Why do doll owners photograph their dolls?

The problem with people would be that you have to pay them, and schedule a time where everyone cane come together. Also, you have to spend hours on hair and makeup for each shoot, and you can't switch around different wigs or eyes. You also have to worry about costumes.

Dolls are small, and customizable, and work on your schedule, so to speak.

All in all, it's a LOT of work to do stuff with real people. Dolls are easier, and just for fun.

So, leave the real people to the pros, and we'll all use dolls.

 

I am speaking from my experience, and from other people that I know in the hobby. This hobby offers a lot of opportunity for owner creativity. At least for myself and my friends, customizing BJDs, photographing them, or even drawing them is just another art form medium for us to work in. I like the comments about BJDs being still life.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?

To be honest, at first, I never really thought of 'photographing'. I liked dolls because I *saw* photographs of them. So having them was enough. Photography was unnecessary. Until I realized there's so much more you can do WITH photography -- the ability to share and have people enjoy your dolls with you. If there was no community to share; I probably wouldn't take photographs of my dolls.

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

Yes ~ Just staring is enough for me if I'm alone x3 And dressing up of course. Love pretty dressed 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)

First, photography is the best way for others to know about your dolls (especially with the existence of the Internet nowadays). And, for both self-satisfaction and feedback, one would want to be better and better at photography to show the best of one's dolls. Therefore the motivation to take better photos and being more creative has become a hobby in itself ~

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?

Share them online ~ (and wha, I've never even thought about selling them x3)

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?

I'm sure anonymous is one reason. But I believe the main reason owner photographs with their dolls are rare is because it sort of "breaks the magic". It's just like breaking the fourth wall in film. Dolls aren't humans afterall; and we, as humans can easily distinguish between a doll and a human. So if you see a photograph with a doll and its owner, the doll is no longer "alive", because there's an object that is truly "alive" in the photo -- the owner.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I don't tend to do photostories, but I do like photographing dolls. I'm not brilliant by any means, but I try and get a nice picture of them. I don't tend to rollplay or have back stories as such, so it's a nice part of the hobby for me, and I like looking at others pretty pictures too.
Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Yes, I like going to Meets, and taking them to 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)
They would have to answer that for themselves, but I think it's because they like to share their dolls with the community.
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 like to post them on Forums that I belong to, and recently I've made a photobook of them:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v57/michpowell/Doll Stuff/a1184a5b.jpg
It's a lovely keepsake I think, and I'm trying to improve on my photography skills a bit more.
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?
Mainly because my dolls are far more photogenic than I am...although I do have a couple with my doll. Also if the owner is the photographer, they aren't going to usually be in a photo with their dolls, unless they are using a timer.

 

Too right! I've tried to give people directions while snapping pix(nothing professional, just friends) and it's hard! When you tell someone "lean slightly to the left" they bend over to the left instead. Tell them to tilt their chins up slightly and you'll be staring up their nostrils! Dolls are sooooooo much easier!

 

Also, unlike human models, dolls never sweat off their makeup, show up 3 hours late, require cigarette-breaks, threaten to sue you, throw temper tantrums, stick you with their cocaine bill, or develop eating disorders & pass out in front of the toilet after trying to purge 72 Little Debbie snack-cakes at once. Plus, you can leave them sitting with one leg up in the air for an hour while you go eat lunch. And if you don't like the way their eyes are looking today, you can poke 'em out and install a new pair. Actually, the list of reasons goes on & on...

 

That's true too! They also don't complain about freezing body parts off!

 

It sounds to me like you've had plenty of experience. lol

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
well, i dont make photostories, because i can't pose them to get to the plot of the story fast enough. simply put, i want to get the story out faster than i can photograph, and it defeats the purpose of doing photostories, in my opinion.

i photograph my dolls because it's a way to enjoy time with them. they'll eventually yellow over time, and i like to have some keepsake of them. photos are there to record their journey with me, especially for things like box openings. but usually, i photograph them because i like tinkering with the camera and spending time posing them. i rarely leave them out if i'm not photographing them, so it's also the time for me to play with my dolls. ^_^

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
technically my doll is a "he" haha. ah, well, i can, i guess, but being someone who draws a lot, photography is kind of an extension of my need to have things down on "paper" and i really enjoy photographing them. i do play with them, but at this age, it seems a bit unrealistic for me to "make up stories" for them while playing. i don't really see a way of playing with them like PLAYING with them. haha. so yes, i can enjoy him/them just by having them sit around. but i would really rather photograph 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)
it's kind of the best way to show off the doll. but i guess that doesn't really answer your question.

hmm. i think it's cos of the age of people who own bjds. like, they are generally rather busy, and can't "play" with their dolls all the time. so they rather photograph their dolls, and it also serves as a memorabilia when they're not with their dolls? i can't really answer this, but the doll hobby, at least the one that thrives online, feels as if it's founded on doll photography, and maybe that's a reason why people end up with doll photography as a hobby more than owning dolls as a hobby.

on another note, owning dolls as a hobby sounds a bit to me like just displaying your dolls around, but not really playing with 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's for personal enjoyment! haha. and i love to share them with other dolly friends, and on deviantart. it's just that i like to have my works shown somewhere, maybe. and no, i don't sell them as prints, but mainly because i don't think i'm qualified yet.

