Reluctant to post photos of your dolls? Why?

[eveshka]

I'll admit it. I'm reluctant to post photos of my dolls in galleries.

Every time I do, I get at least two unsolicited offers to buy said doll. I've posted them on LJ and gotten offers, but DeviantArt is the worst offender of all. I recently posted a photo of a friend's doll... and two hours later, someone was offering $50 for it. :sweat

I'm also keenly aware that I have serious lighting issues with my photos, even though I use four light sources. (I'm still struggling and feeling clueless, even though I have bought books dedicated to the subject.)

Are you reluctant to share photos? If so, why?

[Lishe]

I do not post pics of my dolls often either. Mostly due to time contraints, but my camera and "skills" are lacking also. I can never seem to get the lightening right. I have had people offer to buy my dolls "if I ever sold them" which does not bother me.

Lishe

[zalem]

I don't post too many pics of my doll cause I'm lazy. Heh. But also because I feel my pics aren't the greatest. I am reluctant to post mediocre quality pictures. Alas, I don't have any interesting props or anything to really make great photos. Nor am I the best with a camera. Of course, that's my fault. I need to get off my ass and practice my photography. And get a nice background for my pics.

[sgtgeorgecarter]

I don't post them because when I have, the cricket noise has been overwhelming.

I post in smaller venues like their LJ or their website.

I don't do goth or any of the popular elsewhere types of shoots. I just like posting nice pictures of the dolls. Since they seem not to be the fashion elsewhere, I don't bother posting them there... (see my rant about inflicting content on uninterested viewers ;) )

[St. James]

I'm reluctant to post photos of my dolls when I'm no longer happy with the faceups I've given them. I had no idea what I was doing when I painted my first doll's face and it was all kinds of flourescent awful. :oops Now that I've repainted him, it's embarassing to have old posts dredged up. I'm more critical of my older dolls' faces and rarely want to put them in front of the camera.

[eveshka]

I don't post them because when I have, the cricket noise has been overwhelming.

I post in smaller venues like their LJ or their website.

I don't do goth or any of the popular elsewhere types of shoots. I just like posting nice pictures of the dolls. Since they seem not to be the fashion elsewhere, I don't bother posting them there... (see my rant about inflicting content on uninterested viewers ;) )

You raise a valid thought there, old friend. In the few photos I have posted, I've noticed that the few goth/emo type photos I've taken are above and beyond the normal every-day shoots. It's made me wonder more often than not if the 'inmates' really are 'running the nuthouse.'

[Mid]

I really adore taking photos of my dolls, I take a lot. I have at least around 1,500 photos (one has a folder 3,000 strong) for each of my dolls still sitting pretty on my external hard drive. The act of taking the photos is most of the fun.

I don't like posting that much, as it's the start of a lack of confidence in the quality of my photos. During the process of editing, I often choose not to post photos because I don't feel they are up to snuff. I'm a perfectionist. XD

I agree with you sgtgeorgecarter, the cricket noise after posting is deafening sometimes. Sometimes it seems just better to keep the photos to oneself instead of facing a wall of indifference.

[inkstone]

I don't post photos of my dolls either. Partially because I'm lazy but mostly because I'm embarrassed by my complete and utter lack of photography skills and inability to use my camera properly. I know you can't improve unless you practice but I guess my other hobbies end up catching my atttention more.

[PK]

I dont usually post pictures of my children for the very fact that, I have troubles with coming up with stories or a poor set. Although I do aspire to take better ones sometime soon :)

[eienmornie]

I really haven't had anyone offer money for my dolls, yet, on DeviantArt but I've had people wonder where I got them so I direct them to said sites. I've also suffered from cricket noises whenever I post pictures.

But lately, I don't post photos because my LJ friends take really nice photos (they have sets and everything!) and I don't so I suffer from insecurity and jealousy. I also don't have time to take photos like I used to.

[sgtgeorgecarter]

Photos=/= photostories.

I rarely go through photostories, but I do like to look at owner pix. They don't have to be art, they just have to be in focus ;)

I like to see how other people style their dolls. It gives me ideas and a chance to ask questions about eyes, clothes etc.

[Nikittin]

Photographing my dolls is one of the most relaxing occupations. Not only am I connecting with and getting enjoyment from my subject(s), but I am using creativity as well. Sharing the photos with friends is so much fun, too. I'm learning to share more images with more public BJD communities because I so enjoy looking at others' photos that I believe it's only fair to give as well as receive. However, I like to practice a bit of restraint. There is such a thing as overload and I only do that on LJ :p

[paperbot]

I very rarely post pictures of my dolls because I very rarely take photos of my dolls. I have a pretty cruddy Nikon digital camera that only has gotten cruddier since I dropped it. ^^;

I also took photography in high school and was not encouraged at all by my teacher nor my classmates. they never paid any attention to any of my work and so I really don't take many photos anymore in general. it's sad, but whatever.

[Rhian]

I don't post very many pictures. I haven't got the space to set up any kind of permanent background, and I barely have the space to store a temporary one, at the moment... I am trying to build up a small repository of props and furniture, which I hope will help. I suppose I feel a bit insecure about my photography, but I'm trying to improve! :)

[AreeElf]

I'll admit it. I'm reluctant to post photos of my dolls in galleries.

Every time I do, I get at least two unsolicited offers to buy said doll. I've posted them on LJ and gotten offers, but DeviantArt is the worst offender of all. I recently posted a photo of a friend's doll... and two hours later, someone was offering $50 for it. :sweat

I'm also keenly aware that I have serious lighting issues with my photos, even though I use four light sources. (I'm still struggling and feeling clueless, even though I have bought books dedicated to the subject.)

Are you reluctant to share photos? If so, why?

Wow I post in LJ and devart I don't get unsolicited buy offers but I do get where to buy questions. Do you just post photos or do you include some descriptions with the post?

I don't post them because when I have, the cricket noise has been overwhelming.

I post in smaller venues like their LJ or their website.

I don't do goth or any of the popular elsewhere types of shoots. I just like posting nice pictures of the dolls. Since they seem not to be the fashion elsewhere, I don't bother posting them there... (see my rant about inflicting content on uninterested viewers ;) )
I love when you post pictures ;)

I get reluctant to post photos sometimes because I have a tendency to take too many photos. I'm the type to take 20+ photos that look nearly the same to everyone else.

I try to choose 1 to 3 shots every so often and take turns posting in LJ and DoA. I get more chirpy noises in LJ

[eveshka]

Wow I post in LJ and devart I don't get unsolicited buy offers but I do get where to buy questions. Do you just post photos or do you include some descriptions with the post?

I generally try to include some basic info when I post them... especially if I've not posted them before. I don't post links, but I do tend to identify company and mold.

[avacado]

I rarely post photos, even though I love taking pictures, because I rarely get responses. It's nice to hear responses from other on what I can improve and new things to pose them with.

And I've never had anyone offer to by one of my dolls.

[thirstyangel]

On most days, I'm not reluctant to post photos of my dolls online. After all, I maintain a site for them. When it comes to posting on forums, however, I usually think twice. I am reluctant because I am strangled by the conviction that my photos are boring. I never seem to be able to vary my style or the way the boys pose, and I am not technically competent with my camera which is most definitely not a digital SLR. I am reluctant to post something I believe other people will consider to be less than attractive or less than creative. It's not that I don't enjoy seeing my own photos because I do. However, I do refrain from assuming that what I like to see is also what other people like to see.

Posting in forums also "exposes" me. I hate to use the word "popularity" but I can't think of another. I'll put it another way: why post your doll photos on a forum unless you want feedback on them? Some kind of response? I don't think it's unreasonable to assume this since all forums offer such an easy way of getting feedback from your peers in the hobby. By posting photos on a forum, I feel I am exposing myself to the possibility of feedback (or rather, the lack thereof, which is a far more terrifying prospect), and I don't like the feeling of vulnerability that comes with exposing myself like that.

By contrast, I don't expect any feedback when I post my doll photos to my own website. My site is part of my hobby, unlike a doll forum, which I consider to be part of the fandom more than the hobby. What I do with my hobby, in my own private physical or online space and on my own time, is free of the pressure of those expectations that come with participating in a community (such a forum) as a member of the fandom.

And if I actually make any sense at all to you, you should be very worried. :o

[sgtgeorgecarter]

I love when you post pictures ;)

Thank you!


I get reluctant to post photos sometimes because I have a tendency to take too many photos. I'm the type to take 20+ photos that look nearly the same to everyone else.

AHAHHAA don't feel bad, I do exactly the same thing!


I try to choose 1 to 3 shots every so often and take turns posting in LJ and DoA. I get more chirpy noises in LJ

not from me you don't. I think everyone's ded from the cute when you post your gals on LJ.

Yes that's why I take a billion shots, to choose one that's just right. Its so much easier now than with film. I can try different angles or a billion of the same just in case some weird ambient light thing happens.

[Guide]

I love posting pictures of my dolls in my LJ, but on forums I am always a little more wary. I too have had many unsolicited offers from people wanting to buy my dolls, and I must admit, it is very off-putting.

The thing that really gets me though (and puts me off the most) is people assuming that my male dolls are dating each other. I;ve had people complaining about my dolls being straight, even and once had someone tell me that my El and my Banji made a lovely couple, which actually really upset me!

[sgtgeorgecarter]

The thing that really gets me though (and puts me off the most) is people assuming that my male dolls are dating each other. I;ve had people complaining about my dolls being straight, even and once had someone tell me that my El and my Banji made a lovely couple, which actually really upset me!

El & Banji?!?!??!?!

*_**_**_*

yeah the yaoi thing is really pervasive. I never assume any relationship of any kind until it's stated by the owner, but obviously I'm in the minority there.

My boys are quite straight and they are generally the only ones gleefully sitting with the girl dolls, of which Dennis informs me there are not nearly enough of ... ;)

[eveshka]

I've had many people think that my El Xelander is gay. The only one in the resin household who even hints at being otherwise is Jedah... and he's mostly hot air, just saying it to get a reaction out of Xelander.

I did have one person ask me if Rin (my OD So Ye) was dating Jedah and after I got over the heebie jeebies, I informed them that she was his daughter (read: boss), and I certainly hoped not!

