Why do doll owners photograph their dolls?

First off, I'd like to address your, "why not just use humans" comment that you said like, last year XD Only because it really made me think about it, and it got my brain working. And I really started to think about, "why NOT just use humans?"

Here's my response to that:

Sure, you can hire actors and whatnot to do those things...but...is it really the same? For me, I have a vision of what my characters look like in my head. It takes me months, and sometimes years, to find a doll to fit the persona in my head. Could you imagine trying to find a PERSON to do that? I doubt I could find anyone to match my Deiuco perfectly, or my Emmelyse, especially my Azamircal. But I was able to find dolls to match their face, personalities, expressions perfectly, even better, I can modify them however I need to. Azamircal was originally a different character of mine that had elf ears, but as time passed, I decided I liked him better for Azamircal, so out came the dremil and there went those pointy ears. I could change their eyes, not only eye color, but eye size. I could change hair color, and something like the gray of his hair could look natural without it being a wig. Azamircal has snow white skin that shimmers like ice. Sure. I could spend hours putting make up on a human, photograph them, and keep the pictures...but eventually, that human goes home. My dolly stays with me. I guess for me, it's not only about the photographs. It's having a physical representation of the wonderful characters I spent so long developing. I can draw them, sure. But even a drawing doesn't capture the life-like-ness of these wonderful dolls. I guess, in some way, having a physical representation of my characters makes them more real to me, and actually helps me progress in my story. Especially if I have a chapter about them, I find it's easier to write about them with my dolly sitting next to me, and I can really look at him and describe everything about him better than if it were to be someone dressed up as him, or a drawing. ^.^ That's just my opinion on it, though. Everyone is different.

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?

I, personally, havent done much with photography and my dolls yet. But I have many photostories I want to do. I just think its fun, and I think its really cute. I never considered myself a photographer; my photo's could probably NEVER be as wonderful as half of the ones I've seen. But for me, it's just fun. But I wouldn't consider photography part of my BJD hobby.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?

Yes. But my dolls are also based off of characters in a novel I'm writing, so I guess they were already in a story XD

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)

I think...BJD's are nice. People like to take photographs of nice things. BJD's are so lifelike, and can represent many things to a single person, as I mentioned in my first response.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?

I dont really expect people to buy them as prints, but they are available. but for the most part, its just for personal enjoyment, same reason why I take pictures of my pets, my nephew, my family, etc. Just for fun. Pictures capture great things, including memories. I like them to capture the beauty of something I worked so hard for.

What I want to know is how the hobby of photographing dolls has become a standard and expectation in the BJD world.

Truthfully, I never felt like it was a standard OR an expectation. I never really saw it that way. I feel like I know people who are heavy into BJD photography, and other people who just like the dolls for their aesthetic appearance.

The dolls seem to live in an existence of their own when people take pictures of them. Why are owner photographs with dolls so rare? Do the owners want to be anonymous? If that is the case, then why?

Why do authors remain anonymous in their books? Why do books have some anonymous narrators? I think that's a very complicated question. When my dolls are portraying their characters, there's a bit of me in all of them. After all, I saved up for a mold that was perfect for the character. I created the character.

I, personally, don't care if I'm anonymous or not. I will openly say that my dolly/character Deiuco is modeled after myself, and how I view myself.

I do plan to take pictures of myself with my dolls, I just don't plan to add myself into the story, since I already have a character/doll that represents me lol

 

I have yet to buy myself a new camera to /begin/ taking more professional pictures of my doll, but alas, here goes:

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
For me, I solely bought a doll so that I could start getting into photography. I didn't decide to buy a doll to play with it, and then later decide that I want to take photos of her. ^^ So for me, it's pretty straight-forward, I photograph my dolls because that is what I bought them for!

