Breaking the fourth wall

I usually try to make sure that the wig cap is hidden, but other than that I dont worry too much. I admit I find it kind of endearing to see dolls next to everyday objects and people, but I prefer to keep my dolls in scale in my own photography.

 

I actually like it! My favorite pose is a doll holding a tablet pen over a tablet like she’s drawing! I call it ‘elf on the shelf’ style, and it works well for me because I don’t have a space to do more realistic and scaled photography. I think it’s fun to make the dolls look like they’re getting into something.

 

I prefer to intermix elements that can take you back and forth between believing they are more person-like and more doll-like. So I do a lot of the things you're referring to and I enjoy it that way.
There is a conceptual reason for me, but I could understand how people might have a preference and not like one or the other.
I have almost no experience of the uncanny valley. Most of it is with people sized things, like mannequins (which I love but often think they are people) and my ultimate nemesis, cardboard standees.
I like that my dolls are dolls and so I think it's funny to show them being tiny house goblins sometimes.

 

My goal is to make my dolls look as if they were alive, but not necessarily as humans. Scale differences don't bother me at all, but bad angles and awkard eye placement do. I haven't quite perfected human body posing yet, but that's on the list of goals. It would be cool to have a full in scale set someday, but not top priority!

@AlisonVonderland when a Kam cardboard standee shows up at your house, just send it to me. I'll take care of it.

 

Okay, ‘house goblin’ is going to be my new go-to term for doll mischief. Thank you

 

Like others before me, I don't mind if my dolls look like dolls in my photos. I take terrible photos anyway. Which is probably something I do worry about, most of the time. More so, than keeping up an "illusion."

I have gotten a few people commenting on how realistic some of my dolls look over the years. However, from conversations with other doll owners, and just general discussion. I don't feel most mean they look like actual real living people at all. I feel realism when mentioned to describe one of these dolls means something totally different, depending on the viewer. AI has censored photos of some of my dolls on certain places as well, as in hidden them from searches, completely removed them or tagged them as "mature" content .

That does bother me, censorship is something I don't appreciate, unless I'm the one deciding to do so (on my own work). I don't ever do doll p0rn for any reason, so it's quite infuriating to have AI thinking my work is inappropriate or sexual in anyway, for absolutely no reason. DX

 

I think either way is a cute way to photograph dolls! Props and dioramas are so much fun to have/make, but I also love taking pictures of my dolls in our "human world" because the way that they look so tiny is adorable!! Like a big ol couch with just a doll sitting in the middle. That kind of thing is endless entertainment to me!!

EDIT: And I don't necessarily care if there's a mix either, unless the doll props are inconsistent and out of scale with the dolls, THEN it definitely peeves me juuust a little, LOL.

That being said, I am not a huge fan of photos of dolls interacting with people? It's not a bad thing (nor does it give me uncanny valley), it's definitely fun and creative! Just not something I would personally decide to photograph, as I see myself more like my dolls' "manager" than their friend or parent-figure... y'know, 'cause I schedule their photoshoots, hire their stylists, etc...

 

I guess I'm a mix? A wig slipping back too far or eyes not angled quite right do bother me, but that's more about the dolls looking presentable than about them looking real. My doll photos seem to fall into two categories: in character photos and out of character photos. In character, I want everything to scale or just blank wall so it's more believable that they're their own characters in their own world, not a doll in a human world interacting with their owner. Out of character is like box openings, working on the doll, comparison photos, a funny pose they did just sitting around the house, etc-- about the doll itself and not about the character much at all.

It might be weird, but photoshopping out the joints actually feels more unsettling to me than seeing them. The proportions are almost never to human scale, and the resin doesn't look like skin. The joints are often too big proportionally when smoothed over as the body doesn't "squish" like a person. At best, they look less like dolls and more like plastic figures to me. That feels even less "real" than a bjd.

 

While I enjoy collecting and creating scale items for my dolls, they're still dolls. I don't feel the need to make them look human in my photos. I also find it charming to put small dolls in a human sized environment, like so:

 

Nope.

I mean a beautifully crafted, in-scale, scene with all the accessories and set dressing for a photo is a nice thing but, honestly, it's way too much faff&bother for most of the time when I just want to share a picture of my doll.

