Dolls Not Cooperating for Photoshoots

Quite often, actually. Even with using stands with wiring/sueding sometimes the doll just doesn't wish to stand! Most of the time though it's for outdoor shoots that bother me the most. Having a wire hanger to stick into the ground helps, but half the time it just doesn't work out since the ground is still super hard here. Soon though!

 

I have very poseable Obitsu dolls, so I don't get this problem. My sister's doll is very floppy though and often needs help sitting up.

 

I gave up all hope of photographing my pukifee and f60 my puki decides she wants to fall back when shes sat up and my feeple face plants the floor when she stands they can be really frustrating but we still love em

 

I have no photos like that...not because my photography is perfect (far from it) but my dolls are sturdy enough to stay in the position I want or I use my hands to help them a bit...like with this pic:

he didn't want to keep that leg in that position so I grabbed his feet and took the picture.


I always use something to help them (my hands, cushions, other dolls etc)

 

My dolls are good posers by and large, but I swear that there are times that they deliberately make less-than-attractive faces. XD Or they fall over as I hit the button on my camera after they held same position for the several minutes it took to set up the shot.

Divas, all of them! XDD

 

My Soom Glati is a nightmare to pose. He has poor balance and is strung really tight so he's really kicky. I prefer tight stringing, though because I find it makes them less floppy-feeling. The other problem with my Glati is also the fact that his hooves are close together and don't move too well. But I bought him for the fantasy aspect. I've never even opened his human leg parts! My SO OrientDoll is a nightmare to pose as well. She's just too small. I don't think I've ever gotten her to stand on her own!

 

Wiring helps, plus creative use of props. My one mergirl isn't articulated properly to sit, so she gets propped up on fake plants and glass fishing floats and such.

 

Definitely, rely on props and cheats and outside sources of support-- anything to make it LOOK like the doll is actually holding the pose! For arms that don't want to stay bent, wedge a piece of sponge or cotton or something inside the elbow-joint, to hold the bent position. For standing in complicated shoes, invest in a good stand, then either cover up the visible bits or photoshop 'em out later. For sitting, wedge anything under the doll's butt. For action poses, hold the limb in the right position with your hand, then just frame the photograph so your hand isn't in the shot. Get creative with the cheating. ^^

 

There is a great thread about dolls falling over somewhere. It's happened to me about a zillion times.
Also, armature wire can be quite helpful, you can invisibly tie the monsters up, and don't have to keep chanting "don't fall, don't fall..."
Snake Pliskin (on the right) got his scars face planting on cement. He tells people it was in a knife fight, but don't believe him, I was there.
DSC02446 by stellamaris61, on Flickr

 

Ooooh, yeah... Been there. Done that. 'Have the pictures to prove it.
These resin minions of ours can be the most difficult, most uncooperative little pains-in-the-rump.

I've had dolls fall over (Sending me scrambling to catch them-).
I've had pieces pop off (Don't get me started on how much I hate LittleFee magnetic hands-).
I've had even well-strung, fully-wired and plivered dolls refuse to hold poses...

Even though I know good and well these guys are nothing but inanimate objects, I swear sometimes it seems like they're acting up on purpose. <_<

 

I'm with JennyNemesis here. I 'cheat' to get my dolls to hold their poses properly. Anthony has a giant wad of eye putty in his hand that's keeping that coffee cup in place. Daniel's so tall his legs are sprawled out sideways.



Basically, if you can't get it naturally, just crop it or prop it. My biggest problem is my cat is an expert photo bomber. It's like he sees the dolls and comes running. Lots of out takes!

 

Oh yes, eye-putty/ Fun-Tak/ glue dots/ Scotch tape/ etc. is your friend! Go ahead & stick anything to anybody for a photoshoot-- don't expect the forces of physics to rearrange themselves to allow a hard resin hand to magically hold an object it's not shaped for.

 

Most of the time my dolls are great with standing but there are days when they won't pose for me. I had my Soul Doll stand. I made sure he was steady and then once I was kneeling just far away from him, he decides to fall over. He broke his pinky but that's always an easy fix. For one of my dolls that I need to restring, I just lean him against a wall or make him sit because he's so floppy. I can agree with everyone about using something to prop up a doll.

 

Those are some great tips! And BlitheFool, the "cheating" really makes for a great photo!

I think I've only done something like this once, where I tied an elastic around a doll's wrist and pinned it to the back of his shirt, making his fingers touch his lips even with single-jointed elbows (It worked because the shirt was long-sleeved)

 

Poses aren't usually a problem but sometimes my doll looks like he's annoyed at me for taking pictures of him, haha.

 

I don't have a photo of what my silly sausage once did, though safe to say he is now on a different body that poses so much better than the one he was on.
Not sure what it was with his old body, but nothing would keep my silly Minifee, Kirlll, standing. Nothing. Sueding? Nope. Leaning him against a wall, nope. Leaning him on another doll, nope. Only thing I didn't try was wiring him, and I may have tried it if I hadn't sold the body, but eh. He was once leaning against one of my other dolls at a doll meet, decided somehow that staying up was not what he was going to do, so he decided to say hi to the floor...causing my other doll to also greet the floor...knocking over the doll next to him...and so causing dolly dominos ^^;

I have learned lesson now. I admit that on the times I do take photos of my dolls, I have grown to adore using the same tack stuff I use to hold their eyes in. Well, I have one exception, but he is a show off :P

 

If worst comes to worst with posing.... see if you can 'work with IT'... One member has a doll now dubbed Pink Floyd "the lush". Floyd will not sit or stand properly ... ever ... not even for our 'doll whisperer' who can get any of our dolls to do just about anything (she is ironically Floyd's owner lol) This is how we dealt with it... we just say he's too drunk! And funnily enough you can get great shots that way!

first clue of a lush "1 more for the road?" ... or not...



even other dolls saw he was a lost cause lol


eventually he was a bit less formal and adapted to his lifestyle... sloppy and a bit more of a rebel ;p


not even for 'the big group shot would he do anything but flop...


there are ways to make the worst poses... the best pose ever ^^

That doofus belongs to the gall that got 6 dolls to piggy back 6 more dolls all at once! 4 pairs stood for 30+ minutes... the last 2 pair only about 10 before the 'tilt' began lol... thus ending the Great Piggy Back Race of 2015!