✩ My 10 tips for doll photography ✩

Hi there! ~ ♡

 

I've written a little tutorial about doll photography, these are the tips I follow when I take pictures, but I'm sure you know a lot more, in fact, you could share with us in this post! ^_^

 

Thanks for reading, and excuse my english, I've done what I could! I hope it's useful!

 

 

https://orchiddolls.com/10-tips-for-doll-photography

 

 

 

Keep calm and love a sailor! by Orchid Dolls, on Flickr

Edited February 18, 2018 by Guest

Your list was very helpful. I see your photographs often, and I really like the style of photography you use so I was curious about your techniques. I'd never considered keeping the eyebrows visible. I'll keep your tips in mind the next time I take photos!

Your list was very helpful. I see your photographs often, and I really like the style of photography you use so I was curious about your techniques. I'd never considered keeping the eyebrows visible. I'll keep your tips in mind the next time I take photos!

 

I'm happy my post was helpful! ^_^ This are my techniques in doll issues, but my idea was to keep on writing tutorials also about photography itself, or the lighting I use.

The eyebrows are an important feature in the face, so I think it's better to show them to see her real glance! ^_^

Do you think you would ever make as editing tutorial? I would really love to see any other tutorials you make.

Thank you for the tips!

Do you think you would ever make as editing tutorial? I would really love to see any other tutorials you make.

 

Aw yes! I'm thinking about making a photography tutorial from the base: I'll show how I take my pictures from the lighting to the final edit ^.^

 

Thank you for the tips!

 

You're welcome!

Aw yes! I'm thinking about making a photography tutorial from the base: I'll show how I take my pictures from the lighting to the final edit ^.^

 

Yay. That's awesome.

This is such a helpful and pleasantly written guide. Thank you!

Very awesome tips.

I think in general I'm a good photographer, but when it comes to dolls.... I don't know. I struggle more. I'll have to look at these tips next I shoot something.

The clothes and no cropping joints tips are very useful. Thank you for this tutorial! I haven't taken pictures of my daughter yet (I'm waiting for her to get new clothes), but this advice will be really handy for when I do.

This is such a helpful and pleasantly written guide. Thank you!

 

Very awesome tips.

I think in general I'm a good photographer, but when it comes to dolls.... I don't know. I struggle more. I'll have to look at these tips next I shoot something.

 

The clothes and no cropping joints tips are very useful. Thank you for this tutorial! I haven't taken pictures of my daughter yet (I'm waiting for her to get new clothes), but this advice will be really handy for when I do.

 

Thank you NekoNyanMew, sweetmouse and hatchetsforhands for your words, I'm happy to know it was helpful! ^_^

@sweetmouse: I also think that of myself, taking pictures to dolls is a real challenge! >O<

OK WOW! This was so informative and has inspired me. I used to take a lot of pictures of my dolls, but I have not for months and months. I really never thought about being careful where cutting off joints and the portion about angles was great. I cannot wait to try out some of your advice.

OK WOW! This was so informative and has inspired me. I used to take a lot of pictures of my dolls, but I have not for months and months. I really never thought about being careful where cutting off joints and the portion about angles was great. I cannot wait to try out some of your advice.

 

That's great!! Practice is the key, so keep taking photos of your dolls and you'll improve day by day ^_^

I love these tips! I am a total beginner in taking photos, I hope to learn from it! I admire your photos so much :3 ♡

Thanks a ton for these doll photography tips!! I am also a newbie in taking photos and have learnt so many things from this post. Well, I want to learn professional photography. Do you know any good Port Macquarie Photographer that provides training too?

These were a very good set of tips. I laughed when I saw that the first thing on the list was The Glance because that's something I feel very strongly about too.

 

Overall it was a very good breakdown of some of the fundamental elements of people-photography applied to dolls; I'll be keeping it as a list to run through when I'm composing shots.

I really liked these tips, and I hope with a bit of practice that I'll be able to put them to good use

I'm still very much a photography novice unfortunately

Very interesting,

 

I'm not gonna do any photography for quite a while. But I'll keep this bookmarked.

 

Nice work!

I love these tips! I am a total beginner in taking photos, I hope to learn from it! I admire your photos so much :3 ♡

 

Thank you! Well, my beginnings in photography weren't really good, I must admit, haha, and I still have a long way to go, so keep up practicing! ^_^

 

Thanks a ton for these doll photography tips!! I am also a newbie in taking photos and have learnt so many things from this post. Well, I want to learn professional photography. Do you know any good Port Macquarie Photographer that provides training too?

 

You're welcome!! Oh, unfortunately I live almost in the other side of the globe (in an island called Mallorca), so I don't know any photography classes there >____< hope you find it soon!!

 

These were a very good set of tips. I laughed when I saw that the first thing on the list was The Glance because that's something I feel very strongly about too.

 

Overall it was a very good breakdown of some of the fundamental elements of people-photography applied to dolls; I'll be keeping it as a list to run through when I'm composing shots.

 

Haha thanks! Yeah I feel like the glance is one of the most important features in any kind of photography (human and doll photography), that's why I wanted to talk about it at first.

 

I really liked these tips, and I hope with a bit of practice that I'll be able to put them to good use

I'm still very much a photography novice unfortunately

 

I'm happy that you liked it! ^_^ No problem about that, all of us have been novices someday x3

 

Very interesting,

 

I'm not gonna do any photography for quite a while. But I'll keep this bookmarked.

 

Nice work!

 

Thank you!! Hope you find those tips useful when you take your camera!

Those are really good tips.

 

An basic beginner exercise one of my old photography instructors used to use in his classes was to have the class take a series of pictures focusing on just one thing, e.g. depth of field. The idea being that experimentation within a specific subject would enable students to build a body of working knowledge around that subject.