[AreeElf]

Thank you!

AHAHHAA don't feel bad, I do exactly the same thing!

not from me you don't. I think everyone's ded from the cute when you post your gals on LJ.

Yes that's why I take a billion shots, to choose one that's just right. Its so much easier now than with film. I can try different angles or a billion of the same just in case some weird ambient light thing happens.
Makes me feel better. I do love the era of digital film

I love posting pictures of my dolls in my LJ, but on forums I am always a little more wary. I too have had many unsolicited offers from people wanting to buy my dolls, and I must admit, it is very off-putting.

The thing that really gets me though (and puts me off the most) is people assuming that my male dolls are dating each other. I;ve had people complaining about my dolls being straight, even and once had someone tell me that my El and my Banji made a lovely couple, which actually really upset me!
I feel very uncomfortable reading when people post those type of suggestions to other owners. I for one prefer straight dolls. Why can't male dolls be just close friends or brothers. People should be allowed to decide the orientation of their dolls not be suggested to by others with yaoi preferences


Eveshenka and Guide I guess with the unsolicited buy offers it must be more prevalent with full size SD dolls of a certain mold. I know El is quite popular now Guide is he the one that you get lots of offers for or another mold?

[Ridgeway]

I have a couple of reasons for not posting my pics.

The first is that once I'm done taking pictures for orangebabydolly, I feel pretty tapped out and it takes days to feel like picking up my camera again. By the time I feel like it, over a week has passed and there are only a few days left before I get the next batch of jewelry. Most of those pictures are only seen for a few seconds by the people that buy the jewelry and then they are never seen again. I don't get much feedback for my contributuion to the company so I don't really know if people even like the images. :sweat

My second reason is odd. I just feel like some doll types are so spammed already that I don't want to throw another one to the fray. I almost never post pictures of my Bermann or El. (I certainly don't want to seem like I'm waving my luck at getting a Bermann in people's faces.) When I do post, it's usually my most obscure types so that people can see something different, like Omicron or Cyn.

[Brightfires]

I used to post a lot of pictures of my dolls, but after awhile they all started to look the same to me. The pictures got boring, and I liked fewer and fewer of the images every time I went out... I also got tired of some of the comments that were made about them and about me when I posted, and I lost patience with some of the attitudes that I ran into on the forums.

Taking pictures just isn't fun to me anymore, and that completely kills the point of doing it.

[gabriel]

...When it comes to posting on forums, however, I usually think twice. I am reluctant because I am strangled by the conviction that my photos are boring. I never seem to be able to vary my style or the way the boys pose, and I am not technically competent with my camera which is most definitely not a digital SLR. I am reluctant to post something I believe other people will consider to be less than attractive or less than creative. It's not that I don't enjoy seeing my own photos because I do. However, I do refrain from assuming that what I like to see is also what other people like to see.

Posting in forums also "exposes" me. I hate to use the word "popularity" but I can't think of another. I'll put it another way: why post your doll photos on a forum unless you want feedback on them? Some kind of response? I don't think it's unreasonable to assume this since all forums offer such an easy way of getting feedback from your peers in the hobby. By posting photos on a forum, I feel I am exposing myself to the possibility of feedback (or rather, the lack thereof, which is a far more terrifying prospect), and I don't like the feeling of vulnerability that comes with exposing myself like that...
Actually, apart from the site you maintain, and the fact that I do own a dSLR
- although I don't seem to be very proficient at using it -
I identify with just about everything you've mentioned...
...hence I tend to limit myself to posting in LJ.

I figure that at least there, my f-list knows what it's in for. (Unfortunately!)

[Sola]

Ridgeway, if you never hear it, let me be the first to tell you: your photos for orangebabydolly are exceptional. I look at htem evne if i'm not buying, simply because they're lovely. :kisses

[sgtgeorgecarter]

The first is that once I'm done taking pictures for orangebabydolly, I feel pretty tapped out and it takes days to feel like picking up my camera again.


OMG those are your shots! please make a gallery! I love looking at both the jewels and the dolls. You really light things clearly and the dolls you pick are deliciously different!

[Guide]

I feel very uncomfortable reading when people post those type of suggestions to other owners. I for one prefer straight dolls. Why can't male dolls be just close friends or brothers. People should be allowed to decide the orientation of their dolls not be suggested to by others with yaoi preferences


Eveshenka and Guide I guess with the unsolicited buy offers it must be more prevalent with full size SD dolls of a certain mold. I know El is quite popular now Guide is he the one that you get lots of offers for or another mold?

Not just my El, but yes, he gets the most offers. I know El is popular (its a beautiful mold, after all), but I find it rude and rather offensive when people PM me and ask if I will sell him. Some of them are very polite about it, and I don't mind those so much, but some are just demanding, and they make me feel awkward.

And I agree- the suggestion of relationships when people comment is a bit off sometimes. It doesn;t happen all the time, but when people start imposing their ideas on your dolls it gets a little wierd (one girl told me to sell my Lishe, becuase my Yder would be better off dating my El. *_*)

[astrosnik]

I'm pretty guilty of looking through most of the galleries and not commenting. So often I see gorgeous photography and dolls, but don't want to just add another generic "Kawaii!" comment that will get lost in the fray and not taken seriously. I really like critique threads because it gives me the opportunity to rave about the aspects I like and also be constructive with suggestions. Photostories are something I tend to avoid, because the photography often suffers in concentration on the plotline. I don't really care to scroll past blurry shots because the owner doesn't want to reset a scene that came out wrong.

I rarely post photos anymore because my dolls are just not that interesting. There are thousands of Megu's out there! I'm not continuously buying more or just-released dolls that others might like to see, or buying them new stuff to show off. Some of my dolls have their original crappy faceup from 5 years ago that could really be redone before trying to show them off. >_> With moving into a house I'm hoping to have the opportunity to get a decent set-up for photos. Most of the people on my F-lists aren't doll-oriented anyway, so I try not to spam them too much.

[astrosnik]

Not just my El, but yes, he gets the most offers. I know El is popular (its a beautiful mold, after all), but I find it rude and rather offensive when people PM me and ask if I will sell him. Some of them are very polite about it, and I don't mind those so much, but some are just demanding, and they make me feel awkward.

And I agree- the suggestion of relationships when people comment is a bit off sometimes. It doesn;t happen all the time, but when people start imposing their ideas on your dolls it gets a little wierd (one girl told me to sell my Lishe, becuase my Yder would be better off dating my El. *_*)

This to me is just as creepy as someone declaring their doll should be boyfriend/girlfriend to yours. @__@ If I wanted to RP my dolls with yours, I'd be talking to you a lot first!
I think bothersome PMs are what started the trend of overlabelling photo shoots. We used to just put the doll mold, and now many galleries list the eyes, wig and clothing sources. I guess there's the distinction between using them as art galleries vs. shopping catalogues.

[lachlana]

I'll confess I love posting pix of my crew--I just never had an excuse to experiment with photography before and the dolls have given that to me. But it is a frikkin LOT of work! >,< Taking the pix is fun, but then it's hours of formatting and uploading and coding and posting etc etc, and it really sucks the wind out of me (especially photostories that I can never keep under 50 pictures XD) Lately it feels like too much work :( And I also tend to get paranoid that if I don't have something new and exciting to put in the pix, then they'll feel recycled, and I'm afraid that some of my dolls are being quite ignored by my camera for that reason. I love my El to pieces, but I don't think I've taken any pix of him in quite a while. It's actually something I want to get over, because heck--I've spent the money on them to enjoy right?

[avacado]

I have had people ask my why I haven't posted pictures of my guys in compromising positions. Which is a very strange thing to get randomly one day. And then people are surprised when my guys aren't gay.

[Obscurity]

I think my reluctance to post pictures comes from a combination of laziness and intimidation, and I think that also applies to my overall trouble with keeping up any sort of decent BJD related website.

I have serious issues when it comes to feeling inadequate or what have you, so when I scan through the gallery and see amazingly inspirational things posted, I'll usually try to vaguely imitate or draw from whatever about the style I like, and I usually fail miserably - Which leads me to just get frustrated with myself and give up entirely. I do the same when it comes to sewing outfits for my boys, and it's become a very tragic sort of cycle x_x

I don't think of myself as being completely hopeless, though - I've been feeling pretty inspired to start working with my site and sewing again, so hopefully that will bring about some photos I'll actually be happy enough to post.

[Ridgeway]

Ridgeway, if you never hear it, let me be the first to tell you: your photos for orangebabydolly are exceptional. I look at htem evne if i'm not buying, simply because they're lovely. :kisses

OMG those are your shots! please make a gallery! I love looking at both the jewels and the dolls. You really light things clearly and the dolls you pick are deliciously different!

I've only heard from my business partners and maybe a couple other people that they like my pics for orangebabydolly. Usually people gush over the jewelry (which I can't complain about, that's what we sell) or squee over St. James' dolls Kaspar and St. James. Thanks for the support, you made me all misty. :cry

I did help get the subforum of DoA called Paid Works started, but people are just treating it like another sales technique. It's not at all like I intended. It's not supposed to be one giant on-going thread for each business, but new posts each time you have something you want to share. I'll continue to use it as I intended, but it seems my posts get lost amongst all the big bold flashy brand captions. When we have our website up, I'll finally have a place to put all my stuff.

[Bel]

I pretty much only post my photos on my Lj, because I'm not a great photographer and my friends forgive me when I suck. :) I use my best portraits of each doll in the DoA database thread, but for the most part, I don't bother posting in public galleries because my pictures just aren't good enough. (This isn't me fishing for compliments, I'm just very critical of my own pics.)

[rottenlullaby]

I usually post to my photoblog only. I used to post to the DOA gallery a long time ago..but the sound of crickets made me stop. (so sgtgeorgecarter i feel your pain) I dont nessicerly need a bunch of comments..but I cant help but wonder why, I mean I'm a decent photographer..My camara isnt A DSLR but its good and I have formal photography training. I mostly chalk it up to the fact that since my dolls aren't goth or lolita or the most popular molds they don't get attention. Its fine with me. As long as I still enjoy taking my pictures.


