Tips and Tricks For Doll Photography

 Taking photos of your dolls (or of anything really) is not about talent, it's about how you do it. My first photos that I ever took of my dolls looked like this: 

The lighting was off, and it was incredibly flaky. However, over time and through experimenting I figured out how to make my photos look good (though I am always still learning).  

Here are some tips and tricks that I use for taking photos of my dolls: 

                                                      1. Good Lighting 

You need a partially cloudy day, a day that's not too dark (otherwise the pictures will be grainy if you enlarge them) and a day that's not too light (otherwise there will be unwanted shadows in your pictures). 

Also don't use a flash. Your photos will look better without the unnatural light.

                                               2. Find a place to put your camera/phone. 

 I admit my hand is a bit shaky when taking my own photos. Sometimes they don't turn out because of that. To solve this problem, hold your shaky hand with your other hand, or rest your hand on your knee. This will be useful in making sure your photos turn out well. Or if neither of those help, get a tripod for your camera or phone. 

                                                               3. Hiding your hand 

This is something that has shown up in my own photos, but it's something you can easily hide. If you need to, adjust the frame of the shot to exclude your hand. If your hand does show up in a photo, it is something you can easily crop. You can do this on a Mac by going to Photos (or another place where you upload your photos) with the crop tool. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What kinds of photo shoots do you like to do with your dolls? :D 

-Quinley 

Purple (a Photo Shoot)

Hello everyone, 

I thought today would be a good day for a photo shoot. So here it is: 

I really like this portrait, I think it captures her face really well.  

I really enjoyed posing her here. 

This one and the one after it have to be my favorite photos from this photo shoot. 

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Which photo is your favorite? 

-Quinley

 

My Thoughts on AG's New Releases (P.2)

Click here to read part one  if you haven't already 

Hello everyone, 

Since I just realized there are more new releases than I can put in this particular blog post, there will likely be a third or even fourth part to this series. So keep an eye out for that. 😉

Here are my thoughts: 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/kiras-casual-outfit-for-18-inch-dolls-gvf47)

I don't dislike this outfit (above), but it feels very mismatched. And I feel like it would work a lot better without the vest (though I do realize the vest is supposed to go with the shoes, both of which are pink). 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/kiras-outdoor-accessories-gvf55)

       

 Here are Kira's accessories, with her "meet" outfit. I feel as if they work better without the outfit (in a different outfit) than with her  "meet" outfit. The vest alone would look good, but it doesn't look good with everything else (the glasses and scarf). 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/kiras-comfy-camping-accessories-gvf53)

I feel like this was very well designed. It really looks like a place (I'd personally) use to shoot photos outside with my dolls. It looks really pretty and I am glad that it is not overly pink. The blue carpet with the table are really nice additions to the set. 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/kiras-koala-pjs-for-18-inch-dolls-gvf46)

I personally really love these pajamas, and are pajamas I'd actually use for my dolls. The koala designs on the pajamas are so cute.  I also really love the koala slippers. 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/american-girl-air-lines-gwn92)

This is actually a very neat idea, and kind of reminds me of the old Barbie airplanes, in particular the really a Barbie airplane (made in the sixties or the seventies?) that I used to play with. It has the same open space that old airplane used to have (minus the fact that there is no exterior that looks like an airplane). 

    It even comes with little details, like the compartments that can open and the fact that the TV screen can change by placing different slides into it (which is not visible here). 

As I was writing this post AG released three new dolls, so I'd thought I'd talk about them.... 

The dolls in general are not my favorite, and they are not dolls that I'd (personally) go out of my way to buy. With their hair styles and outfits the dolls kind of remind me of the Rockerz pets that Webkinz created a while ago.

