to do a story about fishing. I found a spot on the rocks where I could be across from the dolls and see their faces as they were seated, fishing on the other side of the water. We started to set up, and then I suddenly felt myself going down on the slippery rocks, and went right into the water up to my armpits. Fortunately I wasn't hurt at all - it had been a very gentle slide into the water - and I didn't have any dolls in my hands at the time. Jan pulled me out, we put the dolls back in their boxes and went back to the RV to change into some dry clothes.
Then we went back again, and I did the basic set-up, then I went to the other side, and directed Jan to make any changes....
Then we went back again, and I did the basic set-up, then I went to the other side, and directed Jan to make any changes....
The gang fishing...
Jan would change their poses for me, and add things as directed - like the seaweed on Ringo's hook...
He piled some stones in the water so the big fish would be right at water level where Nami would be able to spot it...
The fish was so big, that Nami had to go into the water to lift it with the net. Then she needed a good wash afterwards...
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Ringo's Seaweed
I forgot to take a close-up photo of Ringo with his seaweed catch, so had to fake it on the rocks in our campsite the next day...
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a Toad Wedding
I was doing a series on my Toad's wedding, and needed a spot for their ceremony and 'professional' photos afterwards. I usually set up on my patio, but that meant dealing with the huge plants in the background, and lighting from the side. So this time I chose an overcast day and moved the patio table to the middle of the backyard. I arranged the benches to put trays with props on, and placed hanging baskets with smaller flowers on the table in the background. I used a white card to help bounce light into the faces of some of the darker skinned dolls, to remove the shadows from their wigs...
The formal wedding party portrait...
..and one of just the groom...
Toad Honeymoon
We went around town looking for places that would make a good 'travelling' background. There was a big utilities box on the south side of the mall parking lot I thought might work. I set up their Vespa on top....
It wasn't quite working, so I got in much closer from a slightly different angle....
Biking in Autumn
I had wanted to take some fall doll photos, but there's not a lot of good spots around, so we drove into the country and found a little dead-end road beside a cornfield, and parked off to one side, took pictures of dolls on their bikes, then remembered to take some behind the scenes shots when we were already halfway through cleaning up...
Isis and Nyssa still on their bikes, waiting to get picked up....taken at 'normal human' standing level....
The picture that I had taken while laying flat on the ground in front of her....
Jan going to pick her up....
....and putting everything in the back of the car, so I can put everyone back in their boxes....
Santa at the Mall
The first week of December, while waiting for my surgery at the end of the week, I preoccupied myself by taking a series of photos of all my BIDs and KIDs coming to visit Santa at the 'mall'. I set up on the window end of my dining room table, and lined up all my doll families, taking a set or two of photos each day....
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Taken down at the doll's eye level, with a tripod....
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.
Copyright © 2018 Martha Boers
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2018 Martha Boers
All Rights Reserved
