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Behind the Scene

5/19/2026

3 Comments

 
I had originally photographed the wedding and coronation back in August of 2024, the year I took the final photos for the story. Back then I had taken all the photos with my camera hand-held and set on Auto-focus.  But the intention was to eventually have the story printed as a book, and most of those original photos just weren't sharp enough, since they were taken at ISO 6400, and would be far too grainy. Even though I loved many of the photos, and they'd look just fine here on my website...
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When zooming in, the image was far too grainy. If you are looking at this on your phone you're probably thinking it looks just fine. But if you were seeing it on a larger screen - or if it was to be printed in a book - it would not be suitable at all.
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Here's another example, for those of you with a bigger screen.
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I loved that photo and it looks just fine here, but if you zoom in, it's not sharp enough to be printed in a book.
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So, I made the decision back in January to reshoot the entire wedding and coronation. I had to duplicate the set from two years ago. except this time I wanted higher walls, so hot-glued additional panels of black foam-core onto the bottoms of the walls, to make them higher...
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This time I set my camera on a ten second timer at ISO 200, so the photos would be sharp enough for print. With the camera set securely on a tripod, a shutter speed of just a half second was perfectly fine. ​
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This time I also had more fancy gowns for the guests to wear. The gowns were made to fit a Fashion sized doll, but would also fit my other MSD ladies.  They'd just be a bit long. So, even though I used the same dolls in the audience, most of them were wearing something different this time. So I couldn't even mix in any of the few sharp photos from the original photo shoot in 2024. ​
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One of the scenes I didn't shoot the first time, but got the idea for the second time, was the balcony scene. I figured the exterior of the cathedral would still have some of the same architectural details, plus the 'stained glass' windows, so just posed the dolls behind one of the wooden half-walls...right in the middle of the cathedral interior scene, with all the other dolls still standing off to the side, and out of the way....
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Then I just took close-ups....
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3 Comments

the New Queen

5/18/2026

1 Comment

 
Aeran rose and stepped down from the throne...
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...and turned to look at her grandfather.
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It was her signal to him and Kyle that she was ready to leave.
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So, the two of them joined her as she prepared to make her way out of the grand hall...
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"It was a beautiful ceremony." he whispered to her.
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"And now we will go to greet your people."
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 And they headed to the balcony overlooking the town square, where their people were gathered in anticipation, waiting ​to see, and pay homage to their new Queen.
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Aeran waved to the crowds as they cheered, "Long live the Queen!"
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*the Coronation story is available to be seen in it's entirety in Favourite Photos 2026
​the Coronation
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"Long Live the Queen!"

5/16/2026

1 Comment

 
Aeran sat down on the throne....
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All those present cheered in unison "God save the Queen!"
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"Long live the Queen!"
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The King had never been more proud of his granddaughter.
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And he was happy that her future as Queen after he was gone, was now finally secure.
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1 Comment

Heart of the Mountain

5/16/2026

0 Comments

 
Then the Archbishop picked up the jewel Aeran and her friends had recovered on their quest...
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"I now bestow upon Your Majesty..."
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 the 'Heart of the Mountain',
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the long-revered symbol of matriarchal right to power
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with which we declare your Majesty
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to be our true and rightful Queen."
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The Archbishop placed the pendent around Aeran's neck, passed her the sceptre. and she turned to face the audience as their newly crowned Queen.
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the Crown

5/15/2026

1 Comment

 
Aeran's cap was removed, and the royal robes of ermine-trimmed velvet were draped over her shoulders...
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The Archbishop then picked up the Imperial State Crown....
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"By the powers invested in me, by the laws of this kingdom...
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.. I crown thee, Aeran...."
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'"...Queen and co-regent."
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 And he reverently placed the crown on her head.
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1 Comment

the Royal Oath

5/14/2026

2 Comments

 
Aeran knelt before the Archbishop
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"Does Your Highness solemnly promise and swear...."
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....to govern the peoples of this Kingdom according to its laws and customs?
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"I do."
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"Do you promise and swear to rule according to law,
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​and to exercise justice with mercy in all your judgements?"
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"I do so promise and swear."
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2 Comments

Entering the Cathedral

5/13/2026

9 Comments

 
Everyone rose as the fanfare sounded and Aeran entered the cathedral, and made her way into the Inner Sanctum
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where all the most noble Lords and Ladies were gathered to bear witness to the coronation.
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The Archbishop addressed the audience ...
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"Sirs and Madams, I present to you Aeran, your true, undoubted Princess Royal. Wherefore I ask all you who are gathered here this day to pay your homage and service, are you willing to accept her as your Queen?"
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Everyone responded in unison..
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"We are willing!!  God save the Queen!"
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Then he addressed Aeran...
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"Madame, is your Highness willing to take the Oath'"
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"Yes..."
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 "I am willing."
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9 Comments

Coronation Day

5/12/2026

3 Comments

 
Several years had gone by since Aeran and her friends had returned from their quest to recover the long lost 'Heart of the Mountain'. She and Kyle had been married for a few years now, and her grandfather, the King, decided that he wasn't getting any younger, so he wanted to have Aeran crowned, so she could become co-regent, and ease into the job before he was gone.

​On the morning of her coronation Aeran was dressed and waiting in a side chapel at the cathedral.
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She pondered the huge responsibility that lay ahead.
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She was thankful that she wouldn't be entering this new stage in her life alone, but that her grandfather would be there to guide her, and her husband, Prince Kyle, would be there to support her.
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3 Comments

Behind the Scenes

5/11/2026

4 Comments

 
Even though I took quite a few photos in the scillas this spring, it seems I only took a behind the scenes shot one time.  And that was of one of the very last scenes, which I set up in the narrow strip of upper garden beside the patio. It's so much easier taking photos in our elevated garden, but I usually avoid taking photos right there because of the ugly fence, but it is also the only spot that has a decent number of scillas. So, a large branch was put up against the fence in an attempt to hide it, and then the dolls were posed in the edge of the garden
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Early spring is the only time I can take photos in the upper garden, as the plants quickly get way too tall and out of scale. The only other time I can take photos there is in late fall after everything has been cut down for the winter.
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4 Comments

Sarah and her Beau

5/10/2026

10 Comments

 
Even though it was a very challenging Spring weather-wise this year to take photos with my favourite little blue flowers, I'm surprised by how many I did actually manage to take.  But we've finally come to the end. 

This final set features my Sarah and Elliot Henri, both by SartoriaJ, taken between rain showers on a dark, cloudy day.
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10 Comments
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    Martha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes.
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