Renegade Dasha is in the House!
I did not win the right to purchase this lovely lady in the lottery but thanks to a fellow collector and a fabulous trade, Renegade Dasha is in the house! I really love the styling of this particular FR Squared Dasha. She is very sophisticated and sleek. Yes, the half bun half ponytail hairstyle is a bit of a mystery but it is fairly easy to work around. I really like the blond hair, pale skin and red, red lips. She seemed to me like she needed a sleek and sophisticated backdrop so I imagined her at a swanky wine bar with a lovely merlot. We live in wine country so I will use wine many times for my props.
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi–Let’s Polka
I adore polka dots. There is just something about the pattern that makes me smile. Can you really be in a bad mood wearing polka dots? Here is another scrumptious design by James Bogue just in time for Easter.
Model: Lady of the Manor Silkstone Barbie
Dress, Coat, Hat and envelope purse: Bogue’s Vogues http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues
Shoes and gloves: Mattel
The Gang’s All Here
The Russian Silkstone gang that is. Well…not all of them. Darya will be here sometime in late summer but I just couldn’t wait to do a group shot. I received Verushka today and I was so enthused I just had to get the gang into the studio. First of all, let me just say it took a little while to warm up to Verushka. That hat! I guess I am just not the floppy sides down Elmer Fudd hat kind of girl. I was going to just take the thing off except I had heard stories that she is sparsely rooted under the hat. I decided to just tie the floppy sides up ( like any good hunting hat and much more like the Elmer Fudd we know and love) and I have to say I like it WAY better. I love the platinum blond with the black on this lady. Very dramatic and that is just what I was looking for with this line.
After seeing many amazing photos that people have taken of Ekaterina with her hat off, I decided to remove her hat and reposition it. LOVE it now. I had thought I might replace the hat with a fur Dimitha hat but for now…she will keep her original hat. Finally, I am so excited to be using these amazing Russian stacking dolls I found at a doll show recently. I was encouraged to purchase this particular set by a dear Barbie friend ( cough, cough Silkyfever, cough, cough) and I am so glad I listened to her.
Nicolai is adorable!
And last but not least….little Mila.
Behind the Scenes on the Agnes Photo Shoot
I always love it when fellow collectors and photographers share some of their behind the scenes photos. I always find it extremely helpful to see what other people do as far as styling and photographing their collection. I thought I would do the same and share what my set up looks like when I do a fashion doll shoot. Keep in mind that I live in the Pacific Northwest which means there is little to no light from November through July 
. That may help explain what most would consider ‘overkill’ when it comes to lighting.
R.E. Agnes Welcomes Spring in Gwendolyn’s Treasures
I have been a big fan of Gwendolyn’s Treasures for quite a while. I just love the fabrics she uses and the classic styling not to mention the impeccable execution. It was no surprise that when I saw this pink dress and accessories, I said “gotta have it!” With Easter coming up and Spring limping its way into our neck of the woods (wish it would hurry up already!) I wanted to pull out the pastels and go for “girly”. I recently acquired this Agnes and boy am I glad I did. I think she is one of the most beautiful variations of Agnes that Integrity has ever done. It is so easy to go for a dark and sexy shot with this lady so I wanted to go the exact opposite and try sweet and simple.
Model: Regal Estate Agnes Fashion Royalty
Dress, hat, gloves and purse: Gwendolyn’s Treasures
Shoes: Monogram Redefined Accessory set
You can contact Gwen of Gwendolyn’s Treasures at sidorak4@telus.net for more information on her amazing creations. She also sells on Doll Divas http://members.boardhost.com/DollDivas/
You can bet he’s only doing it for some doll……
One of my favorite things to do on a rainy evening during the winter is plug in a good musical. Recently, I had the pleasure of watching Guys and Dolls with Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons. It touched off some ideas and since I had a new Bogue’s Vogues to share, I had some fun. I can’t add the song to my playlist because it is not available with them but if you know the song “Guys and Dolls” from the musical Guys and Dolls, hum it in your head. It is the song that inspired this series of photos.