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
You'll have to define "play", because when I'm taking photos of her, that to me, is already "playing". xDDD But yeah like I said, I bought a doll so I could take pictures of her, so photography = playing for me. :> And oh right, I don't do photostories, or plan on doing them. xD

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
I'm not really sure how to answer this, because it's really subjective. Each person has their own reason for wanting to photograph dolls, and to ask someone why they think an entire community enjoys the hobby...well idk. xD; Regardless, it's another aspect and form of creative expression for me.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
Well I'd treat these photos as if I drew a picture or painting, or just like any kind of artwork. That's what it really is for me, it's like making art! xD And yes, if people were interested I wouldn't mind selling them as prints. xD

And regarding your question about that still life/BJD/plastic fruits vs. fresh fruit thing, I don't personally think dolls are "replacements" for human models in photography, I feel they're an entirely different subject matter to photograph; it's not really the same as just using "plastic fruit" instead of regular fruit, because dolls =/= humans. Sure, you can argue that dolls = mini "plastic humans", but "plastic fruit" is made to replicate real fruit, as in, it's the same size and made to fit to scale with the real world too, so to speak. Dolls, on the other hand, are not the same size as real humans and are definitely not in scale to reality. Your comment would make more sense to me if you were asking someone why they'd photograph a wax model of a person as opposed to a real, live model.

And yes, a doll might be my /model/, but it was never to replace a human /model/ LOL.

Why are owner photographs with dolls so rare? Do the owners want to be anonymous? If that is the case, then why?
LOL For this, I'd ask again, what kind of "photographs" are you expecting and/or talking about? Anyhow, for me, I've never had that urge to be anonymous, but cmon', it's like taking a picture of yourself with the model, or a piece of fruit like you said that was intended to be a piece of artwork. You'd lose the professionalism, unless of course, you were part of the intended photograph. And if you talk about it that way, seldom do artists take pictures with their own artwork (yes, I do consider photography as "art"). When do you see fashion designers in front of models that are wearing their collections on magazines? I certainly haven't seen it. Usually it's just the model, and then credits to the designer/photographer, so I don't really see what's so mystifying about doll photographers who don't take pictures of themselves with their dolls...

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?

Well, I don't do photostories, just because I'm (a) not that organized, and (b) knowing me, I'd lay out some storyboard and then be unable to adequately photograph a certain pose, and it'd conk the whole thing up. -_-;; I do like it when the photograph is able to tell--or inspire--a little bit of a story on its own. I'll admit I do a lot of fairly boring sort of "portrait" shots, but especially when photographing more than one doll at once, body language can sometimes intimate a bit of backstory. If one doll is holding another in a particular way it can imply the state of their relationship. If a doll is standing hip-cocked and looking sassy at the camera--or sitting hunched with their head down refusing to look at the camera--it can give the viewer hints at their character.

For me, since the dolls are all people with names, characters, backstories and relationships with/to the other dolls, it's less about photographing a beautiful object and more about trying to communicate what that (rather short and jointed) person is like.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?

Absolutely, and that's the case most of the time. My work schedule doesn't always allow me to get out and take pictures during daylight, especially in winter (when it gets dark before five or six p.m. >_< ), and not all my dolls are the easiest to pose naturally for photos.

...as an aside, I've found a lot more dolls easier to photograph once I realized that you can disarticulate them as needed, so long as clothing hides it. I remember one time Marsh and I were trying to get Reza, her Kohya, to kneel in front of Pavan, my Williams. We managed, but only by carefully setting the tails of Reza's jacket to cover his bright white arse that was hanging out of his pants. ^_^;;

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)

I couldn't really say why anyone else does what they do, but I have to imagine that at least to some extent, most collectors are drawn to this hobby because they love seeing beautiful things. Photography is just another way to arrange and display these beautiful things, and share them with others. I've noticed a lot of collectors integrating this hobby with other hobbies: sewing, knitting, painting, sculpting. Photography is just one more art that combines well with this sort of collecting.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?

Up until recently, most of the photos I took were just to post on Marsh's marketplace thread, to show off her sewing skills. I'm starting to post a little more on the gallery, to try and share not only the lovely dolls but a smidgen of the backstories that Marsh and I created for them over the past 5-6 years; to me, that's what makes them particularly meaningful. Their stories won't necessarily mean anything to anyone else, but some of them crossed over into stories of friends' dolls. It gives the pretty pictures a little bit of context.

