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Behind the RRFF Christmas Photos

1/12/2024

 
Taking a behind the scenes look at some of the recent photos of my Ruby Red dolls.

First the scene of them decorating the gingerbread house. Like usual I set everything up on a box on the kitchen counter. That's so the dolls are at roughly the height that their eyes would be if they were real children, which is important for shooting anything in forced perspective.... 
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Jan had been baking chocolate cakes that morning for our granddaughter's birthday, so I scraped some of the last batter out of his mixing bowl, and smeared it on the doll size bowls, to represent 'gingerbread'.  I also wanted 'icing', so spooned some yogurt onto the edges of the mixer bowl. Then, when the background was clear of 'giants' I took close-up photos of the dolls...
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Then for the Christmas Morning scene I posed the dolls in the 'contemporary' Christmas interior on the end of the dining room table...
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The posing was extra challenging since I wanted variety in the doll's positions, but even though they are 'articulated', they aren't exactly the best posers, and won't hold many positions.

​I had Sara standing, and Bella sitting flat on the ground, both of which were easy poses, but I wanted variety and wanted Alex to be sitting on his knees. He is articulated at the hips and knees, but won't hold a knelling pose on his own, so I took a thick elastic band (the ones that come around our morning paper) to help him hold a kneeling position. He also needed elastics at the wrists so his hands would be pulled close enough together to actually hold something.
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Then it was just a matter of hiding the elastics so they didn't show in the photos...
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Dorothy
1/12/2024 10:51:50 am

Yeaaa, behind the scenes photos! I know you explain every time how you do things but it still seems like magic to me.

I love seeing how everything is organized under the table so everything can be easily stored when you are done.

Martha
1/12/2024 04:06:06 pm

Some of the stuff under the table is permanently there - unless I'm expecting company.

Donna
1/12/2024 03:46:50 pm

Like Dorothy, I love your behind-the-scenes photos. Each one of them is a how-to lesson! Using a large elastic to assist with holding a difficult position is a great idea.

I spied you in one of those photos 😄.

Martha
1/12/2024 04:04:07 pm

I use elastics a lot. And eye putty.

Yes, I always have to watch out for reflections.

Martine link
1/13/2024 03:18:48 am

Once again I'm totally impressed by your imagination and your talent for staging your photos in the very setting of your home. It's absolutely fabulous to be able to take these shots in perspective with the size of your dolls or characters. Like, for example, the three little Ruby Reds baking on a big box in your own kitchen, where the decor gives the perfect illusion that they're in their own kitchen. Well done!

Martha
1/13/2024 07:40:47 am

Thank you. I always shoot 'forced perspective' in my kitchen as it saves having to put together a doll-sized version. Plus nothing looks as good as the real thing.


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    Author

    Martha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes.
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