Out at the park

I finally was able to get kimonos for all my girls! So in celebration of that, I decided to take them all out to a local park for a little photoshoot with all the blooming plants and flowers.

 

I went on a Sunday about midday and the place was pretty quiet. The first hour and a half I was there I had NO ONE around. It was rather peaceful.

 

After I finished with my flower and plant pics, I went to where the large water fountain was. There were more people over there but very few dropped by to see what I was up to. But the ones that did were very nice... except the 7 year old girl who told me: "Your Barbies are cute!" Damn little monster! Do you have ANY idea what these are? No, of course she didn't so I smiled at her and said thank you very much as she ran back over to her parents.

 

So here are my pics. No story or anything, just pictures of my girls in their kimonos enjoying being outside in the spring air and sun.

 

I took over 150 pics but narrowed them down a bit. If you want to see all of them, drop by my Flickr page:

 

 

Now, on to the pictures!

 

Azaleas in bloom!

 

 

Miyuki talking to the flowers:

 

 

Mai and her parasol:

 

 

Rei playing hide and seek with me, she's not too good at hiding.

 

 

But she *is* adorable!

 

 

Yoko under a magnolia tree.

 

 

A cute closeup of Yoko:

 

 

Manami and her fan of Himeiji Castle in front of more azaleas:

 

 

Manami checking out Spanish Moss:

 

 

Everyone by the fountain!

 

 

Yoko:

 

 

Rei being dramatic:

 

 

 

Miyuki is now using her parasol to keep the sun off her... sort of.

 

 

It was starting to get pretty windy and Mai was trying to keep her hair under control:

 

 

This next picture is my absolute favorite of the entire day. I love how the colors turned out and how everything is just perfectly framed up. They look like full scale girls enjoying a day in the park!

 

 

I kind of wish I had brought picnic supplies but having FIVE daughters to keep track of along with camera and tripod stuff, it was more than a job already without worrying about food items getting lost.

 

 

It was getting warm for Mai so she broke out another fan:

 

 

Manami was having a good time and looked so nice in her butterfly kimono. I love the pattern on that one.

 

 

Another awesome shot if I do say so...

 

 

I like the Dogwood tree in the background blooming in this one:

 

 

They just seem to be off in their own little world here:

 

 

 

 

So that was it. I have 86 pics in the Flickr set so if you want to see more, hit the link:

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the pics!

 

 

Billy

I don't know how you managed to keep track of all your girls but your shots are so fun!

 

It's icky and pouring rain here, so my ladies have to stay indoors ;~;

Nice pics! Looks like fun. Rei is so cute trying to hide!

Beautiful kimonos and fantastic photos! Your girls seem very life-like in these pictures .

Well, I love your Barbies! Rei being dramatic was so beautiful. I love the color blue and it's just a gorgeous photograph. How do you carry them to the park? That would be the most difficult part, I think. ^^;;;;

 

Thank you for sharing!

Those are such gorgeous photos! Each kimono is perfect for each lovely daughter. I love the shots with flowers in them. I also love to see them by water fountains for some reason. They are so cute sitting down for a picnic!

Lovely pictures! The lighting makes them look so alive, and they are so pretty next to the flowers. It must have been a trial hauling 5 girls around, I can barely take one outside without losing track of where stuff is!

Thanks everyone! I am glad you liked the pics!

 

It took some doing but keeping track of the girls wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I tried to get my sister to come along to help but she was too busy. But as long I paid attention to what I was doing, things went well. I am glad I didn't try and bring more things like food items and such. I would have lost that small stuff for sure!

 

As far as transporting them all, I used a Volks Doll carrier for my camera and tripod stuff as well as doll stands and hands, etc. I put all five of the girls into a large bag I use as luggage. It's like a huge duffle bag with a handle on it and wheels on one end. It also has a hard bottom so it remains in its shape. So I just used some big doll pilows and towels as padding and they all fit in there with no problem. But good lord was it all heavy to carry!!