The pictures also serve as memories. Marsh and I would always take dolls on vacation and photograph them while we traveled (neither of us really loved to have our picture taken and the dolls are always willing and photogenic!). I have pictures of my dolls in New York, Kansas, Los Angeles (including cosplaying at anime conventions!), San Diego, San Francisco, and Kyoto. Someday I want to take them to Washington, England and Australia. I can look back on these photos later and remember the awesome trips we took (and often as not, the funny looks and conversations from complete strangers at seeing grown adults taking pictures of dollies in alleyways).

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I just really like to take pictures, I used to take lots of pictures at my friends but they weren't that happy with it.
My dolls are my models and they doesn't ever complain about it ^^

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
My dolls are with me most of the time though I'm not sure it can be called 'play', I pick them out and change them clothes. sometimes I even watch movies with them, it's more interesting than it may sound, especially when they suddenly move XD

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
Maybe because bjd can pose like real people but they won't complain thus making photographing them easier. It can also be partly that seeing so many beautiful pictures around, new peple in the hobby want to take their own.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
I'm not good enough at photography to do that, I'm not even sure people like to see my dolls...
My doll's concept rarely change but it does happen that maybe I take a break and I don't play with them like before, in that time I enjoy looking at their pictures and rembering how happy I was taking it and how good they came out.

 

I just am saving for my first BJD. But here are my answers.
Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
But, first of all, I became interested in BJD because of the photos. I'm just learning to put the correct light for photography, the key points in the picture, etc. Very hard to find a model that will patiently endure all my throwing, hours of waiting for one good shot. I do not aspire for more photos. Just one, but perfect. The only shot that completely reflects my intent.
Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Of course, I admire them not only as objects of Photo Story.
Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
They are brilliant models! No need to make a contract, the doll will patiently wait for the photographer to choose the best angle. You can implement any of the fantastic scenery in small amounts.
What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
I will keep them on my computer. I have no idea where I can earn money by selling photos of this specific subject.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
Well I haven't made a photo story before really or at least uploaded it [ I did a photo story with Triya and Marki ] But I photograph my dolls because I enjoy it ^ ^ I enjoy seeing how much they have changed from when I first got them as well as enjoy the memories they hold. I love looking back at the old photos and just smiling, mainly thinking "Heehee I remember those days."

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Of course I do ^ ^ we usually spend our time together watching TV or just playing games. I'm even sat here now with them, typing this up. I don't base my whole doll life on just photography, I also bond with them away from the camera lens ^ ^

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
I guess it's to further their skills or simply because they enjoy it. There are a lot of reasons they take photos of BJDs or even use it as a hobby ^ ^ I admit, taking photos of things is a hobby of mine so taking a photo of my kids is a definite hobby ^ ^

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
Definitely personal enjoyment. I like to take the photos of them for them, myself and some of my friends who are also into the hobby. It's quite nice actually, getting together to look over some photos, especially when they have a lot of sentimental value ^ ^

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I photograph in order to show others what I see in these dolls; customizable art. They're just pictures standing around waiting to happen. Plus, it makes them seem more alive.
Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Yeah, I do that too.
Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
Because you can enjoy the aesthetics of dolls without the hassle and the price. xD
What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
I've always liked still life photography, and BJDs are just the perfect subject. I want to put them on dA, and if people are interested, I'd love to sell prints.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I think that it is one of the importance parts of playing with the doll. What else you can do with it? To sew them costumes, to make photo-sets, to take part in bjd-parties and make dioramas with doll.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
I don't play with the dolls. They usually sit on the special bookcase and wait for my new ideas how to dress them or how to make photos...

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
Dolls are very convenient as photo-models. They are still, nice-looking, not argued with photographer.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
I'm not a good photographer, I, as many of persons who have camera, do it for my own joy. I just like the proses of making photos. But I have some friend who do it for money.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
Pretty dollie... that's one. For myself to keep a "record". And to share.

Do you enjoy your doll without photographing it?
I will be making dresses for her and I have a feeling I'll be one of those owners that will spontaneously take my doll to work or "out". So yeah I think so.

