But the joints are showing!

I don't mind if a photo is taken and the joints are hidden or cropped out, but I don't like seeing them edited out. It's not just joints, I personally don't like a lot of photoshop at all. Adjusting light is fine, but I like to see dolls as they are, not with so much editing that the doll wouldn't be recognizable in person. There's also the fact that no matter how realistic your doll's sculpting or painting may be, they still don't look quite like real people, and I think photoshopping out the joints makes them look more like a solid plastic figure than real person.

It's just my personal opinion, and I'm aware that photoshop skill is an art itself, but when I admire dolls, I want to see the artistic skills put into the doll and photography, not in how much you can change it digitally.

 

While I don't do them myself, I do think they can be pretty cool when they're nicely done. I've always admired the photoshop skill behind those who do it well, but right now I would rather spend more time capturing images and less time editing them.

 

I've seen it done well and I've seen it done terribly. When done well, I can appreciate the skill and effort that goes into it, but I wouldn't do it myself. I like the joints! I think they're just another part of what makes these dolls so pretty. The only thing I dislike is mobility joints in certain positions, then I prefer to cover it with clothing, because sometimes it looks a bit like an exposed fracture, haha. But other than that, I'm happy to show off my dolls' joints and see them in other people's photos.

 

Yeah, when done well, it's quite amazing how a person has that much talent and skills that they can do that. Editing is quite a tricky thing to do, so major props to the person.

 

Personally, I wouldn't do it, because I like to emphasize that they are dolls, but I have seen pictures where people go for that realistic look were quite good at editing the joints out. It really depends on what you want to achieve.

 

I do like the concept of editing out the joints. When I look at doll photos, the first thing I'm drawn to is the face. If the doll is wearing minimal clothing, the next thing my eye is drawn to is their joints, which is not such a good thing, is it? When people are looking at my dolls, I want them to be focusing on my customization of the doll and how pretty it is. XD I see joints as a distraction and always try to minimize them. Editing them out is the next step but frankly I'm just too lazy.

 

I'm personally not a fan of editing out joints. It's okay if it's done well and if the doll is posed naturally and photographed well to begin with, but all three of those are required for it to look "right" and achieving all three takes talent, patience and skill.

 

I personally wouldn't edit out the joints as that's one of my favourite parts of a doll, especially if the joints looks nice. I've seen people do it (primarily with minifees or feeples) and they look stunning! I'd just never do it myself... ruins the whole doll aesthetic that I love so much.

 

Sometimes it looks cool, but I don't do it and I prefer the look of joints.

 

I'm not sure. Honestly, when I think about it honestly, I don't actually really like the way joints look, it's a huge reason why so many of my dolls are completely clothed (long sleeves, long pants or tights) most of the time. But I also think photoshop is skill, especially one such as this, and more often than not, the photoshopped joint looks even more unnatural than the joint itself. And even with well done photoshop, at that point most dolls dip into the uncanny valley region for me.

 

I have never seen that kind of thing! But it would strike me as insanely creepy? Like InkyBear said right above me, that seems like it would drop right into uncanny valley territory and just no.

 

I tried fiddling around with editing out the joints on some of my dolls one day and it looked awful. I also didn't do a good job of it either or try very hard. I do think if it's done really well and the photograph has a certain artistic concept - it would work. For me, I rather like seeing the joints.

 

I have yet to see a single instance of this where it didn't detract from the photo for me.

 

I don't care for it because joints are such an integral part of what makes BJDs special, it seems like it defeats the purpose to edit them out. That said, it's their art and they should do whatever they want, even if it's not to my taste.

 

I don't mind it either way but there are only a few poses where editing out the joints can look natural. There is some very realistic animation now (think more video game animation) that gives a similar effect, with the faces and skin looking a bit too smooth and perfect. Some like that, some find it creepy. I would still prefer when joints are naturally hidden though, with clothes, jewelry or the pose the doll is in.

 

I've seen several well-done edits of the joints removed, and I don't mind seeing it done. In my own photography I might try to hide joints with clothing and camera angle depending on the photo, but I don't need or want to edit them out.

 

I've never seen a need for editing out the joints in my own photos, and I generally like the look of the joints. That said, if someone wants to edit their own photos to remove them, that is their business. Some people do it better than others, but you can't gain a skill without practicing.

 

I never edit the joints out in my photo since the joints are really the charm of the dolls and to be honest, I am too lazy to do that to all of my photo XD.
But I really like those well-edited ones intended to look like human, it makes me feel that dolls are actually alive and is in the same world with us.

 

I probably wouldn't do it, mainly because I lack the photoshop skills to do it. This thread does bring to mind a picture I saw that was a really amazing portrait shot, and from the neck up the doll looked totally real. From there down, very doll-like and I did find that odd. It was an interesting contrast though, between realism and reality.

 

I wouldn't do it, but I think that if a doll looks realistic and you are trying to have a doll that looks like a person, for example, having a Lady Gaga doll, maybe editing out the joints would help to make photos in which there is a resemblance between your inspiration and the doll.
But when the dolls are in weird poses... That's a big no. They look so creepy without joints when they have unrealistic/weird joints, unless you are a photoshop pro.