Personally, I hate photography but regard it as a "necxessary evil" if I want to share my dolls with the community. I'm happy if the photo comes out clear enough to shopw the doll/outfit or whatever I'm sharing by taking it.

Teddy

 

I do try to at least put some attention to making sure wigs aren't complete messes, poses look decent, and eyes are facing a reasonable direction. Even if I had much Photoshop skill, I'm too lazy to put the effort into hiding all the joints, and most of my dolls have at least somewhat stylized proportions, anyways!

In regards to scale, I don't have a lot of doll-sized stuff, nor do I have room for it. When I photograph my dolls "in-character," they play the roles of dolls living in a human-sized world. House gremlins, as it was put earlier! They help each other climb up the couch, dive into my yarn and fabric stash, watch out for my cat, etc. Growing up, I was enamored with the idea of being very tiny in a very big world, stuff like the Borrowers and all that, so even though my dolls are bigger than a Borrower, there's still that magic of everything mundane to my eye becoming fantastically giant, and something as simple as sitting on the couch becoming an entire adventure.

Some day, if/when I move somewhere with more room, perhaps I will get the chance to build areas that are in-scale for them, and then there can be some photos where they're living in their world and some where they live in the human world. But for now I'm having fun with them as my house gremlins.

 

I like both styles of photography but I take more photos of them in portrait style or use in scale props. I think of my dolls as tiny beings in a human size world, and I provide items in their scale for them to use if that makes sense.

 

I like the use of "breaking the forth wall" to explain this
Personally, what I prefer is creating situations for my dolls where they are in their own world, so I try to make them look as "human" as possible, but I am not a very talented photographer so I don't know if that's the effect, let's say I tend to it
But there are some nice pictures where dolls are taken as dolls, like when the owner is on the pictures for example and the result can be quite nice, it's great to have so many possibilities

 

Since I've only been in the hobby for a little over a year, I've primarily been focusing on finding the dolls I want. And then, of course, I have to spend more on on figuring out their looks with clothing/wigs/eyes/etc.
Unfortunately, that means I haven't been able to justify dropping even more money on tiny furniture and props I want for my boys!

I'm planning to do so, though! I do love photos of dolls where they're living in their own little world . . . I'm beginning to pick up some little things for my off-topic 1/12 boys! It just seems there are way more options available for 1/12, and I can pick them up for reasonable prices on AliExpress and Taobao.

So for now, my BJDs are out here breaking the fourth wall

It's not a huge problem for me, though. I admittedly enjoy seeing dolls (mine and others') existing in human settings and just lookin' tiny! Especially my little 1/12 babies . . . I just think it's silly and cute

 

Huh...I don't think I've ever really considered this much, so this is a really interesting thread! It makes me think of that bit in the movie adaptation of A Little Princess where dolls and things come to life when we're not looking at them (which I guess is also the thing in Toy Story now that i think about it). I've always thought that was a fun idea, so photoshopping out joints or things like that would feel weird to me personally.

 

Doll joints can add to the charm

 

I do it all the time but not on purpose it's just I'm so terrible at organising an taking pictures lol so well yes guilty as charged but that's still better than not taking pictures at all

 

It's very important for me to show my dolls as people. I tell their story, so... realism is my goal. I have a bit of a problem with too much Photoshop. I like to know what model it is. Fake smilies and retouch of joints is on the edge for me. But I admire anyone who creates dioramas in scale. I like to hear different opinions on this topic. It's okay that we are all different and original. I also break the fourth wall sometimes, but mostly I prefer to leave my dolls in their world. I can see the magic behind it.

 

If my doll has some flyaway hairs or her wig cap is showing, I’ll edit them out. Heck, before I blushed my first doll, I would add it in facetune lol. It’s not about making them look human for me, but making sure they look their best

 

Personally for me I don't mind either. I have in scale beds and props, but I also love taking photos of my dolls with human size furniture or if wigs have fly aways or in my case, one doll doesn't have a faceup, it doesn't bother me. I choose to do what I think is cute and enjoyable, and I love seeing other people's doll photos/dioramas/sets, but it's not a priority for me to have them appear in scale. I love interacting with them too! ♡

 

For 1/12 and true 1/6 scale (like fashion dolls, action figures, etc), I prefer environments/dioramas and props to look in-scale. I don't edit out their joints but I have occasionally edited flaws and expressions.

