The Doll Forum

Cifer wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:41 pm I agree there are courses on YT that I have seen and tried my best to model setups.
I would be more interested in an interactive critique of some of my actual work so I can learn faster.
The reality is you may get little constructive feedback at times on here from your pics... (Sorry, not trying to be rude in any way... )

I give you my photo shoot and you advise in a professional opinion what could be better from a specific doll photography standpoint....(like paying a tax expert)
Maybe the price could be used as voucher (discount) at an approved TDF vendor on a full size doll...
Oh yeah...I also totally do the "pose like a doll" for a photo...it is extremely helpful....

Why not using chat (top left corner on TDF main site)?
It looks to me that we're able to create own chat rooms (house symbol top right corner).
Google, MS Teams or other online sessions would be better. But how to handle privacy and who pays that stuff.


Here's a picture of that chat test without sending a picture.
And a second where I posted text and after a few seconds someone asked "Where's the picture"

RevJack wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 10:39 pm

Cifer wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:41 pm I agree there are courses on YT that I have seen and tried my best to model setups.
I would be more interested in an interactive critique of some of my actual work so I can learn faster.
The reality is you may get little constructive feedback at times on here from your pics... (Sorry, not trying to be rude in any way... )

I give you my photo shoot and you advise in a professional opinion what could be better from a specific doll photography standpoint....(like paying a tax expert)
Maybe the price could be used as voucher (discount) at an approved TDF vendor on a full size doll...
Oh yeah...I also totally do the "pose like a doll" for a photo...it is extremely helpful....

Thats easy, no more karate-chop hands, or hands on thighs. No full, direct light, look for angled light that causes shadows.
Done have her loot full straight into the camera, tilt her head and keep her eyes off of dead center.
Make it look like she was caught doing something.

RevJack starting the course right here with some good tips!

I'm still very much a novice but the more you think of the doll as not the subject but what you're trying to say as the subject, the better it works. That single point about no hands-on-thighs is excellent -- no-one says anything by resting their hands there. And head tilting is another great tip, because that's one of the few things that's really easy to do with dolls (try turning their torso, for example) but instantly adds realism and interest.

I think a TDF linked video to each of the survey subject areas are an awesome idea. I also think TDF has some really great photographers where we would not need to charge clientele. Just promotional good business for TDF and their manufacturers and vendors. What other site offers a photographer launch portal? Photographer could sign up, be supported, then send their work for peer review to call any additional little things. You might add a few more like Composition...not just posing a doll...making sure what is in the picture enhances the doll and nothing distracts from the doll.

Love Dominique

My main struggles are with posing and time management. I find it difficult to get certain dolls in certain positions depending on their skeleton limitations.

As for time, I just need more of it. It’s rare that I have a few hours to put aside for doll photography, so I end up rushing and missing a lot of simple things that take away from the final image.

Posing takes ages, lighting takes a lot of tweaking, have to check the eyes, make sure the fingers look natural, gotta brush the hair again, readjust the clothes to fit better, put new batteries in my key flash, guess it helps if I take the lens cap off. Where did all this dog fur come from? Shit, she fell off the stool, now I have to start all over again. Oh god, it’s 2:30 in the morning and I have to go into work early. At least I managed to take one decent picture… or I would have if I hadn’t forgotten to lower my ISO and open the aperture.

Great, that could be very useful!

Hi guys, we ran this survey a few weeks back and I want to thank you all for contributing with your valuable input! We've now launched an online doll photography course, Doll Art Club and you're welcome take a look: viewtopic.php?p=2350099#p2350099