Why do doll owners photograph their dolls?

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I don't make photo stories, but I do take random photos. The reason being it relieves stress and boredom. Also, though my girl is not real, it almost makes me feel like I "know" her better. *Tries hard not to sound crazy* ^_^;;

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
I do sometimes just play with my doll and enjoy owning such a thing.

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 don't actually know this one..I'm assuming that others do it for the same reason that I do. Entertainment, beauty, and lo get a better feel for my doll.

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 usually post my dolls photos on doll related websites so I, and others can enjoy them and I can see what others think. I also have them for personal enjoyment. Print a few out for my own framing or set as a desktop wallpaper. Why do I do it, though? Hm, I'm not really sure. When I first saw doll photography, I thought: " I want to do that! Its amazing, beautiful, and seems like it would be fun!" When I finally got my first doll, it was everything I thought it would be. Sometimes, though, when I take photos in parks and whatnot, I feel really silly...just because its a different hobby. I always get over it, but I didnt think about that feeling when I first got her.. Going off subject there..sorry! :P Well, thats all I can say. I guess its just a mystery to myself as well as to why I like this hobby etc.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I photograph my dolls and make photostories to sort of bring a life and a background to them; to me, my doll is almost human and has a personality and I feel that their personality needs to be shared. I photograph my dolls not only because they're beautiful, but because they're so unique; most dolls will not look 100% like another doll. And they can pose in any way you want them to and they won't move. I think that dolls are art and photography helps me share this art.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Sometimes, when I sew things for them. But playing alone, in my room, with a very human like doll sometimes comes off as pathetic to me...

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)
Probably because photography is a big hobby in itself all ready; there's landscapers, photographers for models and adding a BJD is adding a new branch onto the Photography genre. It's new footage to shoot.

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 use the photos I take to spread the feeling that I felt during the shoot. I probably would sell them, if they were any good and some I use for further art projects down the line. Because you take the picture and you own the doll, one of the big advantages of using your own photography as art is that you don't have to copyright anyone (unless you're using a doll with someone's faceup or someone's clothes...) but otherwise, it's all you.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I don't usually create photostories, although sometimes I have a linear or texted thought I'd like to convey. But there are several reasons why I like to photograph my dolls:

1. Lately I'm doing nothing fancier than portraits ... I like portraits of just about anything.
2. Images offer a sort of record of where I've been and sometimes suggest where to go; there's a historicity to this hobby (big picture) and my involvement with it (little picture) that I like capturing.
3. Seeing through a lens is very different to seeing with the eye. Many times I discover things I might otherwise not have seen in the doll (and sometimes they're things I find I don't like!).
4. It's a wonderful way to share your collection with friends you might never get a chance to meet in person.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
If changing eyes and wigs and clothing, and watching them under different lighting conditions in different settings and positioning them singly and in combination is play, then, yes, I play. Some of my dolls are just dolls, perhaps with a loosely defined persona, and they offer points of reflection around my house, like touchstones. Others are specific characters, with relationships and involved stories. In the big scheme of things, I actually photograph very little of this.

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 has always fascinated me that people are so drawn to taking pictures, and it was one of the things that had me taking notice of this hobby. You don't tend to see it with other doll collectors as much. I could only speculate as to why based on my own involvement: these dolls are artistic expressions of humankind's fascination with dolls; they are in many ways evocations of each of us (to the extent we each "see" any given sculpt differently, create different interpretations of them and imbue them with different qualities); and at the interface between these two, the dolls seem to become more than the sum of their parts. I think we may like to photograph this fusion because it is a way to share with others more of who we are.

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?
Mostly, they are for personal enjoyment, kept on my computer, and I wade through them every now and again. I've intended to cobble together a website, but that intention has been hanging around for a number of years, and still no site. I've never sold a print, nor could I imagine doing that. I have, however, given prints as gifts.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I don't really do much of the photography myself. I mostly just take pictures either to show something I did/made (face ups, wigs), or to show some of my long-distance friends what my doll looks like. I only have two pictures of him right now. Photostories, I don't do at all.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Oh, definitely. I love to work on him and admire him in person.