For YoSD and larger, I'm not THAT worried about making the environment look in-scale. It's too expensive and space consuming to have a bunch of large dioramas; I don't even have enough time, space, and money for all the small scale dioramas I'd like. Also, so far my YoSD/MSD/SD crew are all fae & shapeshifters, so they're allowed to be small and choose to be small much of the time (conserves energy, y'know?). XD I do like getting them props that are their size, though, but more for courtesy and cuteness than realism. It's still awesome if I find an environment that's properly sized to them, or can do forced-perspective angles, but it's not a big concern with them.

 

Honestly I think I prefer shots that break the fourth wall. I find it really charming to be reminded of the doll's scale. Especially for bigger dolls! I think it makes them even more beautiful and impressive to see, and it just makes me squee a bit. I love pictures of owners holding or interacting with their dolls for this reason. And I'm always taking photos of my dolls in normal human spaces (my flat, because it's the only place they ever go haha), often with me holding them or bothering them (they always look so grumpy about it too )

 

It bothers me a bit but just when I'm photographing my dolls and pretending they aren't dolls. For example, if I'm just taking a casual picture to show of a new wig or a new outfit, I don't mind it so much. If take photo stories, of course I'll try not to have anything that it's not in scale or that gives away that they are doll-sized. I don't use photoshop with my pictures, mainly because I don't know how but also I don't think I usually need it for the type of pictures I take, so I don't see myself erasing the joints or anything, but I will instead use clothing and accessories and such to avoid them showing.

 

I actually prefer my dolls to look like they're dolls even in photos. They have their own little world going on and its adorable.

 

I've had my doll photography inadvertently break the fourth wall a few times when someone is scrolling my account and does the double-take. "Whoa is that a person? Is that a doll? WHOA." The more lifelike and in-scale the doll looks (especially since a lot of my photos are outdoors or in active spaces) the more likely a person looking at it will go "WHOA" which is always rewarding to hear. But I'd love to achieve that effect with dioramas and proper photography equipment someday. In other people's feeds, I flip between loving the well-constructed dioramas where the dolls are in their own world and the 4th wall breaking "this cute house gremlin is causing mischief" style. Both are just compelling for me

 

In-scale everything takes a lot of artistry, and it can look really magical, but I like photos where there's no carefully constructed illusion just the same. I also get a probably misplaced feeling of "old school" from the latter.
Not a fan of shopped joints, paradoxically I feel it messes with the wonder of it. Without the joints the dolls lose something.

I'm stealing this

 

Depends on the "story" so to speak. If I'm taking pictures with the focus being showing of the doll as a character I'll try to make sure they fit into their surroundings the best I can and keep things to scale. But when the photos are about the doll being a doll I have no problem showcasing their existence in the human world.

In both cases I'll try to make sure the wig, eyes and clothes look good as a baseline, kind of like how you tell your friend if they have crumbs on their face before taking a holiday photo.

 

I think it only really matters if you're trying to create a cohesive and immersive photo or trying to depict a specific scene or vision, but it really doesn't matter in casual pics and can even be a cute photo theme on its own, like dolls and their owners twinning together and such.

I honestly think photoshopping the joints out is far more uncanny than having out of scale items or people in the backgrounds of photos. The joints are part of the charm of dolls! In a similar way, knowing that dolls are small in comparison to humans and human-sized items is also part of their charm.

Something like a visible wig cap would bother me because it just looks bad, though. You wouldn't want a visible wig cap on a wig-wearing human either, because the point is to seem like it's real hair. Flyaways bother me for the same reason, but they're a bit unavoidable, both in dolls and people, so it's not a huge deal (and too hard to tame half the time anyways). I wouldn't really say either of these things breaks the illusion as much as they just look unappealing.

 

I don't really do photo stories, and I don't have the props to set up a whole to-scale scene (though I do appreciate seeing those kinds of photos), so I really can't be too bothered by scale differences so long as the scale all makes sense. For instance, I once wanted to take photos of one of my 1/4 dolls by a tea set that suited her look, but when I set them all up together, it just looked odd. The tea set wasn't small enough to look appropriate for her to use or large enough to make her look like a small and dainty fairy person. In the end, I just tossed that shoot.