I know that many of you will say "I take pictures of my doll because they are simply beautiful and I enjoy it" What I want to know is how the hobby of photographing dolls has become a standard and expectation in the BJD world.
in a way, i think it's become something we expect from doll owners. especially the ones who are rather active online. it's kind of the best way to share your hobby with others, and as they say, a picture (or photo in this case) speaks a thousand words.

Why are owner photographs with dolls so rare? Do the owners want to be anonymous? If that is the case, then why?
for me, it's more cos i can't photograph myself with my dolls without me looking sloppy next to them. haha. i do want to remain somewhat anonymous, but the real reason is cos its rather cumbersome for me to photograph myself with them.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
The photography aspect of this hobby is what really drew me in. I think that these dolls make excellent photography subjects. They are beautiful, pose how you want them to and don't loose their patience and walk away after a million shots of the same dang thing. I had all of my characters and stories way before I found bjds but when I first found them I knew that I had to have them. They are the physical embodiments of the characters who've always been with me and being able to photograph them gives me a way to better share that story with others.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
I do.
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 it has something to do with the same reasons I enjoy it. A customizable human like photography subject that will put up with whatever you put it through.
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?
Nothing! It's all just for fun because I enjoy the ever-loving heck out of it!

 

I haven't gotten my first bjd yet, but once I do, photographing her is one of the things I'm most looking forward to. I love photography in general, and once I get my bjd, I'll have a model 24/7.
Yay! This makes me even more excited!

 

Why take pictures of anything, except as a way to share with others or remember a particular moment in time.

 

In short, this hobby makes no sense for me if I don't photograph and share in doll communities. The internet is the ONLY "place" where I interact to people sharing this same interest, and posting pics is the only way I have to show them my dolls.

 

I take pics of my dolls to share with others who like the same hobby and who do not live close enough to share it in person.

 

Well, asking why people take photo's of dolls is kind of like asking why someone does photography as a hobby...it's merely something that people enjoy doing; why do people enjoy drawing? Why do people play video games? And so on and so forth.
I personally take photo's because they are beautiful works of art, and making a doll unique to you is a work of art in itself, so it's only natural to take record of something you have achieved ^^
Also, i like to show how versatile a doll can be, just from taking pictures in a certain light or from a few angles, dressing them up in lots of styles etc. Don't you think it's amazing how something that is just made up of resin and accessories, can look completely human and real in a photograph? It's putting life into a shell, like adding a soul to a human. Love something enough, and the love will come flowing back to you ^^.
I've only ever done one photo story actually...i don't tend to think about doing them, not because i don't want to, just that i simply forget XD But other than photography, i love to hold them and stare at them and tell them how beautiful or handsome they look, because i'm one of the 'freaky' people who thinks that they have a soul of their own ^^; (please don't judge my weird xD)
I'm not sure on people who just take pictures of other people's dolls, maybe it's a case of they can't afford a doll of their own, so they take pictures of other peoples as a sort of substitute for a hobby they can't have? Or maybe they really admire and want one, but aren't comfortable with spending that much money on them..? Not sure ^^
The photo's i take don't get sold or anything, i just post them online to DoA or DA, or my Facebook. Mainly i keep them for my own enjoyment, and to maybe inspire other artistic people. I have someone ask if they can draw two of my dolls before, because they loved how they look ^^
I hope i could answer some of your queries!!

 

Wow, that sounds like a tough life!! That certainly does put doll photography in a new light though, when you think of it that way. They're the perfect models; life-like, versatile, they don't complain...

 

I don't have many friends who like dolls so when I photograph my Yourik it feels like I'm sharing him with the world an my work is appreciated like it could never be with my friends. And I save those pictures for the future, to look back and laugh at Yourik for letting my zombie-fy him ^^

 

I'll answer more in-depth when I am not at work, but I think a lot of people actually get into the hobby of photography because of their BJD, while others get into BJD because of their photography hobby. Still-life is a wonderful thing to photograph and can make some amazing photographs. And also, BJD are readily-available models that look like real human beings (maybe a little more artistic!) and you can pose them exactly how you want them without "human error" other than your own or the limitations on your dolls. I think it's a great way to share BJDs, and a great way to have models and subjects to use to hone your photography hobby.

 

Well said, Shlee! I'm very much into photography anyway, and I love doing nature and still life shoots. I've been taking pics of toys and other inanimate objects for some time now. A BJD is just a new thing to take pics of.

It is THE reason why I wanted to get a BJD in the first place; so that I can take pictures of it!