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's partially because so many people here see their dolls as their "children," and we all know how proud parents can be with their pictures... On the other hand, I think that the hobby does tie in pretty neatly with photography, since dolls are beautiful, convenient models who are far more photogenic than real people.

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 mostly just show them to friends, though once I posted a picture of a face up here for critiques.

Another question: 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 think it's because a lot of people view their dolls as characters or having souls, which tends to show especially well in photographs only featuring dolls. When a real person is in the picture, it breaks the illusion and makes the doll look more like a piece of plastic again.

 

A BJD is a model that sits still, doesn't complain, doesn't blink at the wrong moment, and always looks 'fresh'. If you like taking portraits... what's NOT to like? XD

 

Why does anyone take pictures? For me, it's to capture a moment of beauty and sometimes simplicity. The art is very vivid in pictures and many meanings lie beneath. If it's to tell a story or a random moment of 'this is pretty', there's still something to say in pictures. A picture says a thousand words, or so they say...and I think this applies the same to photography of BJDs.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
Well, I dont make photostories but I do photograph my dolls. I love taking photos of them because I love anything in the arts. I dont have a real human to be my model right now, so I use dolls ^_^ I get to position them however I want to, dress them however I want. I love it in the end as well, especially if the photos turns out really good haha.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Uumm, I dress her, thats what I consider as playing with her...I dont think I would want to play with her like I did with barbies when I was younger...and I dont like touching her a lot, because she gets dirty easily.

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)
...idk.

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 online. I upload them to flicker, and onto here. naw, I've never sold prints of my own photos before...but that is a good idea, hummm... umm, I get some personal enjoyment out of them, they so pretty ^_^ hehe

 

Question to you......why do you wish to participate in an activity that you seem to not appreciate?

 

photographs are the best way for people to express their art and their dolls with other people, it's a fairly large part of the hobby, I'd say.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
Photography was and is my first "true love hobby". I learned of the world of BJDs through photography. As it has been said before... a doll is always a willing model to photograph, they never complain, they always sit still (giggle) and they will pose EXACTALLY as you "ask" them to. During my photography "evolution" I came to find myself carrying around an action figure and taking pictures of her all over the world. I prided myself in making her look as real as possible and seeing how and seeing how I can take pictures of the same thing (the action figure) over and over again and how my photography could be so diverse and thus, expanding my range. This action figure still travels in my purse every day, but I have expanded to BJDs as a way to further my photography in the same way as the figure.

Do you simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story.
Yes I do this, but I find myself taking photos of her every change that is made to the doll, be it hair, faceup, or wardrobe change.

Why do so many prople in the BJD community use doll photography as a hobby in itself (not owing BJDs as a hobby, but the hobby of photographing the BJDs)?
I believe many might be like me, that photography came first, and the BJDs second. I myself consider Photography / Doll Photography / Doll Ownership as three different hobbies that in MY CASE are melted into one.

What do you do with these photos you take? Do you sell them like a print? Do you have them for personal enjoyment? Why?
I use the photos in many different ways. As I said above, I use the photography of the dolls as practice and to help me grow as a photographer. I use them for art in my own home. I use them to show my friends all over the world what is new with my dolls and collections. I use them to expand my portfolio. I mainly take them for myself... honestly I would say that 70% of my photos "never see the light of day" meaning that they don't end up in my portfolio, they don't end up being posted anywhere and they will never be printed.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?

I like to photograph my doll because it's like creating a painting or capturing my doll at its best moment ...

But I never too photo stories because I find them tiresome ...

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

I mostly just stare or move her joints when I'm finished photographing her ...

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)

Becuase that's the way they may express their creativity and how they like to appreciate the dolls .

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?

For me it's mostly personal enjoyment because I was the one that took them so they would appeal to me the most ...

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?

Like most people, the biggest joy I get out of this hobby is taking pics of my dolls.. Creating settings and a certain atmosphere and then make a perfect pictures makes me the happiest guy around!

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

I do enjoy her without HAVING to take pictures. I enjoy to change the looks around, clean out the wardrobe boxes and try to come up with different accessoires.

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?

Mostly personal enjoyment and showing around on websites, getting tips as to how to improve certain 'skills' and just being happy to look at them later..