Oh and Ridgeway your pics are beautiful..I do spend time looking at the pictures even when I'm not buying as well.

[Cynthia]

Oh, dear. As people on my LJ flist know (and they're probably rolling their eyes already), I love taking and posting pictures of my dolls there, and I don't feel much shame about posting repetitive ones or technically imperfect ones as long as I think they're interesting.

But I hardly ever post on forum galleries for two reasons.

For one thing, I don't have popular or sought-after dolls. I like oddballs, and slowly (after listening to many generations of crickets) it's been pounded into my head that forum peeps in general don't want to look at Minawadou Saikis or Bella Auden or an Aoi-Tuki Izayoi. Oh, maybe once, as a curiosity--but the second set of pictures is always met with total indifference. Since I have an outlet I enjoy on LJ, I figure there's no reason for me to take up forum bandwidth; there are plenty of other pictures that people DO enjoy seeing, and want to comment on. More power to 'em.

Honestly, though, the main reason I don't bother to post is the reciprocal commenting, social element of forum picture posting. I don't make the time or expend the energy to post comments on lots of other people's gallery pictures, so, really--it's fair enough when people ignore mine. I don't even manage to keep up with LJ all the time; staying current with forum comments is way beyond me.

[Ayaka]

Wow, this thread is making me kind of sad. Of course, I don't think anyone should feel like they HAVE to post photos of their dolls; I have a friend with a lot of dolls, and I love seeing them (cross country, we don't get to visit much), but she doesn't take photos very often. I respect that we enjoy our dolls in different ways, and I think that's fine!

But I AM saddened that there are people who might want to share photos but have gotten intimidated out of doing so. Not that I don't feel that way a lot, too, but . . . ah, I don't like to see vocal minorities turn off the quieter, possible majority! Fortunately I've never had anyone say anything offensive to me when I've posted photos, so maybe I don't understand how that feels. But communities are built by the people in them, right? So if we make an effort to post more, we can change the nature of the community (it seems to me). Maybe on DoA that's too much of a drop in a very large bucket - but we have an opportunity here, right? Let's not waste it! *gives everyone a pat on the back* Post your photos! A lot of people like "unpopular dolls"! A lot of people like heterosexual love, or just friendship (or whatever!). I hope that maybe there's a way to have a positive feeling of sharing for those who appreciate it - not trying to win an impossible (and pointless) popularity contest.

It seems that there are two options to overcoming "the cricket effect" - 1) don't let the lack of comments scare you away, post it for a the few people who might enjoy the photos even if they don't reply; 2) comment more on other people's photos. I agree about not wanting to just say "hey great shot!", I always try to come up with something more, like "I really like how you framed this shot". It makes a huge difference to me to get even one comment - so I'm trying to remember to work harder to say something when I see images I like.

[carawen]

I'm not so much afraid to post photos, but I worry about posting certain dolls together. Most especially when it comes to Blake and Bou, my Harang twins. I'm worried about getting 'twincest' comments about them, and I'm afraid it would be even worse if I add Blake's daughter into the mix.

[greeniebone]

I have never posted a photo thread on DOA; there is simply too much going on there for my fairly average photos to get noticed. However, I am more than happy to throw tons of photos at everyone on Flickr and our local BJD forum.

For all the people who have posted here about never showing photos of their dolls on forums--why not give this new forum a try? This place seems so laid back, and the members seem enthusiastic and friendly. I bet if you posted a gallery thread here, you'd get more response than you expect! ;) I know that I plan to try it!

[Bel]

Oh, yeah, that's another thing - I don't take very exciting pictures. I tend to do portraits, and only portraits, and four different headshots of the same doll = boring.

Ridgeway - I LOVE your photography and have gushed about it to St. James. I also am blown away by how much *work* it is.

[Mela]

I tend to keep my doll photos - when I do share them - to my doll community on LJ. I don't think I've posted photos on DoA in...forever. I don't get many comments, and the people whose opinions I want, value, or otherwise care about probably have me friended on LJ and will comment there. I don't want to see all the random strangers who didn't bother to stop by my thread or who just didn't bother to comment. <.<; As someone else said, it's almost worse when people don't comment than when they just comment by rote "oooh...she's very pretty!".

The gallery is one of the places I frequent the least. If I'm in fangirling over your dolls, I'll bookmark your website, friend you on LJ, or drop you a PM.

It's hard, in this hobby, when you see someone with the same doll, same photos, etc. (and even worse when the doll or the photos are horrid) get 50 comments on their picture post to your 1 or 2 comments. It's a rejection, even if people don't realize it that way.

I think that's why I don't post pictures, ultimately. I love my dolls. I take great joy in them. But that joy is greatly diminished by the perceived rejection of others. So...I post my pictures where I know those who view them will enjoy them.

[River]

I love posting photos of my dolls on forums and DA alike, especially ones that I've spent a lot of time setting up/shooting/tweaking, I love to get feedback.

I must admit the most disheartening thing as others have mentioned is when you get a complete lack of responce and you're sat wondering why exactly you even bothered (even though I do get emense joy simply from taking the photos it's nice to have some validation of your hard work).

One thing that does annoy me massively though, particularly about posting my photos on DA is the complete and utter lack of anything beyond a 'They're so cute!' or even worse a 'Cool!'. I'd rather have my technique & composition etc commented on than how said dollie is soooo pretty, especially when they're posted on a supposed art site.

That doesn't bother me so much on forums since I know people are only really going to be looking at the dolls. What does get to me about that though is how you could post a single badly lit, blury shot of a popular mold and get ten times as many comments than a series of shots that you've put your heart and soul into simply because the doll isn't popular but I realise thats just life, people are there after all to admire dolls they like.

[OddEthics]

I like to post but I think it's going to take awhile before I get something else up. I enjoy sharing my pictures and commenting on other peoples. But usually I don't get a lot of comments or advice, which I'd love. I like making my photography better.

Plus, when the threads about companies come up or specific dolls, I get kind of intimidated. I've seen CP dolls bashed by people I like so I get turned off from posting my dolls. I rarely show my El and my Lishe. I mean, I'd feel bad to subject people to more "generic El's". xD But that's just me. I know not everyone will like ALL dolls but it's disheartening. I'm not really interested in the younger wave (immature) giving my comments like, "HE'S SO HAWT." But CP's are popular among them... soo..

[Osaka]

I used to post pictures of my dolls, and I used to get a few responses. But, as the fandom grew, my posts got lost in the shuffle. It doesn't help that I have very average, guy-next-door kind of guys. *I* find them utterly delightful, but it seems that most gallery-peeps want over-dramatic, over-wrought yaoi lovefest. My oddballs don't fit into that at all. So, cue the crickets. ^^;

I want to share, but I also don't want to be completely ignored because my crew isn't done in the popular style. (I'm pretty sure my Lishe Valletta would be extremely unpopular, because she's inspired by the "spoiled celebutaunte" cliche. ^^; )

[pinkhare]

I love taking pictures of my dolls. Sometimes it can get a bit depressing when you get no comments , so I started posting my pics mostly on flickr. Because flickr is a photo site I get more responses and it's nice to have to write anything ,just post the pics.

[byakkoya]

Good question indeed. And I feel I must comment because I'm guilty of doing this.

I don't feel my photos are being looked at, so why bother posting them? I feel that know one cares and that maybe they aren't good enough for public viewing (even though most of the time, I think they are decent.) I don't know, to be honest.

I can't remember the last time I posted any photos on DoA. Recently I've stuck to just posting in my LJ. There is a sense of closeness on LJ (unless you have 100+ friends and you can't keep up with them.) I don't like doing it and I'd like to share my photos on the forum as well, but there's something about feeling ignored that I don't like. I don't strive to be a celebrity or anything of that nature, but to be acknowledged would be quite nice. Isn't that what a forum is for, to discuss and give feedback, etc? Of course, no one is forced to comment, and though some comments get tiresome and repetitive, it's still nice to get them. :sweat

[Wotan]

I've got several reasons I don't post many pictures.

First, I haven't had the best opportunity. I got a better camera finally (thanks again, Osaka!) but I got it this summer, and it's been hot and dry for the past three months. I've got nowhere good to take pictures, unless you like seeing wilted yellow plants as a backdrop. :sweat

Second, I don't have good props/clothes yet. I'm still trying to get together a wardrobe and a "room" for the dolls. Most of the shots I'd like to take are still beyond what I can do, just from the standpoint of not having all that I need.

Third, I'm on dialup. :tantrum The payoff compared to the amount of time it takes to upload pictures is really, really poor, especially since it involves doing posts on 2+ sites at pretty much the same time.

Finally, the most significant reason. I own three dolls, all of which are girls. You get crickets for posting straight boys? I can't even get the crickets to show up. ;) I don't think it'd be hyperbole to say I'm alone in the wilderness here as a hetero male. By and large, the community here likes boys-- what kind of males might differ, but the basis is the same. I just don't have much of interest to offer.

I'll eventually get around to doing some photostories, because I think I've got an odd enough sense of humor to get a couple of laughs. I don't think I'll ever do many plain Gallery posts, though, mostly for the final reason.

[crazybatt]

There are a few reasons I don't post. Mainly it's because I'm extremely lazy with posing. I've had my girls almost a year and I still can't make my big girl do much more than stand. So, uninspired posing kills it for me.

Other than that, there are several issues. Lighting is one. My inside lighting kind of sucks, and I'm either at work or too lazy to drag everything outside. Speaking of, lazy. That's it for me too. I'm also too lazy to flip through all my camera settings and get it completely figured out. The camera itself is pretty good, it's just the user behind it. XD;

As for not getting comments, I don't really care about that too much. My girls aren't the most popular molds, and I always figure that there are plenty of people out there like me. Look plenty, but don't post much. After about 10 'CUTE' comments, I figure it's all been said and done. :D

[Eiko82]

Finally, the most significant reason. I own three dolls, all of which are girls. You get crickets for posting straight boys? I can't even get the crickets to show up. ;)

Same here. I own 4 girls and very often, I don't get much response on my photos. It's not just on DOA either. It's almost everywhere I post my photos.
It annoys me at times but it hasn't stopped me from taking photos.

