What do you like to see?

1. Unique characters. Which may come down to an unusual mod or faceup or outfit/wig/eye/prop combo.
2. Attention to detail. Which can be anything from clothing design and prop use/creation, to realistic posing, to bothering to change the direction a doll's eyes are looking.
3. Photography skills. Especially the more life-like, artistic, or unusual concept shots.

I need to work on all three myself.

 

Things I love:
-semi-realistic and/or natural faceups and wigs
-modern casual clothing styles
-realism in story lines/characters without tragic or fantasy backstories
-doll sized props, furniture or dioramas. At least a blank background rather than human scaled items or clutter
-good lighting
-adult proportioned dolls, mostly human

I guess you could sum it up as I like seeing dolls photographed in a similar way as real people!

 

in other people’s dolls i love to see uniqueness! there’s nothing i love more than a doll with a unique mod and faceup. i also love things like when clothing is made to look the right scale, or when it’s tailored for that specific doll.

in photos specifically, i like the above too, but i also like to see attention paid to composition! i love when people think about colour meanings and how a different camera angle can change a shot. it can make such a difference to an otherwise bland photo, so i love to see when people try things differently. i adore props as well!
if i had to point out one thing i didn’t like in photos, it would definitely be awkward posing... i can’t stand when a doll looks like its just been propped down or is just in a pose that looks completely unnatural, unless its something like “oh my doll fell down like this”.

i wouldn’t say that i’m great with all these things though lol!

 

I like both "posed" and "caught in the act" photos--a shot that conveys the idea that the doll is moving, walking, reaching out for something...a pose that simulates life, I suppose. I also like collages where the doll is set into a backdrop that suggests the doll is actually in a particular location (see my avatar for an example). I don't like stiff or "doll-like" poses--show me some animation, or at least a spark of life!

 

I enjoy seeing dolls with sculpts and faceups that compliment their outifts. Almost as if the doll could only exist as pictured. Which is probably why I'm a sucker for elaborate fullsets.

 

For me:
1. Faceups
2. Clothes
3. Props/Backdrops
4. Photography skill

 

+ Realistic, outdoor photos (like cute redheads by the sunset etc.)

+ Elaborate outfits (usually indoor photos with generic-looking volks in frills... I actually love them xD The more details in the fashions, layers of tulle and lace - the better)

+ Realistic, popular molds but with unique faceups. "Statement dolls" that have their own personality.

+Tasteful, vintage-like nudes of small-breasted girl dolls with long haired wigs. Nothing too nsfw, might have the Sally Mann-like aura to them.

 

For me, these are the first things that draw me to a picture (in this order):
1: Photography skills
2: Unique or aesthetically pleasing faceup

 

I like Asian aesthetics, like dolls wearing kimono or hanfu--the more elaborate the better. And I love seeing them photographed in equally intricate historical settings with detailed props and furniture. It seems to be an aesthetic that's a lot more popular among Eastern collectors than the Western side, though. I would try it myself but I don't have the space and money to create realistic room settings.

I also like photographs with a strong sense of atmosphere and color theme, particularly those that have a mysterious, dreamy feel.

On a more shallow level, I like BL pictures haha.

 

I personally love animal dolls! I also like unique styles and interesting facial expressions. I also love snowy photos as well as dolls themed on something. Elegance is a big one for me.

 

I don't know if I can explain myself well but I really love uniqueness and realism.
It's weird because they are both on the opposite side of the spectrum.
For example, I love dolls with beautiful and realistic faceups, especially if they seem to have "imperfections" (which to me are really the opposite of that) like freckles, scars, cuts, moles, etc.
There have been quite a few people here who post in the gallery their dolls and they leave me in utter awe because the dolls look like they could be real people.
As for uniqueness, it goes under that spectrum too I suppose but I also like it in the range of them being unique to the person themselves, for example making their own version of Hades, the Goatman, or something of that sort.

 

I love photos with a detailed backdrop and miniature furniture. Especially if the doll's outfit is coordinated with the background colours.

 

what got me with dolls was seeing how fashion and attitude could give a doll life.
they stand as extensions of my own life, little sprites of my imagination.
I love to draw manga, paint and animate, and I like to think of my dolls as little cosplayers and models of my inner persona.
if you wanna see some of my art check out - Pete Holland

howl my doll is my little life model

 

Realistic posing is the most important thing to me. Regardless of how realistic (or unrealistic) the doll looks, a slight difference in pose makes the difference between looking like a doll, and looking like a living creature. I think that illusion of life is the main thing I like to see in doll photos. The doll itself doesn't have to be a 'good poser' for this to work.

I also love to see creative poses and unusual camera angles!

(Edit: my avatar is a less-than-great attempt at the kind of thing I'm talking about)

 

It would be easier for me to say what I don't like to see. I don't think there's many specific things that attract me to doll pictures but there are specific things that put me off.

Teddy

 

Unique characters, paint and sculpts. I remember seeing a doll that had a honey comb pattern done in puffy cold paint that I thought was stunning.

 

I like when there’s a sense of story or narrative hinted at or shown- like the pictures seem like a moment or moments in these character’s lives as they live them, whatever their lives might look like. Kind of a sense of history. I also love love interesting, realistic props and beautiful clothes- miniature things are just so fun!

 

I actually love to see dolls that look like dolls.
Whether this is acheived by having the doll navigate the human world (thus juxtaposing the very offness of scales) or by posing the doll in such a way that it highlights it's in-humaness, I just love that tension between realities.

On the other hand, I also love carefully executed images that make dolls seem human. Intricate dioramas and careful photography that wonderfully trick the eye are always a pleasure.

I think both tickle the itch of catching a glimpse of another, perhaps secret, world.

I also like to look at dolls that are not like my own collection, hehe. Very cute pink dolls, or very trendy stylish dolls. Things I enjoy, but can never seem to pull off myself.

And always, I just enjoy seeing the craft and work and ideas people put into their dolls!

 

Honestly, no matter how good or bad your photos are, if it's a sculpt I'm considering I will spend hours examining it.

Aside from that I have a big love for :
Fancy, homemade clothes.
Scenery and outdoors shots.
Realism in pose, not necessarily sculpt.