Model: Parisienne Pretty Silkstone Barbie
Dress , feather hat and purse : Bogue’s Vogues http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues
Fur: Dimitha
Sunglasses: Fashion Royalty
Dasha models for Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi
I love the versatility of James Bogue’s creations. Normally I head straight for the Silkstones to find a model for his designs but the smaller bodied Fashion Royalty girls can fit into them very well also. I especially like the F.R. squared line and here we find Modern Sensibility Dasha modeling a cream silk dress and jacket with a leopard hat and muff. Let’s be honest…there was a hat involved here and I LOVE animal print accessories so the second I saw the leopard print hat…it was “game over”. James was a wonderful friend to make a matching muff for me.
Bogue’s Vogues can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues
Discreet is Only Natural
I received the fabulous Fashion Royalty Monogram Discreet a little while ago and have been wanting to get this lady into the studio since then. Sometimes it just takes a while to be inspired with some dolls. This one needed the right outfit. I am a sucker for hats so ,if an outfit comes with a hat, it’s a no brainer for me. I just love the softness of the gown with the casual sweater and cute hat. Also, trying out my new graduated grey backdrop.
Model: F.R. Monogram Discreet
Outfit: F.R. squared “Only Natural”
Shoes: F.R. Monogram Discreet
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi!
Many of you know I am a huge fan of James Bogue and his work. He has a store on Etsy where he sells his exquisite creations http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues. I completely adore the styling and workmanship that goes into his designs. His creations never fail to inspire some of my favorite photos and this recent shoot was no exception. I received an especially frothy and pinkalicious ( yes it’s a word! LOL!) dress that I could not wait to photograph. Miss High Tea and Savories Silkstone had the pleasure of modeling the dress for the shoot.
Vendredi in French means Friday and I thought it sounded better than Bogue’s Vogues Friday 
The pink ladies have tea
Thanks to a dear Barbie friend I was able to add City Smart Silkstone to my collection. I just love this lady and she will show up often in my photos. For those of you who have told me you never get to see City Smart redressed….this one’s for you. 
For those of you who want more info on the details…this next bit is for you.
Models: City Smart Silkstone and restyled Tout de Suite
Pink dresses: James Bogue of Bogue’s Vogues http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues
The Set
Display Cabinet and white/gold side table are 1:6 Bespaq from
http://stores.ebay.com/JIM-COATES-COLLECTION?_rdc=1
Pullip Petit Luxury chairs repaited in gold
Pink Tea set found at a doll show in Washington State.
Cake stand: Re-Ment Princess Tea Party #8 ( The princess’s favorite)
Treats on the stand: Re-Ment Special Cakes for me #7 ( Garden Party)
The background is foam core covered in gold moiré patterned wrapping paper. Flooring is black and white checked contact paper on foam core.
Dark Swan FR Squared gets married
I guess I just wasn’t quite finished with Dark Swan in this gown. My first idea when sewing her into this dress was to do a wedding shoot. Somehow, the wedding shoot turned into a high fashion photo first then looped back around for the wedding shoot. Ahhh…the creative process was never a straight line where I am concerned.
Spring has arrived at The Fashion Doll Studio!
It was sunny in the suburbs of Seattle yesterday so that meant time in the studio. I received some absolutely stunning fashions from James Bogue of Bogue’s Vogues this past week and I am having fun photographing them. I will be doing a segment on my blog called “Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi!” and it will pop up on random Fridays. My first one will be this Friday and here is a taste of what you will see….
When Re-Ment becomes an obsession/addiction.
ad·dic·tion
[uh-dik-shuh
n]
–noun
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
ob·ses·sion
[uhb-sesh-uhn]
–noun
the domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.
I have often wondered if I am addicted to or obsessed with Re-Ment. There is just something about those little reproductions of daily items…dishes, food, perfume bottles…ahhhh the list could go on forever. I am not quite sure what it is but as a photographer, I love these little items because they can help fill out a scene and make a photo infinitely more interesting. There is also the fact that they are just plain fun to stage and play with. Like many collectors, I started off with just a few sets I had found at a local Japanese market. Then…because those first few sets were so fun…I had to have more.
And then more…..
And then more…..
I used to just store the sets in a big box but then it became so difficult to find what I wanted, I was not using them at all. I found these hardware organizers that work very well for these small sets. The added bonus was that they could be hung on the wall next to my little studio space. This way I can just grab what I need.
“Hello….my name is Rebecca….and I am addicted to Re-Ment.”