[Lizzard]

I don't post a lot of pictures -- I just don't have time to take them often! But even if I did, I'm not sure how often I would post. I enjoy my dolls for themselves, and don't feel the need to validate their worth by posting photos all the time. I don't expect other people to be as enamored of them as I am, or to be interested in my mediocre photo skills.

That said, I have posted some bare-bones picture threads, and I admit it felt nice to receive a positive response. But at the end of the day, I don't want to be addicted to that response. When it starts being about the attention and less about the dolls themselves, it's time to get out of the hobby, IMHO.

[nakitama]

Big kisses for Valetta and June :kisses

Oh, yeah, I don't post photos as much as I used to because I don't have enough time. Uploading and resizing them is such a chore! I usually won't post photos unless the doll is new or got some friggin' amazing new faceup. When I do post photos I get a good amount of replies, but it's so not worth the hassle unless I feel REALLY excited about a new doll.

I figure, "eh, I know what they look like. Isn't that enough?" XD

[bunnydots]

I don't like to post photos for the following reasons:
1) I am very busy and rarely have time to take photos.

2) My camera needs to be replaced and at this point, I would rather spend money on dolls and materials for my art classes than on a new camera, although I'll probably replace it sometime.

3) The lighting in my house is currently not good and it's kind of a hassle to set up good lighting or take dolls outside, especially when, again, my camera is pretty crummy.

4) Overall, I don't enjoy photography as much as I enjoy some art forms. This may change in the future, but my participation in doll forums is really about me doing things to/for the dolls, not taking photographs to show off what I've done.

5) I feel like there's currently a glut of doll photography out there, so even if I took the time to snap some great pictures, it would be sort of adding a grain of sand to the mountain top. A whole lot of the photography threads don't seem to even get looked at, so why waste time doing it unless you truly love photography so much that you'd do it even if no one looked?

6) To a certain extent, I'd rather not advertise what dolls I have at any given moment - I don't want to be contacted by people who want to buy them, and I don't want to hear comments from people who are upset because they see I outbid them in an auction for a particular doll.

7) Finally, overall my enjoyment of the dolls is really about me and my doll, together. It's not about what the community thinks of my doll. Photography, unless it's just me and my friends looking at it, is more about community sharing than "me and my doll", and thus seems extraneous.

[feral5]

I love to take pictures of our dolls. Before taking fashion, I majored in classic darkroom photography, so a chance to do what I love is always appreciated, though I know I've got lots of room for improvement! The biggest issues here is I don't have the fill lights/ect that I would like to really make my photos pop, but I putter on, trying anyway.

I will always post my photos to all the forums and communities I think will take interest. I crosspost shoots to DoA, LJ, and DoD. I find that on places like DoA, my input is generally lost in the fray, which is fine for me. It's really just an archival thing imho. It's smaller venues like DoD and LJ that I really enjoy posting to. In places like that, I know I can get honest input from people I respect, know, and consider my friends. And that feels a heck of a lot better then letting a gallery post be swallowed by the masses on overcrowded forums. ;D

[Anielle]

I love to take pictures of my dolls, they aren't always the best, but I like them:)
I tend to post them to my flickr, and my local board, since that's where my friends see them and at least seem to enjoy them! On doa they just seem to get lost immediately.

[lyrajean]

I like posting pictures of my dolls, despite the cricket noises... despite the fact that when I began with BJD I did not have a digital camera I do now but it is not a DSLR, and I would spend $ and hours developing film and scanning.

It gets worse the bigger a forum is I think. Unless you have the newest or the most popular doll, the posts get ignored.

I remember when DOA was a yahoogroup and still a small forum.

It felt nice because you were sharing with people you knew -at least online.

I'd get remarks like "Nice to see Kai again" or "Finrod's my favorite Elf Shiwoo,"

It made it worthwhile. Also there are other people's BJD families that I follow either because I like the owner's tastes, or they always put up interesting photoshoots, etc... Now I have some real met in person BJD friends and I follow their stuff as well.

It has been hard; especially since until this summer I did not have a good connection to the web. Restraining picture size etc. for the benifit of others seems to have gone away with broadband.

Ironically my sewing projects seemto get the least attention... That is perhaps what I am most proud of. I suck at photography!

[Lolly]

Unless it is a super special, rare, or just released doll I am reluctant to post.
The cricket noise is a huge factor.

[Fyredancer]

Reluctant to share photos of my dolls? NEVER! I am only limited by my time and energy constraints. In that, when I have the time, I don't have the energy; when I have the energy, I don't have the time!

I wish I could post more photos.

...And I have never gotten a single unsolicited offer to buy one of our dolls. I've been asked what mold, who did the face-up, what company, what wig, etc. But never "can I buy him??" I've HEARD about this phenomenon, and it always makes me wonder what person would be so ill-mannered as to inquire.

[eveshka]

Yes, one thing that bothered me was the crickets... or sometimes the lack thereof. I recall clearly a request for critique I'd posted for a faceup. Over 100 views, and no replies to help me learn to paint a doll properly.

The doll has since been handed off to a faceup artist and I've given up painting my own. Any that still have my paint on them will be getting new faces soon.

[erushi]

I certainly take more than I post, and I usually just post on my LJ. I don't quite like posting photos because I tend to feel really horrible about their quality (or lack thereof). And sometimes, posting something you think looks good after having put in a lot of effort, only to get nil responses, can be rather demoralising.

[onnawufei]

I love taking pictures of my dolls and am most definitely not reluctant to post their pictures but I am reluctant to post certain pictures. If I dare post my MNF Shiwoo with another boy mini people automatically think he's gay. I've posted him with my Sram and people thought they were together. I've even had people think he was paired up with my Elf Pepe who is seven. Apparently Tycho just attracts weirdness. I tend to be rather hesitant to post him with... most anyone really... unless I don't mind people assuming they're together.

[miss sha]

I used to really not like taking pictures of my dolls, because I would tend to get such a small response, or I just, in general, wasn't pleased with what I was producing. But now that I have my Riley, who I absolutely adore and love to photograph because she's gorgeous to me, she tends to get a lot of attention when I post pictures of her, and because of that I'm encouraged to post even more. Now if only I could get her damn hand fixed so I COULD photograph her. XD

I'm a bit worried that whenever I get around to getting Julien, Riley's brother, that I'll get a lot of comments about what a cute couple they are. D: D: D:

[Kaighn]

I love taking photos of my dolls, but I'm always shy about posting them. I know I have lighting issues, and lately my hands aren't steady enough so my camera will focus on some weird detail instead of what I want it to focus on.
And then when I do like something enough to post it outside of my LJ I don't get any feedback on it. It makes sharing difficult.

I don't mind sharing in the request forum though because I know how hard it is to find specific things sometimes and I'm happy to help out if I can.

[thesaraghina]

Wow, I must be one of the only people who doesn't mind a simple "Very nice!" or "Cool doll!" comment. :sweat Yes, a thought-out reply is more satisfying, but I appreciate any comment that someone took the time to make. :)

That said, I post a ton of photos, largely to my LiveJournal. I don't post on forums nearly as often as there, because I like to attempt to make a forum post a little more substantial/higher quality than the pictures I'll post every day over on LJ, so that it will be interesting enough for people to look at and won't get lost in the masses of posts quite so quickly. Plus, the people on my LJ are generally on my friends list because they're interested in seeing my dolls anyways, and I hope they don't mind the constant spam I'm putting up. XD;

I've never had to deal with people asking me to sell them my dolls, though. Oo; It seems a very odd thing to do, though I can't see it keeping me from posting with the frequency I do.

[Edtel]

I don't post them because when I have, the cricket noise has been overwhelming.

I post in smaller venues like their LJ or their website.

This is exactly why I don't usually bother posting in large galleries. I think my record for comments on a gallery post was three. I've posted a few more photostories/photos on the local doll board where people know my dolls in person with a bit better results on ocassion, and even more in my LJ. I'm also less likely to censor myself in their LJ. Lack of comments on my LJ don't bother me, because I have that journal more for my own enjoyment than anyone else's. I'm not all up for attention whoring, really, and I really don't care if I'm the only person who finds my dolls beautiful, but it still is a bit discouraging to get absolutely no reaction whatsoever on the big forums where there are so many other doll lovers.

[Loki]

I adore taking pictures of my crew. I think it's the best thing about the hobby actually, that it's gotten me into photography. Not that I actually know much about technique or lighting or any of the technical things, but I really like setting up a shot, and then being able to look at them on the comp later and see what worked and what didn't. And I'm also happy to be able to get better at it! Looking back at my old photos causes massive cringing. ^^;

I started out doing a mass of photostories, and really enjoyed them, but recently I've only done photoshoots. I think it's been over a hear and half since I did a proper photostory! It's just a lot more work and effort, to set up, think out the plots and write things. Even if I actually DO the shoot, it takes me weeks to format and type it up.

I do enjoy randomly taking my dollies out and doing a few shoots though. I don't have a set up, so I just put them where I fancy, when I do. If there are some nice shots resulting, I generally DO post them, because for me the photos are a major part of the hobby. Seeing others and sharing my own gives me a lot of enjoyment. It is disheartening when there are crickets, but I keep posting anyway, because I enjoy them. I think it's hard on DoA too, where the gallery goes by so quickly that your post can be on the second page in an hour. ^^;

I'm extrodinarily pleased to see some of the gallery posts that are coming up here though - I hope they continue. ^_^ I'm getting to see photos of dolls I adore by people that don't often share, so it's very nice!

[byakkoya]

I certainly take more than I post, and I usually just post on my LJ. I don't quite like posting photos because I tend to feel really horrible about their quality (or lack thereof). And sometimes, posting something you think looks good after having put in a lot of effort, only to get nil responses, can be rather demoralising.