But let's talk about the singular dolls.... 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/truly-me-doll-hash-90-in-skater-dress-plus-chic-and-stylish-accessories-06bun195)

Though the dolls aren't my favorite I like this one the most, perhaps because she is wearing my favorite color (blue).  I could imagine being able to put the jacket/sweater she is wearing on my dolls. 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/truly-me-doll-hash-91-in-girly-graffiti-plus-chic-and-stylish-accessories-06bun196)

Her hair is really neat looking, I think, given that they didn't have dolls with colored curly hair like this before. 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/truly-me-doll-hash-89-in-cool-camo-plus-chic-and-stylish-accessories-06bun194)

I have to say, I really like her army uniform. American Girl hasn't made many things like this for their dolls before, that I can recollect. Also her hair is really interesting looking having some of her natural hair color (brown) with streaks of blue and green. 

If I missed any (since there is going to be a part 3), tell me and I will talk about the releases in the next part. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of AG's new releases? Do you like the three new dolls? 

-Quinley 

The Little Pony (A Valentine's Day photo shoot)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone, 

Instead of going for the traditional tragic love story for my Valentine's Day themed photo shoot (which I may or may not do next year...because why not?), I instead decided to write a poem. This will be a photo shoot/Lyrical photo shoot in the theme of why I do this blog. It may not be romantic love, but I wanted to kind of thank my dolls and stuffed animals for being around me, since, I feel like they help me calm down when I'm stressed. 

Anyway, on to the photo shoot:  

Love comes in the strangest ways, 

and on the strangest days, 

Sometimes it comes as a way to release stress, 

for sometimes it is for the best, 

and it comes as a toy, 

which brings a girl joy, 

"she's too old to like that" some say, 

but inside she knows she never is too old to play, 

For imagination is a stress reliever, 

and a life saver, 

For if you have dreams, 

then the world is no longer as tough as it seems, 

you can go anywhere, 

and people won't stare, 

You can journey into the unknown, 

set yourself onto a golden throne, 

You will even fly, 

and in that world it won't be a lie, 

for you will be flying up into the pink and purple sky, 

And then at the end, 

after you reached the place where many heroes ascend, 

you'll wonder how you got so far, 

I'll give the answer but I promise it's not bizarre, 

For it links back to that "ugly thing"

some girls commented she should have spent on a ring, 

The pony toy, 

which brought her joy, 

even though it was but a toy, 

For it could take her anywhere, 

and become a wild mare. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Do your dolls/toys/stuffed animals make you feel more relaxed when you play with them? What adventures do you imagine with them? 

-Quinley 

My Thoughts on AG's New Releases (P. 1)

 Hello everyone, 

I thought I'd take a look at American Girl's newest releases, since I've talked about a Girl For All Time's and Carpatina's releases in the past. Let's begin: 

(image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/c/girl-of-the-year-kira)

I personally find that her storyline is a copy in some ways of Leah Clark's (who is one of my favorite Girls of the Year). However, it doesn't mean that they can't write a similar storyline well. Instead of Brazil, Kira travels to Australia and is protecting Koalas. I do like is that they are focusing on a real issue that is going on in Australia (the wild-fires). 

However. I do wish they had chosen to create a little more of an imaginative doll to go along with the real world issue. 

Leah was a popular doll and I remember going to the store and hearing a girl talk to one of the employees ask if Leah was still around. The girl was very disappointed that Leah had been retired, and I'm sure she wasn't alone, so I can see why they would make a doll like Kira. 

Though I am a bit frustrated that they decided to make her blonde, given that they have a lot of blonde dolls.  

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/kiras-comfy-platform-tent-gvf54)

The tent is pretty, though it does feel a bit like a copy of Leah's tree house, even though  the tent is much more pink and a lot less intricate. I actually found that Luciana Vega's space station was a lot more interesting. 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/world-traveler-in-ireland-and-irish-souvenir-set-for-18-inch-dolls-06bun165)

American Girl definitely decided to focus heavily on shamrocks when making this. Though I would have to say Ireland isn't all about shamrocks and four leaf clovers. 

 

For these outfits in particular I think they cared less about capturing the feeling of the places and a little more of what foreigners think of the places or hope to see when visiting. It seems to be a recurring theme with the different places, Japan, England, France, etc. 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/courtney-doll-and-book-and-courtneys-meet-accessory-05bun03)

Courtney is a historical doll, however, to me she isn't very historical, as she is from 1986.  That isn't very long ago, and I was not very psyched about the release. I almost feel as if AG should have have a separate line called "vintage dolls"  because I don't really think that Julie, Courtney, and Maryellen are really historical. (At least at the moment, in the far future they may be). 