 

It's always a bit overwhelming to try and get it all learned in one fell swoop. In photography it can be particularly frustrating to think an image is perfect in camera, but then realize it's flawed when you get it on the computer. Breaking the learning process down down into smaller pieces can help a lot with the learning curve. Art is learned by doing, so the more you experiment with individual techniques the better you will become, and the more readily you will be able to put them all together in camera.

 

You could take any of those 10 tips and spend time experimenting with one of them. Once you have experience then start combining them.

 

Another really good tip I was once given in a photo workshop was "Work your subject." Don't just setup a scene and take one shot. Take many pictures from different angles incorporating different ideas and techniques. The beauty of digital is wasted shots cost you a little time but don't really cost you money; unlike when I was a kid and you had to pay for film and processing.

 

Kids these days have it lucky. We also had to walk uphill both ways through snowstorms to get to the photo processor. D:

 

With regards to posing dolls I had really good success learning by using images from the Volks site, and copying the poses. Once I had a repertoire of poses learned I started mixing and matching different elements like a specific foot pose and body twist with specific hand flourishes to create unique looks. I've also stolen pose ideas from anime artbooks.

 

The people who setup Volks displays have an enormous repertoire of doll poses to draw on, but they all started out knowing nothing about the subject just like the rest of us. Meaning we can all learn to do it well with some effort and little healthy plagiarism.

 

Just keep in mind that different model dolls have different skeletal limitations, so newer dolls may be able to pose in ways the older ones can't.

Great tutorial!! And I love the photos you have chosen to go with it.

 

With regards to posing dolls I had really good success learning by using images from the Volks site, and copying the poses. Once I had a repertoire of poses learned I started mixing and matching different elements like a specific foot pose and body twist with specific hand flourishes to create unique looks. I've also stolen pose ideas from anime artbooks.

 

The people who setup Volks displays have an enormous repertoire of doll poses to draw on, but they all started out knowing nothing about the subject just like the rest of us. Meaning we can all learn to do it well with some effort and little healthy plagiarism.

 

Just keep in mind that different model dolls have different skeletal limitations, so newer dolls may be able to pose in ways the older ones can't.

 

This is a very helpful tip. Thank you for sharing.

My approach is a bit different that yours, because it's all mood/motivation driven. Sometimes I take ok photo, sometimes are really bad. They are hit-or-miss lol.

 

As I took most of my photo on my desk with worse lighting, pose and shot angle won't be diverse enough. Making me feel bored to take any new photo for a while ><"

 

It's great to go outing with doll friend and share new photo technique and adapt to your own too.

Thanks for this list and also to Wolf as well - really appreciate all the tips and advice you guys give I don't really have extensive photography experience - I just do it as a personal hobby now. I don't know why I didn't think about the copying artbook/anime poses or posed Volks photos! That's a great idea to at least start off with to get more experience in what looks good and branch off from there (My friends and I used to copy artbook/anime poses when in cosplay so I don't know why I didn't think to do the same with my doll lol)

Sorry for my late reply!!! I've been quite busy lately and had a little time to invest in forums x___X

 

Thank you so much for your comments, I'm happy to be helpful!

 

It's always a bit overwhelming to try and get it all learned in one fell swoop. In photography it can be particularly frustrating to think an image is perfect in camera, but then realize it's flawed when you get it on the computer. Breaking the learning process down down into smaller pieces can help a lot with the learning curve. Art is learned by doing, so the more you experiment with individual techniques the better you will become, and the more readily you will be able to put them all together in camera.

 

THIS. Absolutely agree. Well, I agree with your entire comment, but this is specially important if you are starting with photography. Thank you for your contribution with all that advices, they're really useful for me and everyone in this topic ^_^

 

 

Great tutorial!! And I love the photos you have chosen to go with it.

 

With regards to posing dolls I had really good success learning by using images from the Volks site, and copying the poses. Once I had a repertoire of poses learned I started mixing and matching different elements like a specific foot pose and body twist with specific hand flourishes to create unique looks. I've also stolen pose ideas from anime artbooks.

 

The people who setup Volks displays have an enormous repertoire of doll poses to draw on, but they all started out knowing nothing about the subject just like the rest of us. Meaning we can all learn to do it well with some effort and little healthy plagiarism.

 

Just keep in mind that different model dolls have different skeletal limitations, so newer dolls may be able to pose in ways the older ones can't.

 

This is a very helpful tip. Thank you for sharing.

 

You're welcome!!! ~ Yeah that's a really good tip x3

 

 

My approach is a bit different that yours, because it's all mood/motivation driven. Sometimes I take ok photo, sometimes are really bad. They are hit-or-miss lol.

 

As I took most of my photo on my desk with worse lighting, pose and shot angle won't be diverse enough. Making me feel bored to take any new photo for a while ><"

 

It's great to go outing with doll friend and share new photo technique and adapt to your own too.

 

Well, sometimes limitations are good for improving, I really like your pictures, even if the background is your desk and your lovely dolls, omg they're precious

 

 

Thanks for this list and also to Wolf as well - really appreciate all the tips and advice you guys give I don't really have extensive photography experience - I just do it as a personal hobby now. I don't know why I didn't think about the copying artbook/anime poses or posed Volks photos! That's a great idea to at least start off with to get more experience in what looks good and branch off from there (My friends and I used to copy artbook/anime poses when in cosplay so I don't know why I didn't think to do the same with my doll lol)

 

You're welcome ^__^ I usually look at real people's pictures to recreate natural poses but never thought about being inspired by anime poses, maybe I'll try when I want to do something different!! x3

Thanks soo much