I concur wholeheartedly. :cry That's another thing. Sometimes you bend over backwards to make great photos and it's no one gives a hoot. And it's worse when you feel really good about them, only to have no one comment...it gets more than a little discouraging I must say. However, I'm slowly learning to try and not care about responses...sorry if I come off as bitter, I'm striving to develop a tough skin. :sweat

[byakkoya]

Wow, I must be one of the only people who doesn't mind a simple "Very nice!" or "Cool doll!" comment. :sweat Yes, a thought-out reply is more satisfying, but I appreciate any comment that someone took the time to make. :)

That said, I post a ton of photos, largely to my LiveJournal. I don't post on forums nearly as often as there, because I like to attempt to make a forum post a little more substantial/higher quality than the pictures I'll post every day over on LJ, so that it will be interesting enough for people to look at and won't get lost in the masses of posts quite so quickly. Plus, the people on my LJ are generally on my friends list because they're interested in seeing my dolls anyways, and I hope they don't mind the constant spam I'm putting up. XD;

I've never had to deal with people asking me to sell them my dolls, though. Oo; It seems a very odd thing to do, though I can't see it keeping me from posting with the frequency I do.

Hehe...as do I! .....but I rarely even get those. :o
But anyway, I think I love seeing your photos just as much on LJ. And the doll pr0n is always nice. :XD
*:heart 's Vaughn and Nomiki*

[roundtuit]

I take a ton of pictures of my dolls, but if I'm going to post them somewhere I usually do it on deviantArt. My dolls aren't anything extra special (popular molds, default face-ups, only one good outfit each) except to me. Sometimes I'll get a photo I'm really proud of and I'll post it on a doll forum only to have nobody say anything about it. I don't care too much about comments, but it is still nice to get them after all the effort was put into the photograph. I was very surprised to have received as many comments as I did on the couple of pictures I posted here in the gallery.

[Shankula]

I have a hard time with insecurity--what if nobody comments, what if nobody likes my dolls, what if its boring...basically projecting my own feelings of inadequacy and self doubt onto my doll and pictures. It sure sounds silly when I'm reading my own text here, but its almost like if nobody comments on my pictures, subconsciously it feels like nobody likes me--and it is lonely, but safer, to just not post them at all.

That said, I FORCE myself to post them, even when I am feeling anxious. If I don't post them, how can I ever give someone a CHANCE to get to know me and like me/my dolls? Self isolation=lose.

[kellyhime]

It sounds odd, but my reason for posting most of my photos on my LJ is because my dolls are very personal to me. They are like friends and children and I started to feel strange sharing their lives with so many strangers on the big forums. I felt more comfortable getting just a few well considered comments from people on my flist than a bunch of "cools" from people who I didn't know or worse yet, seeing that hundreds of people had looked at the pictures and said nothing at all.

However, I'd like to change that by posting my pictures more often on this forum. I'm already getting a more open and friendly feeling and feel much more comfortable about sharing my pictures here.

[pas]

I take photographs and post them because it's something I enjoy. I'm by no means the best photographer. I know next to nothing about the manual settings on my camera, and have never taken a photography class. Most of my photos are headshots because I really need to improve my posing skills. :sweat

Last weekend I took 200+ photos during a photoshoot session (I figured if I took that many there should be at least one decent image! ;)), but only edited/watermarked 16, and not all of those 16 made the cut to be posted. But I enjoyed doing the photoshoot, and those few images that passed muster made it all worthwhile, no matter what anyone else thought. Any comments I received were icing on the cake.

I can certainly understand why people wouldn't want to post photos, though. If people were offering to buy my dolls left and right I'd probably post less, or at the very least change where I was posting photos in order to spare myself the annoyance. And posting on a huge forum where your post quickly scrolls off the page and no one sees/comments can be discouraging. But maybe some of you reluctant photo-posters would be willing to give it another go on a smaller forum like this?

[BunnyChan]

For some reason I cant really stop myself from posting but, I have a lot of unique ideas for my dolls...And I make a lot of the things they have by hand. To be perfectly honest, I want to keep all my ideas for myself. I dont want somebody to look at a gallery post of mine and steal my ideas.

I also dont ever want my pictures taken and used somewhere else like a lot of those weird bootleg companies take pictures for-like they're entitled.

I also also dont want my stories made fun of when I post them. Photostories can have SOOOOOOOOO many differant opinions made of them. What's cool to me, might not be to somebody else....But regardless, I work REALLY hard on my stories, and a lot of them go deeper than just doll pictures. One story is just a photographic form of the 'book' ive been working on since I was a kid, and want to get published someday. I dont want people to think badly of my photos/work.

[nofunangie]

Haha! This is me too!
Lazy, lazy, lazy! :blush
There are a few reasons I don't post. Mainly it's because I'm extremely lazy with posing. I've had my girls almost a year and I still can't make my big girl do much more than stand. So, uninspired posing kills it for me.

Other than that, there are several issues. Lighting is one. My inside lighting kind of sucks, and I'm either at work or too lazy to drag everything outside. Speaking of, lazy. That's it for me too. I'm also too lazy to flip through all my camera settings and get it completely figured out. The camera itself is pretty good, it's just the user behind it. XD;

As for not getting comments, I don't really care about that too much. My girls aren't the most popular molds, and I always figure that there are plenty of people out there like me. Look plenty, but don't post much. After about 10 'CUTE' comments, I figure it's all been said and done. :D

[lulu]

I rarely if ever these days post anything in pics form to DoA purely because there's very little point. It never gets responses and the sheer volume of stuff buries it in minutes, so generally speaking, anything I do post goes onto the website or a smaller forum I belong to.

Plus, I to have had people offer me money, lay into me because my dolls ARE a couple etc, I have no time for that rubbish, I'll do what I like with my dolls and that's that LOL

[Crescent]

I love taking pictures of my dolls, I have a lot too. But when it comes to posting not so much, since I'm lazy and feel that I don't take great photos and when I post them I don't get much comments but when I do, I'm always happy. But hey as long as people look at them ^^

[Tereya Chan]

I certainly take more than I post, and I usually just post on my LJ. I don't quite like posting photos because I tend to feel really horrible about their quality (or lack thereof). And sometimes, posting something you think looks good after having put in a lot of effort, only to get nil responses, can be rather demoralising.

This is how I feel, in part. I don't feel demoralised by a lack of comments, I just don't feel like I take very interesting photos so I don't actually feel like comments are needed.

But I think one of the big things that's kept me from posting my dolls is how incomplete I feel they are. Okay, they all have heads, bodies, faceups and clothes, but they've still got a long way to before I'll feel like they really resemble their characters. I'm the same way with my art. I'll draw a single comic panel/page 50 times and never post it because it didn't really come out how I'd like. This is an issue I'm really trying to get better about.

[Bifrost]

Yeah, I usually am a little hesitant to post in galleries.
Really, it's that I take pictures more for myself and friends,
because I know I've a long road ahead of me in learning how to take good photos.
Most of what I do is portraits...with boring backdrops and not a lot of posing changes.
I know not everyone wants to see that, so I usually just stick to posting in my LJ & dA. ^^

I do post in galleries occasionally, if I feel particularly good about a shoot,
but usually I'll just post everything in my LJ and not even think about making a gallery thread.

I guess in the end, it's just me being very critical of my work (and somewhat shy). :sweat

[mikaeel]

I don't post many photos of my doll on forums, I mainly post photos of him on my lj. I suppose it can partly be down to laziness and because I didn't feel I really got a response. I know I shouldn't really care (and I'm starting not to) but I sort of find it hard.

I'm lucky that I don't get any PMs asking if I'd sell though.

[Xi-feng]

I have a hard time with insecurity--what if nobody comments, what if nobody likes my dolls, what if its boring...basically projecting my own feelings of inadequacy and self doubt onto my doll and pictures. It sure sounds silly when I'm reading my own text here, but its almost like if nobody comments on my pictures, subconsciously it feels like nobody likes me--and it is lonely, but safer, to just not post them at all.

That said, I FORCE myself to post them, even when I am feeling anxious. If I don't post them, how can I ever give someone a CHANCE to get to know me and like me/my dolls? Self isolation=lose.This is exactly how I often feel, actually (especially the forcing myself to post them, anxious or no part) I'm quite happy to spam my stuff on LJ and in the DoA photostories section, but I often waver before posting things up in the DoA gallery (and even here I've posted two threads and ended up just hitting the submit button because I knew I'd chicken out if I didn't do it that instant! :blush) The way I see it is, you've just got to get yourself out there whether it's within your comfort zone or not. The very worst that can happen is that my post gets ignored... and, well, I can live with that too.

[onnawufei]

I started out doing a mass of photostories, and really enjoyed them, but recently I've only done photoshoots. I think it's been over a hear and half since I did a proper photostory! It's just a lot more work and effort, to set up, think out the plots and write things. Even if I actually DO the shoot, it takes me weeks to format and type it up.I've actually missed your photostories, though I understand. I haven't done a photostory in a while just because there's so much work involved.

[s2kitty]

I mostly don't post photos so much on DOA because I never get feedback. I don't post on LJ as much because I'm a lazy dork. Everytime I've posted on DeviantArt people comment that they will either steal said doll or wish to purchase said doll. I delete these comments because they are mildly offensive to me. Mostly though, it's that whole "I'm a lazy dork" thing. I get distracted, misplace my camera, don't have enough time, etc.

[sagejupiter]

For me, its a massive combination of hating my lighting because I don't get a chance to take pics till later in the evening, being lazy on the weekends, being massively busy all the time *_* Then there is the time one needs to touch up, resize, upload, etc.

But I will also admit in my heart of hearts, I place too much of my feelings into my dolls. When people around me don't like them, it feels like someone just squeezed my heart a bit. Having no one look at the pictures or care about them does the same to a smaller extent. Proof that for some of us, our dolls are reflections of ourselves.I'm anxious enough as is !!!:dead

[Dictator]

I am, very much so. But only because in order to get any comments I have to pout to my friends. It just seems very very pointless if no one gives a damn.
I know well that my photo's are not that great but I've seen worse with more comments and it's bothersome...
In the end it just seems like a damn good watse of my time.

[Sola]

I just don't have the patience to take good photos, to be perfectly honest. I certainly can - it's just not a top priority. And i don't have, or plan to get, anyone really unusual that i think people would want to see.


I do, however, love sharing my husband's photos of them. :oops He's an excellent photographer, and seems to have a gift for working with resin. He also loves to take pictures that are utterly and completely out of character, though. heh!