As for other "breaking the fourth wall" things... I take pictures with a basic camera phone, usually inside my house where there's not a lot of good lighting. I'll often go and edit my photos to adjust the appearance of my dolls' eyes so that their sclera is whiter or I'll add a dot of light into the iris/pupil so that the eyes look more alive. They're tiny things like that which no-one has ever seemed to notice (or at least comment on), but they make a big difference in softening the impact against the fourth wall of "Oh right, this is a photo of an inanimate object."

 

I always appreciate and deeply respect those who can craft the perfect in-scale scenes for their dolls, but I think I'm stuck forever breaking the 4th wall. I just don't have the space or set up or heck, the energy and patience to do that for my crew. I also am tickled so much by seeing these little resin people interacting with our giant world. Even if it's serious, that undercurrent of goof always makes me smile to myself. It's part of what I love about this hobby: seeing both sides of the wall!

I make photostories for myself on occasion, and I mostly just try to show my dolls interacting with their environment in a somewhat realistic way. Sometimes it's quite normal and almost in scale and believable, and other times they're just stacking giant books to climb up onto the table. It depends!

 

This topic prompted a lot of thinking... and lots of words...

What usually breaks the fourth wall for me is doll posing -- and it's not original intent, but departure from intent, that gets me. If I look at a doll and it seems to be posed as a doll, without apparent regard to verisimilitude, I'm not too fussed. But if I look at a doll and think the intent is to pose it in a human-realistic way, I will notice when something is off. I'm equally sensitive to this in photos and in-person looking at my own dolls.

I notice discrepancies in overall body posing, but my main bugbears are head tilt, eye position which influences the gaze, and posture of fingers in jointed hands. In those three cases I feel strong compulsion to fix what looks off. I'm especially OCD about jointed hands: seeing fingers in unrealistic poses or looking stiff and not in relaxed human posture is like visual static in my brain, I fixate negatively on it. I own jointed hands for one doll but seldom use them, because Every Single Time the fingers get knocked out of position I must fix them to make the visual static in my brain go away. I'd rather not get distracted so much when I want to have fun.

I should add that my fuss is over my own dolls. Other people's dolls and photos don't bother me as much.

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I'm not fussed at all about environments/backdrops. Dolls are smaller than humans, there's no fourth wall to break here. I don't particularly notice discrepancies in dioramas/roomboxes unless it's very glaring. I'm not into creating dioramas myself so I take pics of dolls all around my house, and when they interact with human-sized furniture, I get them to do it in a way that makes sense for their size. They stand on the floor, sit on the couch or stools or ottoman, but they also stand/sit on tables and shelves. They're small: why wouldn't they stand on my shelf?

I'm a little more sensitive to props scaling: if the doll is interacting directly with the object for a specific photoshoot, I prefer it to be in-scale. If it's not, I'd rather not use it at all unless it's as environment/backdrop/still life.
Eg, I have a miniature jigsaw puzzle that's a novelty gift for people, and everything is scaled down including the pieces and storage box. I'm happy to let my dolls use this gift jigsaw as a prop for photos. Whereas a normal human-sized jigsaw is a bit more immersion-breaking, I'm less keen to use unless I have a specific photo idea in mind.

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Airbrushing out joints is a completely different category from the above. My thoughts are fairly complex, but at the core I think has less to do with suspension of disbelief (the fourth wall), but about ontological distinctions. In a nutshell, I think dolls are an image of humans, a kind of dim reflection -- they resemble humans but also aren't humans. Having them tidy and put together (no wig cap showing, etc) is part of the image resembling humans. But jointed is what a ball-jointed doll IS, it's an integral part of who/what they are as entities and what gives them distinctions from humans; again, there's no fourth wall to break here. Airbrushing/photoshopping out joints is like erasing or denying them their identity, turning them into something they're not, ostensibly to appear more human instead of inanimate. But for me, instead of breaking any suspended disbelief, it's creating disbelief when I didn't have any in the first place.

So I have huge distaste for airbrushing out joints or removing other parts of the doll that are inherent to their nature. A BJD may reflect a human likeness, but ball-jointed is their identity. This isn't bad at all: the distinction is charming and endearing, and I'd rather preserve it.