Why do people use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself?
To practice photography I would say. It is expensive to hire a model or an actor... way cheaper to pay a big "fee" once for a doll and use it over and over again in your shots.

What do you do with these photos that you take?
I share because sharing is caring. Also partly for feedback, critiques, and ideas. So Flickr, forums, dA... this goes for my other hobbies too. I love making my historical costumes for ME but I love sharing pics of my dresses.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I always loved to take pictures and telling tales, so it's rather great to find a hobby to mix the 2 ! Do you enjoy your doll without photographing it?
Yes, of course ! Since the beginning : looking for the right one, choosing it a wardrobe...

Why do people use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself ?
It's clearly one of the things I prefer to dowith dolls, but as I said, photography was already a hobby for me. Having dolls just renewed my interest.

What do you do with these photos that you take?
I share them with friends and on forums and enjoy looking at them sometimes. I'm clearly not a good enough photographer to sell them ! :P

And I prefer taking pictures than to be on it, except with my family and friends.
Dolls are easier than humans to photograph : they stand still, they don't mind to be out of the bag only for a picture...And their size make me looking differently at the real world, as the perspective has to be an new one. A kind of magic to discover !

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
It's enjoyable as a hobby.
It fills whatever need I have to photograph things.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Sometimes. Wish I did so more often, but I can't find the inspiration usually.

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
Same reason they collect dolls - both hobbies are enjoyable for whatever reason~

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
They are shared via the almighty internet! So I can show my distant friends my dollies :3

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
Because I like to. I've always been interested in photography, but lacked interesting subjects to photograph. You can only take so many flower photos, you know? Butterflies don't hold still, nor do animals. And people aren't always available or interested and can be difficult to work with sometimes (I did my sister's wedding portraits, and it was so hard to get her to look natural, she kept holding her head all funny and making odd faces). The dolls are beautiful and compelling and it just seems natural to photograph them. I haven't done many stories but I enjoy doing them because they show how lifelike they can be... it's fun to show how a doll with a fixed expression can look so different and expressive from different angles, and to tell a story with them. And photographing them has inspired me a bit to take more other kinds of photos as well.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Yes. Though it feels less like "playing" usually and more like "working with them". If I'm interacting with them without taking photos it's usually in the form of trying on new clothes, cleaning, restringing, sueding, faceups, attempting to make something for them, etc. And half the time after I'm done with that I end up taking photos of the new look anyway. If I'm setting them up in a scene or posing them I find myself wanting to take photos of it! Though sometimes I will just open the curtain over their shelving unit and admire them for a moment.

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
I call BJDs "the hobby that has it's own hobbies". The dolls themselves are awesome, but they're intended to be customized and that tends to lead to other things like sewing, jewelry making, faceup painting and photography - even writing and drawing. I like them on their own, but I also really like doing their faceups and taking photos of them... an act of creation rather than simple possession, I guess. It's a creative hobby for many people rather than (or as well as) a collecting hobby. They're beautiful on their own just existing, but when they become characters with personalities and stories to be told is when they are most interesting to me - and photography is one of the ways to develop and share those characters.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
I share them here and put them on my own website, and put some of the best ones on my phone so I have them with me. Mostly it's for personal enjoyment, if I'm somewhere and am bored or feeling bad, it can brighten my day a bit to glance through the photos (and if they come up in conversation it's fun to have photos to share). I did ghost in images of 3 of my dolls in the collaged background of a banner I made that hangs in my workplace (we have 3 banners - one says "art department", the other two have the "fun" titles of the two of us who work in the department and include images that relate to our jobs, and they hang so you see them progressively as you enter our part of the building). I may print out a few of my best photos and add them to the mass of art and advertising covering the wall behind my monitor at work. I just enjoy seeing them.

 

I don't have my first doll yet, but I plan to try and take photos of her.

They are the perfect models, for one thing. Just pose them and they can hold it indefinitely! Additionally, I consider many BJDs to be little sculptures. I would take pictures of large statues. So much work goes into faceups, and picking the perfect outfit, and setting a scene...I think it's a great way to share all of your hard work with the community.