[MaddPuss]

I don't often post photos as often as I used to, when I first got my doll. Mostly cause I do surf the gallery section and am often disheartened by the sheer level of awesome and amazing dolls and posings. ;_; It reminds me that I'm not that good. I don't even post on DoA because of the number of people. I often get lost in the shuffle because I'm not known. I'm with sage on the putting too much emotion into the doll. Sometimes I take forever to post the beastie and in the end, he's lost in the shuffle, so I wonder if it's even worth posting pictures of him at all.

[CHISATO]

I don't post pictures in the DOA gallery because its usually pushed to the 2nd page as soon as I post the thread. I do however post a lot on my vox/lj because I do enjoy taking pictures of my dolls and I like for people to be able to find them if they want to see them.

[crazybatt]

Haha! This is me too!
Lazy, lazy, lazy! :blush

I'm glad I'm not the only lazy schmuck out there. ;D I need to just get it tattooed on my forehead.

That said, I love it when other people pose with my dolls and take awesome photos of them. =D

Ah, and to clarify, I'm the 'takes pictures (often repetitive), but doesn't post'. I have about 1,700 dollie pics on my computer right now. =x

[Tez]

I get reluctant if the doll isn't 'right' in my eyes. I am ridiculously picky about clothes, wigs, eyes, setup, lighting, poses...I look at my first couple of shoots/photostories and they make me cringe in embarrassment. There are so many gorgeous photos and dolls out there, it's quite intimidating.

That said, I've improved a lot with my pictures just in the past six months, and I know it. So I force myself to post them because a) I have a few friends who like to see them and b) it's a good earmark for me, to see how far I've come.

[ginarolo]

I love to take pictures of my dolls. But I hate posting to galleries. I would rather post to a thread about the dress style or the head mold.

I don't like going through galleries either. It's too general and takes too long.

I love going through something like a "bambicrony thread" and seeing just those dolls as I learn more about them.

Same thing with looking at a Masha thread or a FCS thread,.

[Bel]

I do the same as Ginarolo - for some reason, posting to galleries bothers me, and I don't look at them much, either. But I have no problem posting to, and enjoy looking at, pic-request threads and databases dedicated to certain dolls.

[Angelsfalling]

I haven't really posted any pictures of my crew anywhere, except for me working their resin buns off showing off my clothes. In that, I'm glad that my husband and I like mostly popular dolls. I feel that what we do with them and what their characters are is what makes them different. I'm intending to do some non sales photos of them, now that the main characters are here. One thing that made me a bit unhappy was that one of my boys had a face up I really, really hated when I took him to a meet, and guess who shows up in a large portrait shot from the meet? Sigh. But I'm not going to ask for it to be taken down, as it at least showed that someone else likes my boy, even when his face is messed up. ;)

But even in sale threads our boys have gotten comments, usually on how hot they are, so I'm not complaining! My husband is the one who posts at the big forum, and he's going to be, well, not shocked, but certainly amused if anyone starts making yaoi match ups in the crew. His boys are either straight or too tight to have a preference, but they'll flirt with anyone, and my two boys are bi/sorta/sometimes/maybe they're just flirting/it's a private thing and three of the crew are brothers, so really there are very, very few yaoi options here, but I'm sure that won't stop the matchmakers!

Ah well, can't wait to see what happens!

[brighnasa]

I'd love to post more pictures of my guys to the galleries, but there is this mysterious time-warp around photo taking.

By the time I've set up the lights, dressed, wigged and accessorized everyone, put up the background (or PSd it out), posed them, taken a million pictures (because I'm not a really good photographer and lots don't come out right), weeded out the good shots, and cropped, framed, and uploaded them to my site for display I'm tired, hours have passed, and my poor dog is crying to be let back in again, lol. Poor little wig thief.

It just takes so looong to do...

[Kiyakotari]

I take FAR more pictures than I post. But...well, as much as I LOVE the setup of my webspace, I have to upload each picture individually. And it gets to be kind of a pain. So I don't. :oops It's not so much a fear of posting as it is pure laziness. Though I do put more pictures on my LJ than up in forums (here, ConDoll, and DoA), but that's mostly because I don't like to make a whole thread just to share one or two pictures, and sometimes that's all I'm in the mood to post.

[Celebare]

I used to post all my photos, all the time XD When I first got Roo it was like, "Oh here's a crappy photo, but I'm gonna post it anyway 8D"

Now I'm a bit more selective. My photography hasn't improved that much, but at the very least I try only to post the best pictures of the lot 8D;

[elfinder]

I'll post photos but sometimes not all the ones I take. A lot of times I get so few comments if I do lolz. I post more on my lj most of the time......though right not I am in really bad need of a new camera. I can't take good photos half the time due to indoor lighting issues *sighs*

[kyubikitsy]

I think what holds me back is that I feel the photos I've taken (albeit somewhat few and far in-between) don't really meet my expectations. Because of my previous work schedule, I had found that the only time I could take photos was in the later evening and lighting was terrible. So instead of putting up a half-arsed photo, I'd rather take the time to make sure I had some worthy of showing?

It's been a habit of mine for a while - but I think I'm slowly getting better about just -doing- stuff rather than holding it for something better~ :oops

[Tiarah]

I tend to take a ton of pictures that never make it past the uploading to the computer stage. :P I post quite a few on LJ, every once in a while on DoA, and even less on deviantart. I have problems posting on DoA because of insecurities & not getting the comments (which really shouldn't be a problem, but when you get comments it feels good. ^_^). I post even less on DA because I view it as an art site to showcase artwork, and if my photos don't meet a certain standard, I refuse to post them there.

[celestia]

I guess i'd be reluctant to post photos of my dolls for public viewing for the sole reason that i'd be defamed for copying or stealing ideas or.. whatever.
I haven't been in this scene for a while; a lot of things i've planned or wanted to do have now been done. I've never ruled this out and don't ever plan to hold judgment against it. In fact, i love it because now it means i don't have to experiment to test if it works or not. If i don't like it; i never have to pull out the money for an out of pocket expense ;D

It just keeps me sane if i stick to one small relative group of friends whom we can all share ideas and methods, techniques and such. I know people who have taken my ideas and leave me with no credit in the past; but that's normal; who's to say they didn't come up with it either? Just because it seems so.
People who can't see that are obviously going to miss out and be restricted/close-minded/unlearned... why should i have to open their eyes? Best kept secrets are great because of that. They're only accessible if you really try and dig deeper than the mediocrity surrounding it.

But yes.. at that price, it also drives me insane when someone else does a crappier job and gets more praise for it due to their ring of friends; why bother posting photos if its a popularity contest?

That aside; amongst studies and endless portfolio works; I don't currently own a decent/suitable camera :P.. and that's been at the bottom of my purchase list forever; for the reasons stated above. These dolls are for me. Anyone who can appreciate them I will be *very* grateful to and i'd thank them for having the time to stumble upon them; but i'm not the least bit worried to sift everyone else out. I am worried about being accused for copying.. which is partly why i leave trails of un-updated information and superimpose somewhere else. heh.

[Songblade]

I don't post because I never have a good place or good lighting to do anything with my dolls :( I tried making a photostory once and every picture came out so dark and blurry I didn't want to try anymore.

[jaeninha]

*raises hand* I'm one of those who feel her skill with the camera is not enough, that the shots are overly-done and don't convey any sense of personality, or just plain boooooring. Is a bit frustrating when I have a clear idea in mind and I can't convey it through the photos, because lighting or any other factor is not right. But I always tell myself that with practice and good (and cheap) tools, things can work out for the best...

... Which brings me to my main problem. My main problem is that... I just can't find time! :o Is appalling, sad, depressing, etc, etc. the fact that whenever I get a bit of time, there's no sunlight anymore. And worst now that winter is approaching and days are getting shorter. :cry And plus... my apartment must have the worst window-placing ever. I can always do outdoor photosessions, but I haven't worked the guts to do so, much less doing it alone. :sweat

I feel very uncomfortable reading when people post those type of suggestions to other owners. I for one prefer straight dolls. Why can't male dolls be just close friends or brothers. People should be allowed to decide the orientation of their dolls not be suggested to by others with yaoi preferences

I feel the same too. Is like, whenever someone sees two boys together, automatically they're a 'couple'. The whole yaoi/slash/whatever-people-like-to-call-it really gets me on the wrong nerve, because none of my boys (and future ones that I have planned in mind) are gay. They're all like reluctant brothers. :oops

[CherryStreet~Sera]

I have a hard time with insecurity--what if nobody comments, what if nobody likes my dolls, what if its boring...basically projecting my own feelings of inadequacy and self doubt onto my doll and pictures. It sure sounds silly when I'm reading my own text here, but its almost like if nobody comments on my pictures, subconsciously it feels like nobody likes me--and it is lonely, but safer, to just not post them at all.

That said, I FORCE myself to post them, even when I am feeling anxious. If I don't post them, how can I ever give someone a CHANCE to get to know me and like me/my dolls? Self isolation=lose.

You speak the honest truth, I admire you for it.

I'm extremely reluctant to post pictures, or any information about my dolls for that matter. I mean, who even knows exactly what dolls I even have? I've been stuck in this unhealthy cycle, and I'm hoping to finally change it for the better, so I joined Resinality because it seems to be very community orientated. Which is a wonderful change of pace:cheer

Sera~

[Vampiresmama]

I have absolutely no problems with posting pictures of my resin children. I look at it as a chance at getting possitive feedback and the longer I look at it the more I can find ways to improve the next time I have a photoshoot. :)

[saranilla]

I never post photos, I am horrible with a camera. I feel especially insecure when I see the fabulous photos and faceups others do.

[sweetcoma]

Yes, i am very reluctant. Well, mostly because i don't think there is anywhere suitable for me to post my photos. I only have heads (without bodies) at the moment and all my photos are experiments that consist of heads only, and if you look at the galleries, there are only photos up of 'complete' dolls. So, until i acquire any bodies, i don't think i'll be posting on forums yet.

I do however, post on Flickr and Livejournal for my own reference, just to keep track of what i've done. Plus, a small audience is better than none? ^^;;

But i will never post my photos on Deviantart though, as i'm afarid of getting bombed with the usual 'what/where/how much??' type of questions.