 

I'm glad you guys like the girls, it makes me happy. I had a pretty good time doing this out there and would like to do more out and about. But next time I'll either get help or carry less of them around.

 

 

Billy

Wow! Everyone looks so nice, and the park and that weather was great for a photoshoot!

your yoko is so cute in that short wig, she looks so innocent and sweet ^^

These pictures are lovely, Baldylox! Thanks for sharing, man!

Thanks again everyone! I'm very glad you enjoyed the pics!

 

The weather was perfect, it was only around 72 degrees and so sunny. And the park wasn't crowded either so I could go where I wanted with no issues.

 

Thank you Dancing Queen! I'm happy you like my Yoko's look with short hair! I think she is quite cool with shorter hair even tho her default wig rocks.

 

 

Billy

One thing I'd recommend for photos like the one you'd really liked. When shooting something like that, use the longest focal length you have ("zoom in" or use a telephoto) and move back to frame the shot the same way. Longer lenses make foreground objects look larger in relation to the background, and shorter (wider) lenses do the opposite, so using a long lens will enhance the "reality" of the photo.

One thing I'd recommend for photos like the one you'd really liked. When shooting something like that, use the longest focal length you have ("zoom in" or use a telephoto) and move back to frame the shot the same way. Longer lenses make foreground objects look larger in relation to the background, and shorter (wider) lenses do the opposite, so using a long lens will enhance the "reality" of the photo.

I'm saving up for the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens. Do you think the respected lens will be able to capture the "reality" that you mentioned while still keeping some of the bokeh? I have also heard about fisheye lens, but I don't think those types of lens will be needed for my type of pictures.

One thing I'd recommend for photos like the one you'd really liked. When shooting something like that, use the longest focal length you have ("zoom in" or use a telephoto) and move back to frame the shot the same way. Longer lenses make foreground objects look larger in relation to the background, and shorter (wider) lenses do the opposite, so using a long lens will enhance the "reality" of the photo.

I'm saving up for the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens. Do you think the respected lens will be able to capture the "reality" that you mentioned while still keeping some of the bokeh? I have also heard about fisheye lens, but I don't think those types of lens will be needed for my type of pictures.

 

Actually, the longer the lens, the more bokeh you'll get.

 

I just realized that my previous post was kind of confusing, by the way, and somebody will probably come along if I don't correct this. Short lenses actually make the background look smaller and long lenses do the opposite, but with stuff like dolls, the longer lens will make the background seem more in scale with the doll.

One thing I'd recommend for photos like the one you'd really liked. When shooting something like that, use the longest focal length you have ("zoom in" or use a telephoto) and move back to frame the shot the same way. Longer lenses make foreground objects look larger in relation to the background, and shorter (wider) lenses do the opposite, so using a long lens will enhance the "reality" of the photo.

I'm saving up for the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens. Do you think the respected lens will be able to capture the "reality" that you mentioned while still keeping some of the bokeh? I have also heard about fisheye lens, but I don't think those types of lens will be needed for my type of pictures.

 

Actually, the longer the lens, the more bokeh you'll get.

 

I just realized that my previous post was kind of confusing, by the way, and somebody will probably come along if I don't correct this. Short lenses actually make the background look smaller and long lenses do the opposite, but with stuff like dolls, the longer lens will make the background seem more in scale with the doll.

I didn't know that using a longer lens will make the background more to scale with the doll... Wow, thanks for the great info, MaxArcher!!

 

Well, the following lens is only about $1,000 more. I guess I will just have to put more hours into my work schedule.

 

 

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens

 

 

I think the lens shown above will do the job quite nicely, .

 

Yuki Morikawa will have to wait, .

 

I didn't know that using a longer lens will make the background more to scale with the doll... Wow, thanks for the great info, MaxArcher!!

