Behind the Scene in Newfoundland

Getting the doll boxes ready, by replacing old labels with new ones, so it's easier to know who's in which...

Rose Blanche

We arrived in Newfoundland the evening before a big storm was to come in. So we went along to coast to one of our favourite places, the old stone lighthouse at Rose Blanche, sitting high on the rocks overlooking the ocean....

I desperately wanted to take the first photos of Rex and Bianca, so we put their boxes into the big bag I'd made for them, and took the horses, and went out along the trail.  The scenery was so spectacular that it was hard for my assistant to stay focussed....

I had to get down on the rocks to shoot at the doll's eye level to make them look like they fit into the background....

I wanted some sunset photos, and Jan had to create shade for the dolls, to minimize their exposure to the sun...

Again I had to get down on the rocks to make the dolls stand high enough against the horizon....

Twillingate

After several days of rain, we arrived in Twillingate, and it was 'dry' enough to take some photos., so I set up a little 'dock' scene on a harbour-side picnic table. But my assistant was often distracted....

The photo, taken while seated at the table....

We went up to the lighthouse, and I found a spot I thought would work to take a photo with some dolls.
​"Here you go!!"

"Not like that!!  Here, can you hold them up properly, please??"

Trinity

The next day we drove to Trinity. It's a beautiful old English town, with the original settlement dating back to the 16th century. It has many old buildings registered as Newfoundland Heritage Structures, and it's like a visit back in time...

I set up the dolls on a 'stage' near the water. Had Rex and Bianca just arrived and were they purchasing a horse? Or were they leaving, and saying 'good-bye'?

But I couldn't go any further with their story because of the wind.  It was blowing so strong, that even with their bases weighed down with rocks, they kept blowing over. Fortunately Jan was never out of catching range....and saved them all several times...

Not being one to quickly give up, I did try again, and even with Jan's lightning fast reflexes, the wind blew Buck right off the stage, and he landed head first on the stones of the beach.       ​"Are you okay, Buck?"

He did sustain some damage to the paint on his face, but I knew it could be fixed in Photoshop.
​But it was definitely time to move on. It was way too windy there.

Picnic at the Lighthouse

I had thought that Trinity might be the perfect place for Rex and Bianca to celebrate with a picnic after their wedding. But it was way too windy in town, so we drove out to the lighthouse. The wind had died down some, and it looked like the perfect spot with the town in the background. The old church could even pass for the 'same' one they were married in on Fogo Island.

So I got the dolls ready, and posed them inside the RV to limit their time in the sun. The best way to transport them was seated in one of their boxes, with all the picnic props piled in the middle...

Jan commented that they looked like they were going for a 'boat' ride, and stuck on the 'HMS"...
​...and out we went....

Inside the RV

Thought I would take a photo or two to show where the dolls were stored in the RV.  All the dolls had their own homemade cardboard box, labelled with their name, so they'd be easy to find. Each box had two cushions inside - a full size one under the doll, and a smaller one on top to hold them in place securely. There were seven boxes each with a doll, and two more for Props, and Clothes. During the night, and for the start of each day, they were all neatly put away into the overhead cupboards over the back bed....

At the first photo location for the day, the first doll boxes would get taken down out of the cupboards, and they'd usually stay on the bed for the rest of the day for easy access. Eventually all the boxes would be down. 

The horses each also had their own box, and they were kept in the big cloth bag I made. During the day they'd be on the back bed, and at night, they'd get transported to the front passenger seat.

These shots were taken upon leaving the Trinity lighthouse, where only Rex and Bianca had come out. Cookie and David's boxes were still out after their photo shoot back on Strawberry Hill. And one of the horses had been replaced in the 'horse bag' by the picnic props.  The window shades would always be pulled down to keep the sun off the boxes

Evening at Cape Bonavista

We arrived at Cape Bonavista in the evening, just in time to take a few doll photos....

 Jan with dolls and props after the photo shoot, just enjoying the scenery, before heading back to our vehicle.
​Behind him are several RVs parked for the night. ​

St. John's Harbour

Just a quick photo of the kids in St. John's harbour, set up on a big wooden crate on the dock. I had spotted it when I was looking around for something to pose the dolls on, and thought it would make a great 'dock'. But it was a bit high for me to take photos, so Jan got the wooden step from the RV, for me to stand on...

Back at Cape Bonavista

By this point in our trip, Jan was actively taking photos with his 'point and shoot', taking some behind the scene photos, as well as some of the dolls. ...and sometimes he caught me....

..or the dolls from the back.  It wasn't very windy that morning, but I didn't want to risk anyone falling over onto the rocks, so the horses were supported with some doll support wires, and Bianca's skirt was caught up on her's....

My photo....

Then heading back to the RV, tired after three separate photo sessions that morning...

The weather just got worse the rest of the day, as well as the day afterwards - lots of rain, and very cold, with highs of just 6C, so no doll photography - or even scenic photos, for that matter.  Everyone just stayed nice and warm inside the cupboards those days.

St. Carols

The weather had been terrible the past few days as we went up to the top of the western peninsula. We went exploring anyways, going down all the little roads, and came to St. Carols. Just past the dock in their harbour, there was a trailhead, and there were still huge snow drifts along with a small waterfall.  I immediately though 'doll photo opportunity'!!  After all, how many times would I get the chance to shoot snow scenes in July?? There were snow drifts everywhere up in the north there, and I had been checking them out,  but this one was actually accessible.......plus there was a waterfall....

So I put on their warmest clothes, and out they came....

...and a few 'behind the scenes shots....first from the back side of the snowdrift.....

Then me, packing up the dolls. The bag in the foreground holds the boxes for the two horses. I made soft pillows to help hold them securely - front and back - in their boxes.

Point Amour, Labrador

The kids had a parade around the lighthouse....

Then, cleaning up after their parade....

Bianca at the Arches

Just north of Gros Morne National Park there is an unusual rock formation on the beach which has three arches underneath.The rain had stopped, but it was still very windy...

Bottle Cove

Rex and Bianca took the trail through the woods to the lookout...

but my assistant kept getting distracted trying to photograph a squirrel up in a tree....

Out on the lookout point, Rex and Bianca were relaxing, having a picnic....

 ...and Jan took a photo of his view, as he was shading them from the sun between photos....

A Proposal in Burgeo

Decided to shoot Rex's wedding proposal in Burgeo, but it was very windy....

...and he needed a little help keeping hold of the clothesline....

on the Ferry

I don't normally like taking doll photos in public, and had been lucky most of the trip to have been in very isolated places, but a ferry will never be one of them. After taking the photo above, Jan suggested I step back to show the real setting.....

Picnic in Fortress Louisbourg

After being stuck in the RV all day while we explored Louisbourg with Rex and Bianca, the kids were only too happy to be given a chance to go outside and enjoy a little picnic. But it was extremely windy and things kept blowing over, so.....

Burntcoat Head

Setting up the kids along the Bay of Fundy, at low tide....

Then Jan decided they should all wave at the camera....

Peggy's Cove

Getting up out of the picture, before some final tweaking.....

....and that's all folks!!

*More behind the Scenes Back Home in Part 3

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