[Vampiresmama]

... But i will never post my photos on Deviantart though, as i'm afarid of getting bombed with the usual 'what/where/how much??' type of questions.

Hmm I've been posting pictures of my dolls on Deviantart since I got my first one in April and have never gotten one note/comment asking about my dolls. (hehe just lucky I guess.) :)

[sweetcoma]

Hmm I've been posting pictures of my dolls on Deviantart since I got my first one in April and have never gotten one note/comment asking about my dolls. (hehe just lucky I guess.) :)

Really? You prolly are lucky :)

I've seen some poor people on there get questions like that in their comments. Then again, this was before they had the 'dolls and figurines' section available.

[St. James]

Yes, i am very reluctant. Well, mostly because i don't think there is anywhere suitable for me to post my photos. I only have heads (without bodies) at the moment and all my photos are experiments that consist of heads only, and if you look at the galleries, there are only photos up of 'complete' dolls. So, until i acquire any bodies, i don't think i'll be posting on forums yet.


I created a thread on DoA just for floating heads. :) Your avatar looks great!
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138248

[kirane]

It's not that I don't want to post pictures, but I'm rather lazy and feel that on top of this, their quality is not worth it. Moreover I've also gotten offers for my dolls after posting pictures and I just don't like it. You may think it's flattering, but it makes me feel like a butcher.

I've also noticed the popularity of goth-styled dolls. It's a bit disappointing for all the dolls who are not that way. I like my girls natural-looking and I won't change them for anything in the world. It makes me a bit reluctant to post ; I'm not a comment-whore but the sharing is less pleasing without any reaction from the other side ^^

[sweetcoma]

I created a thread on DoA just for floating heads. :) Your avatar looks great!
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138248

Ah yes, i've actually posted a few in your thread already and thank you :)

[kellyhime]

I created a thread on DoA just for floating heads. :) Your avatar looks great!
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138248

There are some amazing pictures on that thread! Now, I'm feeling less glum about having Seimei's brother's head be bodiless for a while.

[TammyTammy]

I don't collect the "trendy" dolls, so people have a tendency to just ignore my pictures out of lack of interest, so I rarely post any.

[Soula]

Reluctance is not my reason for not posting in galleries. If I'd post, I would have to keep checking for reactions, and respond to them. Then I would have to react to other people's pictures here too, out of courtesy at least. Etc., etc.
I've done this in another forum for a year or two, but it just took up too much time and got a bit repetitive (so cute/thanks for sharing, etc.).

Instead I do put up some of my doll pictures and information in the (DoA) databases, as I do hope to be helpful to others, as I've been helped by seeing owner pictures before buying. This way I feel quite free to browse galleries a bit, every now and then.

[BunnyChan]

I've done this in another forum for a year or two, but it just took up too much time and got a bit repetitive (so cute/thanks for sharing, etc.).


That's another one of the reasons why I dont post pictures a lot. There are only so many times you can say 'thank you' to the same comments over and over again before it just becomes an absoloutly meaningless string of words...I've started replying to people in threads I make collectively, picking out just the few people (if any) who I actually have something to say to besides "Thanks! :heart:kisses:):D"

I think so many people have become so sensitive about what people say about their dolls, and there was so much 'comment policing' on DoA that people dont know what else TO say beyond "zomg how cute!"

There's just....Nothing a person can say about another's photos without venturing outside that tiny little 'safe' zone that so many people insist on having. Its...BORING.

[Brightfires]

There's just....Nothing a person can say about another's photos without venturing outside that tiny little 'safe' zone that so many people insist on having.

That's actually a pretty good point, and may have more than a little bit to do with the "crickets" effect people mention. If all you can think of to say is "Oh, how cute!" it may not seem like it's really worth posting a comment at all... I know that's true a lot of the time for me, especially if there are already a few other comments saying essentially the same thing.

[bakayaro onna]

I love taking photos but it takes so much work to get them ready for posting and I only have so many hours in the day my health allows me to sit in front of the PC with Photoshop, and most of those hours are used up at work. My laptop lets me type while on my back (like now) but it has no photo editing program so I can work on my photos. I am SO backlogged with photos because I take so many and cannot get to them in a timely manner.

I love posting my photos, even when crickets chirp. My photos are for me first - me loving my dolls enough to want to photograph them. It's great when someone comments, but I never expect it. I know my guys are not members of the 'popular sculpt list' (except for my mnf Shiwoo elf) so I don't expect many comments. I am happy to not have very popular dolls - it makes them all the more special to me.

It's especially nice when photos have been out on the forum for months and suddenly someone makes a nice comment about the subjects in the shots or the clothes or whatever.

I just hope more people will feel comfortable posting photos here in the future.

[il_bello]

well...crickets...and the fact I have NO idea how to take photos and as such generally suck at it...and crickets...and the occasional snide comment of 'this would have been great if you hadn't...' ....have I mentioned crickets? XD Much smarter to just post on LJ with a few friends. Randomly, the crickets wouldn't bother me if not for the fact that I'm an easily embarrassed person. I don't care if people don't like a pic, but if people have viewed the post and thought it not worth saying even 'I hated it', then that's kinda...heh.

[Janne]

I really hate the crickets too. And find it a little embarrassing to bump my thread if it scrolls down too fast - that feels sort of desperate to me. * ^^*

I had gotten into the habit of just posting on LJ, but I'm actually looking forward to posting here - a smaller group, mostly composed of people I know (or have seen and admired and liked around the fandom.)

From the other side of things, I try to leave a comment when I can, but I don't always have time, even when I enjoy the post. But I'm really fine with either getting or leaving a short, nice comment. I'll comment about some aspect of the post I liked -or sometimes that I loved everything about it! *^^*

[Sakura]

I would love to post photos more often myself but I don't have a lot of time and space for photos of my dolls either or it's easier to post the few in my LJ as well. I definitely feel my photos are not always up to par with some of my favorite photographers in this hobby too so it seems to help the lack of time excuse too :sweat

[harolink]

Typically I'm a lurker and it takes a good amount of effort now to motivate myself to post pictures of my dolls or even post in threads. I'm actively trying to change that but when it comes to pictures, I have a much harder time. I certainly do get camera happy with them so it really isn't a problem with having a lack of pictures. I know I'm just protective of my dolls and haven't felt the urge to show them to people I don't know personally. I definitely get the jitters when I do post pictures and I've had crickets chirping loud and clear. It made the whole effort feel a bit pointless ^^; Maybe here I'll give it another shot.

[chibinezu]

I'm pretty much gonna repeat a lot of what was said here. I like to post but always get mildly discourage when i don't get comments. I mean i now own a Volk mold so am always guaranteed to get lots of comment on her but all my DoCs will get ignored completely regardless of how well i think i did with the photos.

I want to get more constructive crit on my photos but I'd like a general statement on my photo posts rather than doing it for individual photos by request..

[Kim]

I post pictures of my dolls sporadically. I'm not good with a camera and the entire process is generally one of frustration as I try to make what I see in my head or in person come through in the pictures. But I think my dolls are beautiful and I want other people to see that too, so I keep doing it. I'm more weird about keeping my dolls seperate from my other fandom stuff. I never post them to my LJ because I don't want my non-doll friends to see them or have to read about them, so if I want share with more than my 3 or 4 flisters who also collect dolls, I have to post to the doll forums.

I don't think I own any popular molds and my threads get a few comments but never pages like some people do, but it doesn't really bother me. Not out to be super popular. Been there, done that with BNFdom in other fandoms and it can be a royal pain.

What really drives me batty is people misconstruing my pics when I worked so hard on conveying something. Usually a bit wrong, but that's just the way I am. I did a shoot which was intentionally creepy and all I got were "how cute! they look like brothers!" >.>

[sgtgeorgecarter]

What really drives me batty is people misconstruing my pics when I worked so hard on conveying something. Usually a bit wrong, but that's just the way I am. I did a shoot which was intentionally creepy and all I got were "how cute! they look like brothers!" >.>

I think because that's the expected proper response there. And most places come to think of it.

[Kim]

I think because that's the expected proper response there. And most places come to think of it.

But that is like going "How cute!" to something intentionally creepy in any another medium.

[eveshka]

In the BJD world, I have noticed that things normally creepy... aren't.

[Xi-feng]

Kim, out of curiosity did you leave any notes at the start of the photoshoot saying it was intended to be creepy? If you did then I agree, that's a rather disappointing response (and just proves people don't read) but if you just gave the pictures with no context, well... as I'm sure we all know, BJD hobbyists are very attuned to the 'play nice' concept. People might well have found it creepy but not known that that's what you were aiming for, so rather than risking hurting your feelings they might have purposely gone for a rather more 'sugarcoated' response to the pictures? Just a thought, though it's hard to say without seeing the thread.

[gayle]

I like taking and sharing pics of my dolls. I particularly enjoy dabbling in photostories, as these dolls lend themselves so well to them.

As to comments, or not, honestly, it doesn't bother me either way. Some people like my stuff, and others don't, so what. I enjoy composing and sharing regardless of feedback I get.However, Like thesaraghina, I have no problem with someone just saying "cool" or cute doll.

I try to get around and comment on others work, but honestly, the photo boards on DOA are so huge, it's impossible to look and comment on everything. In light of that, I tend to
look at gallery posts of sculpts I like, as well as following stories of people whose work I appreciate.

[SolarCat]

I don't post many photos of my dolls, mostly because my photography skills aren't so good. At first, this just led to bad pictures, though I posted some of them anyway (mostly if they were funny). Lately, though, I've been working on improving, which has led to another problem - I take about a billion shots of my dolls, and there's really no way for me to post all of that. So then I try to find a few shots that I like out of the gajillion or so pictures I've just downloaded, but there's always some issue or other that I've got to photoshop out, and by the time I'm done with all of that... I just don't feel like posting the photos only to get... no response whatsoever. ^^;

I figure I'll just keep working, and eventually once I've got some skill and can get the shots I want a little more quickly and easily, then I'll feel like they're more worthy of posting. :)

[Udou]

Sometimes I don't post photos of my dolls on forums, just because while I enjoy taking the photos, I don't feel like they're on par with what I consider my 'good' work. ^^; And when I do post, I too feel like sometimes I fall into the trap of feeling discouraged because of lack of comments. I love taking pictures, and while I've told plenty of people that art, in the end, is mainly for you, well, art is also meant to be appreciated too. :3;

Also, sometimes when I do get comments, the monotone of the "oh how cute!" or "how pretty!" also can be a bit of a turn off. I like people being even handed with my photos, and I know my photography isn't perfect. :3 I like to hear what I can do to improve.