There are some other time periods that AG doesn't have dolls for. I think it would be neat if they made dolls from these time periods: 1920s, the American Victorian period, or they could even focus on the suffragettes more (Samantha did have the suffragettes in her story, but her aunt was against it for most of the story, and it was only a small subplot).The dolls from these periods would have really beautiful clothes and I feel like dolls from recent times don't have such cool clothes as dolls from the time periods I just listed. 

(Image from American Girl, https://www.americangirl.com/shop/p/courtneys-pleasant-company-doll-grn50)

One thing I thought was interesting about this collection, is that they have a doll which is a smaller one of their larger dolls (Molly) and retired dolls. Now, a larger doll can have their own Pleasant Company version of Molly.  (Molly hasn't yet returned but may in the future return to the Beforever line). 

Also what I find neat about it, is that the doll has Molly's original  book and has the Pleasant Company doll magazine. 

(Images from American Girl, 

here, here, and here)

American girl recently made dolls with colored hair. Out of all them I actually prefer the doll with purple hair, since the color isn't too bright for me. And I think the hair really fits her, and it doesn't look as if she is wearing a wig with her natural hair hidden underneath. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What do you think of Kira Bailey, do you like her? And do you like the new dolls with colored hair? 

-Quinley 

Pixie Hollow Rewrites (Part Two)

Hi everyone, 

So, I kind of forgot to make a post for holidays this year.

However, it doesn't mean I won't do one next year. Also in the new year, I intend to post some more doll customizations and also some AGSMs (American Girl Stop Motions).  Both these things take a long time to do, and since I won't be able to go to the thrift store (due to COVID-19) I will be posting customizations from a long time ago. (Last year and before that). 

So since we're done with this brief update, let's move onto the post: 

I talked about creating a fairy whose talent was not in the original game, here he is. 

I decided I would make a Pixie dust talent. I decided to remake Alex (and ended up changing his name to Axel) and make him into a Pixie dust talent instead of an animal talent. 

For Amethyst, the fairy you have been seeing around in part one, 

I finally decorated a few parts of her house. 

I always loved the water fairies's houses in the game for some reason.

I can't tell whether the addition of the pixie dust tree is recent or not, but 

seeing Queen Clarion inside was pretty awesome. I love that she looks just like the movie version of her character. Also the pixie dust falling down moves.  

If you fly around, you will find things hidden around the tree, which is cool. 

I took screenshots of the game while playing it. However, I realized it didn't show how the game works as well as it would to show a recording of it. So I did a recording and here it is: 

You can also watch it here 

Some of the things I mention, including Amethyst's house are much easier to see and experience with 

the video.  (Though I didn't include The Pixie Dust tree, that will be included in the next video. 😉) 

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Which house do you prefer the Water Fairy House or the Pixie Dust fairy house? And if you were a fairy what talent would you have?

-Quinley

Hekate (a photo shoot)

Hekate (or Hecate) is the Greek goddess of witchcraft (among other things, cross-roads, and ghosts), so I thought she was the perfect doll to do a photoshoot for especially during this time of the year. The goddess, Hekate also appears in William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth (known to superstitious actors as The Scottish Play). But often times she is cut from the play and replaced with a normal witch.  

(Image from wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hecate#/media/File:Relief_triplicate_Hekate_marble,_Hadrian_clasicism,_Prague_Kinsky,_NM-H10_4742,_140995.jpg)

I ended up making a doll of Hekate, however I'm not sure I'm done customizing this doll, given that Hekate is a triple goddess. So I may find a way to make her look a little bit more like the Greek goddess above in the future, but for now... 

On to the photoshoot!

I really like the way this photo turned out, especially with the blurred background behind her. 

The leaves have recently started falling from the trees, so I thought

they made the perfect backdrop. 

I like the angle of this photo. 

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Which photo is your favorite? And do you have a favorite Greek god/goddess or line from Macbeth? 

Have a Happy Halloween!

-Quinley