A Movie Studio Wedding

9/21/2022

As many of you know, I've been working towards Baron and Naomi's wedding all year. I took all their formal wedding photos, as well as their reception in Miho's garden, earlier this month. But there was still the wedding ceremony itself. I finally photographed their wedding the other day, and was so excited by the results that I just have to share, and give a sneak peak.

Last year I had created a 'hall' of some sort on my dining room table for Lawrence's coronation, but I really wanted something far more grand this time. After our son invited me to bring some of my dolls to his movie studio back in the spring, I got the idea that maybe we could shoot the wedding there. He was game.

I spent much of the summer getting things ready, and then it was time to look for backgrounds. We looked through hundreds of stock photos, but none were quite right. Then Jess, Immersion Room's 3D artist, found this 3D Fantasy Gothic Interior set. It was perfect, so they purchased it.

What exactly is a 3D set, you ask? Well, it's a digital program where one can move around in the 'interior space' just like it was a real place. I suppose it's much like being inside a computer game. All the elements can be changed. The lighting can be changed and there's an entire furniture package, of elements which can be added or removed.

I had practiced setting up the scene on my dining room table...but it is just 44" wide and 6 feet long, and there wasn't room for two double rows of guests.

We went to the movie studio last week to deliver all the furniture and props, and discuss the final details, and we saw the 'set' for the first time. It was spectacular!

We determined that I'd need a 'stage' 5' x 8', and it would need to be moveable so I could rotate it to take photos from all sides without having to move the dolls. So our son prepared the stage at his studio, by screwing sheets of plywood onto one of his 4 x 8' risers supported on two of his moveable panel containers...to create a 5 x 8' stage....

So Monday we packed up all the dolls into the car and headed to the studio.

I decided to do an initial setup with various dolls arriving at the cathedral. It was a challenge reaching in far enough to pose the dolls in the middle...

Then I took some photos to see if I could take the photos hand held in the low light. I could!!

Taking photos in the movie studio was basically shooting forced perspective against a digital background.....

Then it was finally time for the wedding to begin...

We could rotate the stage and the background so I could take photos from the different angles.

I would pose the dolls, we'd light the candles, I'd take photos, then we'd blow out the candles, I'd change the poses, and we'd do it all over again.

Six hours and 150 photos later, and I shot the final scene. It was beyond impressive!

Now I just need to get to the end of my White Cat story so I can post their entire wedding.

Copyright © 2022 Martha Boers
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21 Comments

Brigitte

9/21/2022 04:54:27 am

Martha, you outdid yourself. This stage is more than amanzing. Such a great background, i love it.
The photos are brilliant. I can't wait to see the wedding.

Martha

9/21/2022 04:58:56 am

Thanks! We sure did! My sister said my dining room table just won't look the same again.

Svenja

9/21/2022 05:43:51 am

Dear Martha,

this goes beyond everything. I am more than impressed. I am downright speechless. This is amazing (and I really like you diningroom studio:-)

Martha

9/21/2022 07:32:20 am

Thank you! The photos are just as I had hoped they could be. There were some scenes I wish I'd taken more photos of, but it was really hard to reach to the middle to change the doll's poses, and after a few hours I was getting really tired and sore.

The dining room table will continue to be used as my usual set, since I can keep it set up for weeks at a time, but Mikey said I could come anytime they weren't busy at his studio. But it is a lot of work, so I'll only consider it for special scenes that I can't do a reasonable job of at home.

Dorian

9/21/2022 07:16:06 am

Wow!!! You are so amazing. This is absolutely stunning.

Martha

9/21/2022 07:32:41 am

Thank you!

Dorothy

9/21/2022 08:26:05 am

Wow times infinity! This is just amazing. I kept expecting the dolls to move. I could see this animated but I know you don't do that.

The setting was perfect. It looked as if the costumes were made for the backdrop.

I loved how the light from the candles tied in to the light shining in from the windows above.

It was all very beautiful and magical. And I am imagining music (smile).

Martha

9/21/2022 09:00:30 am

Thanks! No, there's no way I want to attempt animation. That requires at least 18 infinitesimal tiny moves per second - all shot from the exact same spot. It was challenging enough changing the poses all the times I did for the various scenes. It's just going to be a 'photographer's set of photo stills' of a wedding. That's already impressive enough.

Donna

9/21/2022 10:40:40 am

Amazing, incredible, wonderful, and dozens more adjectives I can think of!!!

Everything appears so life-like and so magnificent!

Martha

9/21/2022 03:35:55 pm

Thank you so much! I was pretty impressed myself.

Jitka

9/21/2022 11:18:17 am

Oh my ... I am speechless. Wow 😳. It's incredible, you moved the doll photography to another level again. I absolutely love it. And I adore how supportive your family is with your hobby, the joined forces can help you create another world for all of us. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Martha

9/21/2022 03:42:25 pm

Thank you! The photos taken at the movie studio are definitely another level, but they aren't going to be the norm. It is a huge amount of work planning and getting things ready, and hauling everything into the city. Plus I wouldn't want to wear out my welcome. It is a business after all, with paying clientel.

So it's my dining room table and backyard like usual, and the rare time I'd like something more then maybe the movie studio again.

Jitka

9/21/2022 11:29:53 am

Oh, I just noticed that Dominic is also attending the wedding, I am looking forward to the introduction of his story with Miho 🙂.

Svenja

9/22/2022 05:40:02 am

I spotted him too, he looks gorgeous!

Martha

9/22/2022 06:52:29 am

Yes, Dominic attended - in Baron's borrowed surcoat. I have to make him his own before he can get properly introduced to Baron, since Baron is obviously going to need his own regular clothes back for that, as I don't think it would be fair for Miho to introduce him for the first time on the morning of Baron's wedding.

Jay

9/22/2022 09:25:46 am

How spectacular and beautiful! How wonderful to have such an incredible resource available to you!!! What a wonderful son to take an interest in your beautiful work. I'm confused about the 3D set--is it projected? Anyway, it's all just gorgeous. While the set is beyond spectacular, it's your dolls in their amazing outfits, and your excellent posing that bring it all to life. Super awesome, Martha!

Martha

9/22/2022 12:02:19 pm

Thanks! No, it's not projected. It's like a giant computer screen, made up of hundreds of LED panels, all controlled by their computer.

earthspirits

9/22/2022 04:33:18 pm

This is just fantastic and very beautiful! Looking forward to your complete wedding story.

Martha

9/23/2022 02:28:08 pm

Thanks. Their wedding story won't be posted for a while yet, but I just had to share some of the photos from the ceremony. It was just too awesome an experience, and my photos turned out way beyond expectations.

Nancy

9/27/2022 02:54:53 pm

Wow! That is so cool and spectacular! Thank you for the behind the scenes. What fun!

Martha

10/2/2022 04:05:52 pm

Thanks. I thought it was pretty impressive myself. I absolutely love that Gothic Interior. I may want to use it again sometime. Maybe for a coronation?

A Movie Studio Wedding

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