Using Doll Stands (part 1)

*The Photo Tip on doll stands is too long for just one Blog post, so I'm dividing it into two. 
The button in Tutorials won't become active until the second half is posted.

When taking photos of your doll, do you try to get the doll to stand totally on it's own, or do you use a stand?  Personally, I prefer the security of a doll stand. Only on the rare occasion when taking photos of one or two of my smallest dolls, will I risk having them stand unaided.....as on the rocks in this photo.....

My Iplehouse BIDs are just 25 cm tall, and stand quite well on their own, but I still 
prefer the security of a doll stand, especially when there's a lot of dolls in a scene.

Doll Stands for Soft Surfaces

When posing my dolls on a soft surface (like grass, or my garden, or in the woods) I like to use a wire stand that pokes into the ground. To make your own stands, I have a Tutorial available - 'An Easy Stand for Outdoor Photography' 

With the wire stand, a doll can pose in ways she would never be able to on her own

Just make sure to hide the vertical wire behind one of the doll's legs. 

I have several of these wire stands, and they make it possible to shoot a scene like this one...

It's the only way to pose my dolls to look they are 'running' on a spongy, uneven, forest floor. 

I've also used the stands in my garden and in the desert. In the picture below I was in a hurry because I wanted to minimize the doll's time in the sun, so I didn't notice Leona's wire was showing. But it's not too noticeable - it sort of blends into the plant....

The wire stands are also very helpful in windy locations, because the dolls won't topple over,
 as here in very windy Newfoundland.....