The Wall Panel: The Painting Phase 2
The final touch added to the panel was the gilding. This was kind of hard for me because I wasn’t quite sure how much or how little to do. In the absence of knowledge I decided to do research and went through many of my travel picture that showed ornate gilded wall panels. Armed with that knowledge I went to town on the wall panel with a fantastic gold gilding pen from Krylon. And here is the finished product…..
Here are some of the products I used on the project
Here are some of the photos I used this wall panel in….
The Wall Panel background
I have always been fascinated by old world architecture. My family and I travel and invariably, our travels will include visiting an old museum or estate so I can see the architecture. I have a particular fondness for ornate wall paneling. Don’t know why…just the way I am. I had always wanted to do some kind of ornate wall panel for my 1:6 scale photos and thought about it for a looooooong time. Whenever I would see something that might be interesting or work for my “wall panel” project I would buy it and put it in my project box. At the beginning of this year, Matt Sutton finished a commission OOAK doll for me and when I received this exquisite lady, I could see her in a setting with an ornate cream and gold wall panel in the background. I knew it was time to finally put my thoughts to action.
Explored on Flickr Jan 19, 2011
A number of people have emailed me asking for details on how I built the wall panel so I thought I would share that here.
The Wall Panel: Design phase
I gathered all the elements I had collected over the last two years to see what would work together and what would not. I ended up using miniature scale wall panels and a wainscotting panel to start then filled in with crown molding and column detail. I knew from the start that I wanted the wall panel to fit on a 22 inch X 28 inch trifold presentation board. I have used these boards in the past for backgrounds in my photos and the size works really well in my 30 inch photo tent. In the photos, you can see that I used a piece of furniture to try and get the right feel and scale for the panel.
Once I decided on the larger components, I played around with the smaller detail elements.
Stay tuned tomorrow for Wall Panel: The construction phase…….
Doll photography does not have to be complicated
I get many questions about my doll photography. My husband and I share photography as a hobby and we enjoy learning about this fascinating subject together. I know many collectors would love to take more and better photos of their collection but become discouraged when they think they need to have the right camera or special lights, light tent, lenses….ect. While I use a number of these things in my little fashion doll studio, it is important to note that you don’t really NEED these to take a great photo. Well…you DO need a camera but it doesn’t have to be fancy. Some of my most popular and personal favorite shots were taken without my light tent in a soft diffused light that we seem to have an abundance of in the rainy Pacific Northwest of the US. Here is an example of what I mean.
This was taken when I was breaking down the set from the Randall Craig photo shoot and I needed to set Miss Showgirl up in the window sill to get her out of the way. It was a cloudy day ( no surprise.. there has been no sun here for over a week!…grumble, grumble..vitamin D deficiency rearing its ugly head) and there was lovely diffused afternoon sunlight coming in the window. I loved how it looked with the white millwork and her pink dress so I forgot about breaking the set down for moment and grabbed my camera on tripod. I have used this same window for another favorite photo….
I just love these soft and dreamy shots. So…next time you have a cloudy day, grab your favorite doll and camera and find a good windowsill. 
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Wanted to share some wearing of the green today.
Model: Restyled Dusk To Dawn Silkstone
Dress: Bogue’s Vogues
Purse: La Boutique
FR Squared Dark Swan Elise Jolie wears Vera Wang in the fashion doll studio
When the first Fashion Royalty Elise Jolie came out at the FR convention a couple of years ago, I was not a fan. She was extremely severe looking and that is not the aesthetic I go for. When the designers at Integrity gave her a softer makeup palette and glorious red hair….I had to have her. She is becoming one of my favorite models. I kept thinking, wouldn’t she look fabulous in white or cream with all that red hair so, I decided to steal the Vera Wang bridal gown from one of the Barbie girls and loved the look. The dress was sewn on to its previous owner so I had to sew it on ,temporarily, to Miss Elise. I could have taken the time to put hooks and eyes on it but was impatient to photograph so that job will wait until later. The props used in these shots are simple wall shelves from Target.