I love looking at pictures of other people's dolls. They give me inspiration, and plus, I can't own EVERY doll there is! So beautiful pictures of stunning dolls are a way of living vicariously, and sharing that doll just a little bit.

 

I totally fell randomly down the rabbit hole of Flickr when I was looking for small miniature toys to collect. (like Re-Ment) Once I entered Flickr and began to take in the amass of "artsy" photos of miniatures, toys and dolls - I was hooked. I never had any interest in photography OR dolls for that matter until finding the world that mixed the 2 together.

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
It's a fun and creative outlet that is suitable for a mother of a 5 year old.
Gets me outside and moving around. I can also include my daughter when she wants to participate.
I like making people smile or laugh.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
I often re-dress my dolls and re-arrange my toy/doll shelf without having to photograph it.
I enjoy setting up Re-Ment with my dolls without having to photograph.

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
I think "AmyAngel" totally took the words right out of my mouth on my answer to this.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
I solely keep them on Flickr or print them for my personal wall art. They are my photographs and just like I put family photos up across my house, my doll area has like-minded artwork.
I have considered turning them into post cards for profit to help pay for the hobby, but I know I'll never get around to it.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I got into photography around the same time that I got into dolls and at the same time, I discovered that having hated sewing as a child, I really loved it as an adult. So I take photos to develop photography skills, to have a record of my dolly family and a portfolio of the little clothes that I make for them.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
I haven't heard of dolls and photostories before reading this post That's something I'll learn more about as I explore the forum, I guess. My photos are limited to maybe one scenario - a doll in a particular pose, or with a particular expression and then a caption.


Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
I guess that everyone has their own reasons, but for me it is the challenge of trying to capture life and spirit in an inanimate object.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
I tend to put my favourite photos onto that well-known photo-hosting site and share them with like-minded contacts. I really love seeing the photos that other people have taken.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I do it because I find it to be very fun, stress relieving and exciting. It shows people who are far away or who don't know my dolls, their personalities. Plus if you find someone who has the same doll(s) as you, the way I do, then you get to see different looks on the doll (wig styles and colors, clothing, etc) I love that part. I don't think I'd be as interested in my dolls if it wasn't for the pictures and photostories I create and others create that I view. (After all a picture speaks a 1,000 words)

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Yes. There are plenty of times I sit with my dolls or do things with my dolls without taking pictures of them.

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
I believe it is because they are gorgeous and make beautiful models and you can still do everything with them you could do with a human. Models (humans) are hard to obtain sometimes because of cost, time, etc. Then you may not always be able to do what you'd like with a real model...the dolls allow you to do whatever you'd like, take your time doing it and setting up shots and work for free!! Haha.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
The photos I take of my dolls currently are just for fun and I put them on Deviant Art to share with dollie friends. I do this because I don't know anyone near me who collects dollies and I haven't found any meets yet...so it's my only way to connect with other owners. When I get my new camera (a DSLR) I might consider selling prints if anyone would be interested because the quality will be so much better and prettier then it is now with my point and shoot camera.

 

I'm sorry, I'm not going to answer the individual questions here. My answer is a really basic answer that actually answers all of the questions at once.

I'm a toy photographer. I do take pictures of people, animals, portraits, black & white, landscapes, and that's how I started out.

But I prefer to take pictures of toys. I take photos of almost any toy...even the sort of toys you get from a Happy Meal.

It's just natural for me to take pictures of BJDs, too.

Why toys? Why dolls?

Why not? :-)

If Steve McCurry only takes hi-res portraits, why can't I just take BJD photos? I'm really proud to say that it's my niche. And that's totally okay! I've made so many friends who do the same thing. It's a wonderful hobby to have gotten into :-)

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?

I've always taken pictures. Photography was a hobby I fell in love with in college and since I have my family, I have taken pictures daily to scrapbook. When I discovered BJDs on Flickr, it gave me another reason/subject to photograph. Ultimately creating storylines and photographing my bjds encompass almost all of my hobbies and talents. I love photography, I've always been one to write stories or poetry, I love using my hands to create anything so building roomboxes fit right in, interior design is a passion of mine so decorating the roomboxes was a natural extension. When I was a lot younger, I used to write extensively. If I wasn't writing stories, I was writing poetry so photostories are just a way for me to put all of my loves together.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?

