Photography First Attempt at taking "Serious" Doll Photos

Hello there!

Don't worry, BJDs are pretty sturdy. Sad to say I've dropped my dolls on a fair number of occasions and they've been fine. Just don't push yourself, do things little by little. The more you handle and get used to him, the more comfortable you'll get. :3

May I ask what kind of camera you're using? It'll help me give a more detailed critique.

Starting off, I think the 3rd photo is your best one. The angle is taken below, so it's more interesting than a simple straight forward shot. You've also done this low angle very well. I usually see a lot of beginners take "up the nose" shots at low angles but you haven't done this. Seeing directly into a doll's nostrils from below is usually unflattering. Because you turned his head slightly, we aren't seeing directly into his nostrils. Have you tried experimenting with other angles?

His eyes are also looking towards the viewer which makes it more engaging. Viewers are drawn to eyes. We tend to look in the direction the subject is looking towards. Eyes directed towards us is similar to making eye contact. It's personal and inviting. You can also use the eyes to direct attention to something. In the first two photographs, the eyes are looking to the side, so the viewer will also look to the side. This can create tension or a sense of mystery is there's nothing in the frame. If there is another subject, directing the eyes towards it will make the viewer look at it, too.

In each of your photos there's light in his eyes. A catchlight in the eyes makes a person (or a doll) look alive. Without them, the eyes can look dull or lifeless. His posing has life and he looks very playful. By bending the limbs rather than keeping them straight, you've made him look more more natural. I really love this shot.

When photographing people, take care not to cut people off at joints. You don't appear to have done this, but I did notice that the photos are cropped very close to joints.

I noticed his wig has a few fly-aways. It's a super common problem with doll wigs. Personally, I've found that the Azone or Volks Wig Oil Spray is amazing for them. A little spritz and brushing and they're gone. A small metal toothed comb or a brush also causes less static and makes the wig look neater. When I shoot, I try to keep an eye on the wig, it's really overlooked. A very neat wig (and clothing) can help tie everything together. It's part of a great photo.

Also, don't forget to pay attention to backgrounds. Try to keep them clear, and make sure there's nothing unwanted in the frame. I know when I take photos, I'm so focused on the doll that I forget to look around me. I once took a bunch of sales photos, then realized later that my cat was glaring in the background of half of them.

I couldn't give much feedback on your camera work, so I have a few other questions.
What kind of lighting did you use in these photos? What kind of lighting is available to you?

I hope this could at least be a little helpful to you. You've got talent for this. I hope to see more of your photos!

 

I think the last photo has a good angle, and shows the pose well. I think it would benefit from more space in the photo above his head, because the close crop of the photo somehow compresses it and seems too tight. You might want to look at how to use negative space in photos. I suggest Resin-Aperture's tutorial here. ^^

Another thing I notice is your photos don't always focus on the doll. The 2nd photo has the best focus, while the first has the focus on the background. I think point and shoot cameras only have auto-focus so that may be the reason why the focus is sometimes off. If possible, use a face-detect option (they usually recognise doll faces), which would help focus the camera on the doll instead of other things. Otherwise, you might want to check the focus of the photo after you take them to make sure the doll is in focus.

As for the doll posing, I think most dolls are pretty sturdy, and it's not that easy to break them. ^^ It might take time to be comfortable with posing, and even then, it's something that's not always easy to do such that the doll looks realistic, so don't worry about that and just practice more . I think the posing in these photos are rather believable/realistic enough, although it would help if his eyes are adjusted to look up a bit more. The current eye placement gives him a bit of a surprised look, which may not be what you want in some photos.

Hope the points I mentioned help ^^