Adventures in the Woods

Venturing outdoors with BJDs can be quite an operation as I learned yesterday, but rewarding in it's results. I've taken lots of photos of my dolls in my garden over the years, but I've rarely taken them along for trips or further into the surrounding areas. I did take my Ringdoll Rebecca with me to Norway back in summer 2012 and got some amazing photos of her. I'm determined to make better use of the outdoors this summer with my dolls... well, before the mosquitos attack mid June anyway...

While jogging in the forest last Friday, I came across a wonderously mossy patch of the woods, which I thought would lend itself fantastically for BJD photos, so off I went planning my trip and prepared 3 dolls to go with me the next day. I'd often marveled at the incredible photos my talented fellow Finnish BJD photographers like Yenna, Mizya, Sherimi and Sarqq take on regular basis outdoors and wondered what kind of a circus it is for them to take their dolls into the nature for a photoshoot with all their fantasy parts and what not. So...

...here's what I took with me:

- Mirodoll 1/4 Lili

- Doll Leaves Jax anthro bunny

- Soom fantasy version Glati

- a strudy wicker basket with flaps on top and a couple of doll cushions on the bottom

- a light backpack

- a raincoat (served as a "blanket" for me to sit on, as well as a insurance against rain for the dolls)

- my Canon EOS 1200D

- a wind breaker jogging suit

I placed Lili (dressed like a child version of Maid Marian), Jax and my hooved and horned little Glati in a wicker basket among the cushions, jotted my camera with a raincoat in my backpack and off we went. It was a shortish 4 kilometres hike to the chosen patch of woods on a relatively good condition forest route with a couple of path stretches and only a few ditches to jump over.

The nature definitely has it benefits for BJD photography. The scenery and lighting are provided for beautifully. Lili, Glati and Jax looked like straight from The Shire among the mossy "hills" and "ravines". The only aspect of my expedition that needs fine-tuning was the wicker basket set up. The basket itself was nice and sturdy and the dolls remained still and undisturbed there during the hike, but little pieces of nature dropped on them through the cracks in the basket. I may need to provide for a cover for them when scrambling through the bushes and branches. The basket is not going to work for 1/3 scale as well, but I may try one of the Impldoll carry bags for them. I must also remember to take a little soft brush with me to swoosh off any scraps that might land on the dolls next time and to bring a water bottle for myself. I might also consider buying an extra battery set for my Canon.

All in all, I was quite pleased with the photos, even if I'm terribly out of touch with the outdoors photography and the camera settings were all over the place. There were contrast problems and the posing wasn't easy with this lot of doll, but for a first attempt in those conditions, not too horrible a fail. I didn't ruin my jogging suit, no people came staring or disturbing me in any way, lovely weather (even if the sun did not have the courtesy to make an appearence), no rain, Lili and Glati only tumbled once each and Jax was the real trooper... I had fun!!! That's the main thing!