Yes. There are times that I don't have the time or motivation to create a photostory to photograph so I just look at them, tidy their rooms, change their clothing. Sometimes, the best "me" time (when the kids are in bed and hubby at work) is spent sitting in front of the tv watching a good movie, with a cappuccino and redressing my dolls

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)

I have not personally put much thought into why others do it but I'm assuming it might be for some of the same reasons that I do and to share their love for what they do and love themselves. I mean, you can collect them alone but what better way than to show off your collection than to upload pics of them on a picture-sharing site or forum?

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?

Primarily, I share them on Flickr and save them on my hard-drive. Eventually I do want to make photobooks either for myself or for anyone interested but, I generally like to share my pictures with others who can enjoy and appreciate them the same way I do.


Lastly, I don't think the hobby of collecting BJDs necessarily calls for photostories or pics of dolls but when it's hard to find people nearby that are interested in bjds, the internet is an outlet to share this hobby and at that point, unless you meet the collectors in person, pics are a natural way to share the hobby...photostories or posed shots. For me, I have no one around me that are into bjds so when I create something for them, or get a new one, I automatically take pictures to share with the friends I've made in forums like this or Flickr, who I know will love, appreciate, and understand my enthusiasm

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
Yes i do both. I get a lot of enjoyment from that and it becomes a creative outlet for me. I think it is also pfun to share and compare stories with others.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
No I definately photograph them mostly guy dolls here because I am over all other genres of doll focussing so much on the female dolls. Another reason why i love BJDs is the plethora of good male sculpts to choose from and customize.

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
I think if you are going to like taking pictures of a BJD, it sort of follows that you would aquire at least one of your own. These are very expensive items and I do not think you would have friends falling all over themselves to let you photograph and handle their dolls unless you were doing pictures comissioned by them.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
It depends, if there is someone who is interestd in having a print of one of my pictures then i will sell it to them as had been the case before. Others i post on line in certain forums such as this one, others reside on my computer. It is just a thing to do. Not sure how else to explain it but if ore gonna be into it then you are and of you are not then you are not.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I got into the hobby because of photography. I love art, but I have a hard time investing money in it because I can't really do anything with it but hang it on the wall and contemplate how it makes me feel. :\ BJDs, however, are a type of art that I can interact with, customize, and actually make my own in a sense. Doll photography is like any other photography in that some of it can be really crappy and some of it can be beautiful. (think of the nude photos on dA, for example. Some are just gross and shock-factor, but some are very well done and artistic.) I don't just photograph dolls, either. I photograph animals, people, and even other toys. My favorite are little army men!

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
All the time. I love changing their clothes, redoing the faceup is a day long activity for me, and I often talk with them when I'm home alone. (in the same sense someone would talk to a cat or dog, not expecting an answer or anything!) Like I said, they're pieces of art, and I always have them on display so I can admire them. Caring for them is a hobby itself, washing the wigs and keeping them clean and making sure their faceups are still intact. I neglected my dolls for a year (when I'm poor, I don't like looking at them!) and I won't ever do it again... I'm still catching up with having them presentable!

Why do so many people in the BJD community use Doll Photography as a hobby in itself? (not owning BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)
Why do people only sketch? Why do people only photograph food? Why do people animate only in Flash? it's their medium. Photographing inanimate objects is a wonderful challenge. You need to give it emotion that it isn't actually feeling, despite the expression painted on the face. You need to convince the audience that the doll has a soul. I'm sure that they don't ONLY photograph dolls, either. Maybe that's all we see on dA, but that doesn't mean it's the only thing they do. None of my animations are on dA, and most of my current digital art isn't either. It's really mostly photos.

What do you do with these photos that you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
I don't believe in selling my doll photos because 1) the sculpt wasn't done by me, nor the clothes, nor the wig and 2) my photos aren't good enough to sell. I really just do it for myself and I like to share the results.

I hope I answered all your questions!