 

Well, the following lens is only about $1,000 more. I guess I will just have to put more hours into my work schedule.

 

 

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens

 

 

I think the lens shown above will do the job quite nicely, .

 

Yuki Morikawa will have to wait, .

 

I'd still recommend the 24-70, it's an amazing lens for doll work. The 70-200 should be in every serious kit too, but it's not as useful for doll photography. The 24-70 can focus much closer, which is important in this situation. What camera body are you using, by the way?

 

Oh, by the way, don't bother with a fisheye, especially not for this stuff. They're cool, but they're really limited in what they're useful for.

I'd still recommend the 24-70, it's an amazing lens for doll work. The 70-200 should be in every serious kit too, but it's not as useful for doll photography. The 24-70 can focus much closer, which is important in this situation. What camera body are you using, by the way?

I'm using a Canon T1i, and I have the standard Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens. The body should last me for quite a number of years before I upgrade to a Canon 5D MKII (8-12 years away). In my case, I think the lens is far more important than the camera body (70% lens & 30% body). Unfortunately, the plastic Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens isn't very durable, so I may eventually have to upgrade it within 5 years.

 

 

My situation:

 

- Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM. -

 

Or...

 

- Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens -

 

 

Which one should I get first (based on your preferences)?

I'd definitely get the 24-70. The 50mm 1.8 should be fine for quite some time, it feels cheap but I know people who've been using theirs for at least 10 years, so I wouldn't buy a second 50mm right now. If you like how 50mm "feels" on the camera, remember that it'll be quite different if/when you upgrade to a full-frame body, so I don't think it's worth buying for the long run right now. On FF an 85mm will be very close to how the 50mm performs on your T1i. The 1.2 lenses are really cool, but everything I hear about them says that they only perform well at f/1.2, and when stopped down to f/1.8 or f/2, the cheaper 1.8 lenses are actually sharper. The 1.2s are special-purpose lenses that only really exist for wide-open use.

 

If you want to see and feel the lenses for real, go check out Action Camera over in Roseville, they're a really nice shop and have a good selection.

 

I'm going to go start a thread in the Photography section about lens choices.

I'd definitely get the 24-70. The 50mm 1.8 should be fine for quite some time, it feels cheap but I know people who've been using theirs for at least 10 years, so I wouldn't buy a second 50mm right now. If you like how 50mm "feels" on the camera, remember that it'll be quite different if/when you upgrade to a full-frame body, so I don't think it's worth buying for the long run right now. On FF an 85mm will be very close to how the 50mm performs on your T1i. The 1.2 lenses are really cool, but everything I hear about them says that they only perform well at f/1.2, and when stopped down to f/1.8 or f/2, the cheaper 1.8 lenses are actually sharper. The 1.2s are special-purpose lenses that only really exist for wide-open use.

 

If you want to see and feel the lenses for real, go check out Action Camera over in Roseville, they're a really nice shop and have a good selection.

 

I'm going to go start a thread in the Photography section about lens choices.

Thanks for the information! I will go check that place out before I make a major lens purchase.

 

I will be waiting for your thread! I just bought my first DSLR camera, Canon T1i, last month, so I'm still new to all the lens types and their functions. Your thread will be much appreciated, .

My favorite pics are the picnic scene ones at the end, the look GREAT! I actually bought some bento boxes a year or so ago for the heck of it. When they arrived I was SO surprised at how small they were! But now that I think about it they may be just the right size for DD's and would have probably looked great in your picnic picture.

My favorite pics are the picnic scene ones at the end, the look GREAT! I actually bought some bento boxes a year or so ago for the heck of it. When they arrived I was SO surprised at how small they were! But now that I think about it they may be just the right size for DD's and would have probably looked great in your picnic picture.

 

 

Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed those! I wish I had the food items with me out there but it was so hard to deal with everything I already had... more small things would have been a real pain. But your bento boxes sound like they would have worked really well for me!

 

 

Billy