Click on photos for larger view
And here are the photos that resulted
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FRSquared Dark Swan Elise Jolie in Vera Wang |
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–Rebecca
Ekaterina arrives in the Fashion Doll Studio
Robert Best has designed a new line of dolls for the BFMC inspired by Russia and Russian fashions. The first one into the doll studio is Ekaterina. She is exclusive to the Barbie Fan Club . I am always a sucker for any doll with red hair. When I saw the promo pictures, I knew this lady would be destined for my doll room and The Fashion Doll Studio. Upon arrival, I was not impressed. In her coffin of a box, she appeared very pale and the hair was not the riot of curls the promo picture would indicate. That being said, I decided to debox and am very glad I did. This is definitely a lady that needs to be DEBOXED to reach her full potential. I did have to finesse the hair a bit to get the fuller look…more curls not one big curl on either side of the head. The hat….not the best but I can deal. I foresee a hatless model in the future but for now it will stay on her beautiful head. I am a little afraid of the hat hair situation under there. The bracelet was a surprise because I was expecting the same bracelet as D2D and Preferably Pink but it is slightly different – yeah! The brooch on the hat is beautiful. The outfit is similar to JNSQ but not too close. The boots people…are…. TO DIE FOR.
I had some fun with my macro lens in the photo shoot so I was able to get some great up close shots. Hope you enjoy.
Behind the scenes in Rebecca’s studio
I have had a number of board members write and ask me to share how I take my photos. With their encouragement, I thought I would share some information on my thread. I know I always love to see the “behind the scenes” shots on other peoples dioramas and photos so I hope you will find it useful.
I take most of my photos in a photo tent:
It is basically a nylon cube ( that can be folded up and stored away but I leave mine up as I use it all the time). I use a variety of backdrops – most that are made specifically for the 30 inch photo cube that I use.
Lighting is a key feature in what I do. I use three separate lights that difuse through the nylon photo tent.
The fact that there is defused light really cuts down on shadows. Some people use one big soft box light from the front ( I think this is how Mattel does theirs) but I prefer the flexibility of different light points.
The studio does take up space….
But, for me….I use it almost every day. It is set up in the corner of our bonus/play room so I enjoy being up there when my daughter is practicing her violin or when my son is playing a video game. I have the tent set on two shelves so I can store props that I use for photos.
The other big component of my photography is the processing afterwords or post production. For me, that is photoshop Elements. I try to get most of the componets I want when I actually take the picture but I normally tweek every single photo with photoshop before I post it..even if it is just to resize it to the appropriate dimensions for the various doll boards. I like to whiten backgrounds with photoshop and saturate colors if necessary. Here is a raw photo:
And here is the finished product after photoshop.
Here is an example of what a set up looks like when everything is lit up
I hope you found this information helpful. Feel free to ask questions.
–Rebecca
Dahlia visits the museum
I was able to fit a photo shoot in this weekend as I slalomed through costume fittings, rehearsals, ballet classes and social engagements for my daughter. I am just her chauffeur LOL! I have had this idea for a while of setting up a museum scene and I finally had the prefect Bogue’s Vogue that could be showcased in this setting. Here is a shot of the full set
The resulting photos turned out very good, I think. They all had the feel I was going for.
I was just about to put the camera away when the sun streamed into the area that I have my photo studio so I moved Dahlia to a smaller table just inside the pool of light and took a few shots. This was just freehand without a tripod….always risky…but I managed to get some pretty clear shots. Here is the one I think is the best of the bunch. Very film noir.
Photo effects to start
I was just kind of playing around today with photo effects. There are a number of internet sites that are free and have some really cool effects you can add to your photos. Today I used a website called Photofunia and BigHugeLabs ( websites posted below). These sites are very easy to use. There are some tricks however. Make sure you have your photos sized correctly. If you have photoshop, this is really easy in that you just open a file and select Image, then resize. Photofunia for example has a 3200 pixel max so the largest side cannot exceed 3200 pixels. When you resize, make sure the largest side is not bigger than 3200 pixels. With Photofunia also remember that portrait, face or face and torso only make the best shots for this software. Here are some of the fun photos I ended up with.
Pretty cool huh? Just remember that you will most likely need to resize your photos to use this software. After you have created the image on these free websites, you will be asked if you want to send it to a friend or save it to disk or file. I usually save it to file then copy it onto my photo sharing service. Hope this helps give people ideas on some additional things they can be doing with their photos.
Photofunia – http://www.photofunia.com/
BigHugeLabs – http://bighugelabs.com/
And there are more…just search under “photo effects” and look for free sites.
Photoshoot Friday – Rita Hayworth came to visit
Photoshoot Friday – Shopping for Props
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 