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I don't really do photostories...my dolls don't have characters. They're just pretty dolls to me. Poe is starting to develop her own character, but she didn't initially have one. I photograph her because a. I have a $400 camera I feel the need to play with to get the most mileage out of b. I have a $300 doll I need to play with and c. I just really, really like photography and don't always have the time or energy to recruit friends and family to indulge me in it.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
I do it all the time. I think it's hillarious to put her in weird poses and leave her places to startle my fiance or make someone laugh when they hadn't expected. I make her clothes all the time, and spend tons of time "arguing" with her. That's playing to me. I also think photography is one way of "playing" with her.

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)
Beats me; there's probably something that can be gleaned from all these posts....dolls are easier to deal with than models, they're prettier to photograph, they need photography practice...

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?l
The pics are for myself. I may show them off if I got a really cool angle or photo-geek type thing, but I have no intention of selling them. People have their own dolls to photograph without worrying about buying mine. I doubt anyone who is not in a hobby would really consider one of my crappy photos for purchase anyway. :P

 

I love photographing my doll. I think, I bought the doll 'cause I wanted to take her picture (which I do, as well as my other non-bjd dolls) because after I had my son, my artistic side (drawing pictures and stuff) kinda drained into him xD So I do photos now. And since he won't sit still long enough, I figure, why not get a doll xD I can make her my own, do what I want with her, and take her pics.

 

I photograph my doll all the time, almost every day if i can, mostly because thats what first drew me to them, the way they looked in photos, You also bond with your doll even further by photographing it because you get to play with their poses and the backgrounds they're in and then get to see what you come out with, my bjd got me into the whole photography thing and helped me grow with it and made me admire things in a different way (no matter how melodramatic that sounds)
anyway the main thing i bought him for was for my OC and to take photos

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I like taking photos of my doll because its fun and this is the way that I record down the memory between me and my doll.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Photographing doll in a story is intersting. I enjoy playing with my doll but I think it is more fun playing with her with photographing her in a story ~

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?
I am more of a nature photographer than a doll photographer (although dolls were the excuse for getting a DSLR and for willing to upgrade it now). Yet, I find the dolls often fill in the scene - I don't know if you've ever experienced it, but sometimes you find a beautiful framing, an excellent scene with just one thing missing - the focus point. Sometimes it could be a bug or a bird or an animal, but in a forest, even though there are plenty of all, you can't really command any of these to go and sit _there_in_that_spot_ while you make some 10-20 shots from each angle ^_^;; So I shoot BJDs - the most they can do is faceplant into the moss (:
Photostories are different though. I usually have a plan to shoot dolls only, and any bird or bug or mushroom shot in the process is there just for fun. I create stories because I want to share some ideas or images that have been living in my head for a while. I also like to make people smile.

Do you just simply enjoy your doll and play with her without photographing her in a story?
Definitely I enjoy them without the photography aspect. I have dolls I barely photograph, and I can't say that I enjoy them any less than the rest of the crew.

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 that BJDs are a wonderful artistic object people are fascinated with. Many people who come into the hobby have already been interested in art and / or photography, some are professionals, so it's just natural to expand their interests into a new field - especially seeing that these dolls are very photogenic.

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 think that selling a print of a BJD would be connected with too many copyright issues (can't remember the correct wording right now, but basically you can't sell an art object whose main focus is another art object that you have no copyright for). It's mainly for my own enjoyment and (hopefully) that of others.

 

Why do you photograph your dolls and make photostories?

I don't do photostories, but I do take regular pictures, and I do it because I like it. I'm into dolls, and I'm into photography; cool plus cool equals super-cool, right? ;D

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

Not so much with Tsubame, cos she's a lot bigger, but yeah, I do play with Hwan-Ji outside of photographing.

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)

BJDs in general have a certain aesthetic, and some people enjoy it in particular for photographs. They're also more versatile than human models in some ways, which is convenient for outlandish or fantastical shoots.

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 haven't taken any fancy pictures yet, so I don't sell prints, but I don't know that I would even if I did have fancy pics. I take pictures of my dolls cos I want to, and I like keeping the pictures.