[Tsuminaki]

I posted pics more frequently a long time ago, before Vitta Vera and day jobs, and before the community got so large and blunt. I'm more reluctant to post now from a combination of burnout from sales pics, lack of time, depression, and a neurotic love for presentation and packaging. I like things to look perfect, with no aspect left out, and I know that though I manage to take nice pics in my estimation, they could be so much better. My camera sucks, my house lighting sucks, I never seem to have time to switch locations, I have no space for nice environments/studios, and I have very little time for the long accompanying writeups/validations I'm used to. I feel the need to give my girls more fleshing out than they generally end up getting. I dream up dozens of whole productions that get too big in my head to ever come out (story of my life).

I've taken tons of sales pics I love that literally no one ever sees, because I limit myself to a small number of pics for any release, lest I go crazy (I probably average about 200 photos per piece/faceup, cause I'm anal like that and my camera won't hold much more at a time). Some I'd really like to post, but don't want to be seen as ad spamming, because I don't want to instill the same annoyance in others that ad spammers instill in me. Up till now I've not bothered with the DOA paid works forum because despite well-intentioned guidelines it just seems like a big fat commercial, not really a photography showcase.

Only a couple of people seem to care when I post anything that's not sales-related, no matter where it gets posted, which is also disheartening. I guess it's a very minor expression of "comedian's sorrow," whereas one finds oneself acknowledged only for a specific aspect of one's life and otherwise invisible, affecting one's sense of self worth related to all the other aspects. If only we could always remember how inaccurate the sentiment is.

I also tend to project my own reactions to the rest of the community somewhat, as I suppose many do. Because there are now literally too many posts to care about, I'm pretty jaded and tired, I get annoyed when people seem to be spamming or when they post the same old thing constantly, and so I figure people are judging my photos in the same way and my standard for uniqueness/prettiness/an acceptable reason for posting raises too fast for me to grab at it, even when I like some things or when I *know* they're not on the bottom of the curve.

I am trying to save for better equipment, maybe that will change things somewhat. Long story short, I'm often not good enough for myself.

[LadyFeather]

Ive found that most people don't want to see dolls that aren't Volks, so why should I bother? I don't one one and don't intend to either. I love my dolls and that is enough for me.

[Wickedgood]

Short answer: I'm lazy.

No, really. For the longest time I had a several-years old Sony digital camera that was on its last leg, and in order to take pictures I had to pull out the cords so that it had power, which was a major pain in the butt. Now I have a (cheap) Kodak that takes decent pictures, so that's not a valid excuse anymore lol.

But also, my room is usually in a state of chaos. I totally don't want to subject my mess onto any unsuspecting viewer, so I usually don't take pics unless I make the bed and I can crop out any of my crap. I'd take outside pictures more often, but I am totally paranoid about my precious dolls yellowing.

But mostly it's because of procrastination. I'll try to be better :p

[Xi-feng]

Ive found that most people don't want to see dolls that aren't Volks, so why should I bother?I just have to pick this up as a rather strange statement, as personally I've never seen any evidence of this. I had my CP boy and DOT boy for almost a year before I got my first Volks boy, and he's actually the one doll I get comments on least often. That doesn't bother me - like you, I adore my guys regardless of what anyone else does or doesn't say - but I certainly find my non-Volks crew tend to garner far more attention than my two Volks dolls. You shouldn't let (what seems in my opinion to be) a misconception like this hold you back from posting pictures of your dolls - I'm sure the majority of members would love to see them, 'brand names' be damned ;)

[Nikittin]

Wow, I must be one of the only people who doesn't mind a simple "Very nice!" or "Cool doll!" comment. :sweat Yes, a thought-out reply is more satisfying, but I appreciate any comment that someone took the time to make. :)


Same here! I am thankful for the few seconds they took out to say something pleasant ^^

As for myself, the majority of my doll photos are posted on my LJ for my friends to see and comment on if they wish, but I do like to share on forums if I think something will be helpful or if I'm especially pleased with a set I've taken. I so enjoy viewing the doll photos on the different online places, I think it's only fair to share some of mine in return. (That also carries over with comments - I like to give as well as receive!)

[bagofspiders]

I load my flickr with photos, but I tend to shy away from posting them on most forums. I don't know that many folks in the larger communities, and really, the photos I take aren't all that great. I also have a bit of fear of not getting any feedback of any sort...and while I'm not trying to imply it is all a popularity contest or anything, it does sort of sting more if you are excited to show off a doll in a doll-centric forum and don't get any response, compared to on flickr or on livejournal. I tend to fear people think the photos are just plain stupid if they don't say anything, though that may or may not be the case. But, I'm paranoid.

[hotelobby]

...I want to do artistic shots but I lack the set and area for it. My life is lived by the letter and by the number. I am not allowed to leave the house for the sake of hanging out and just visiting places much because my mother was a former high ranking official in the judiciary. They're afraid for my safety and that I might do something embarrassing that'll tarnish their reputation.

Just recently I acquired a wig that makes him shine and look awesome but I've been so busy I can't seem to get the shoots. My house is quite boring and dull. Very quiet and lack of life and color. I would prefer to shoot in some wonderful historical place or some lovely outdoor area or a place of great importance to me than in my home. Though I will admit I miss taking indoor pics.

...Also when I take pictures of plants, trees and what not, my hand is steady and wonderful. I can even take good pics of people! But when it comes to him, my camera starts to muck itself up. T_T

onnawufei on a short conversation at GaiaOnline (I once passed by her thread in the R&C section) said that I probably need a tripod.

But the largest reason for my reluctance is...
I feel that my efforts would be in vain when I have a certain vision and I can't achieve it. I usually try my best to plan ahead of time or think of something out of the box for our shoots. I want to make things different. It is and has always been my goal to strive for something unique and individualistic. Uniqueness. You could say I'm a postmodernist. :P I'm frightened to just drift to the background as another uke faced shorter picture taking chica...

Though I'll admit that I feel that the image that I want to portray through my boy with our photos and sets are not marketable. Let's face it, there are popular images and cliches that just click well with the audience. There are some that don't.

[SDink]

I love taking pics of my dolls although I am no photographer by any means, I did learn how to take close ups for my commissions business so now I suck at taking full body shots :angry

I was at a meet up this last weekend and we were on a beach and everyone was taking pics of their dolls, mostly photographers, I felt really horrible because I am not a photographer and was not motivated to take out my camera at all but being there has inspired me to learn more about my camera and take better pics for occasions such as this. Also I was around some great photographers and that in itself was inspiring.

[Songblade]

I'm a bit lost. I'd love to surf the photo galleries, but I'm at a loss as to what to say besides "Cute boy you got there". Should commenters talk about the lighting and location? Posing? Anything that strikes their fancy? What if they want to say "The picture is too dark", would that be unwelcome? I try to comment with the usual pleasantries, but is more expected?

[catcooter]

I suppose if I am being honest I'd say because I'm lazy. I don't take many pictures of my dolls because I don't have the best photography skills. Even when I do take them then I never get around to downloading them. Just the thought of editing is downright scary!

[blackwing_dias]

Very simple. Threads are pushed backwards so fast, viewers don't know it existed. It as if you didn't post the thread at all, save for a few viewers who look up the threads pages backwards. To add salt to the injury, my doll is a standard D.O.C Yen, not a very catchy mould title to look through.

[River]

I'm a bit lost. I'd love to surf the photo galleries, but I'm at a loss as to what to say besides "Cute boy you got there". Should commenters talk about the lighting and location? Posing? Anything that strikes their fancy? What if they want to say "The picture is too dark", would that be unwelcome? I try to comment with the usual pleasantries, but is more expected?

When I post a photo on DA then yes, actual comments on the photos as well as the subject mater are what I'm aiming for. Endless "So cute!"s or "cool"s really do get very irritating after a while and don't help in the slightest when it comes to improving technique and the like.

On forums though I find it more acceptable, after all this and others are forums about the dolls not about the artistic value of the photos. It would be nice to get comments regarding the composition etc but that definately isn't what you're going to get.
I think though that simple "So cute!" comments show a lack of thought has gone into them. I recently had to hold myself back from making a rather sarcastic responce to one such comment because the poster was quite blatently only posting to get market place access, which I honestly find insulting.

[Taco]

I don't tend to post a lot of photos, though it's mostly for technical reasons. I started getting more interested in picture taking, but lost my access to a digital camera. I also have to haul my dolls somewhere else for photoshoots, since the lighting in my apartment is atrocious.

[Yulia]

I don't have much by way of reluctance to post... I usually crop the best few out of a couple dozen shots to post. I've worked to learn what I know about photography, most often through trial and error. That I usually know how I want a shot to turn out, and how my usual style of photography could work in its favour, helps, but not all the time.

But I've noticed that some of the shots I favour, are what my friends call 'art' shots. It doesn't show off anything except high contrast and odd angles, odd framing, etc. and can be hard to interpret; those are the ones I usually hold back or toss onto Flickr/LJ photodump.

What is hard for me is when I have a gorgeous doll, but a dead character. It's incredibly uncomfortable, somehow, trying to photograph such a doll, much less post anything. It feels like I'm intruding into a space I shouldn't. I'm aware that it's probably my own mental block, but then again, the entire look of the doll had a very strong influence on how the character turned out, so... :s

[DimWitted]

because they are pretty crappy-looking dolls.

[Janne]

What is hard for me is when I have a gorgeous doll, but a dead character. It's incredibly uncomfortable, somehow, trying to photograph such a doll, much less post anything. It feels like I'm intruding into a space I shouldn't. I'm aware that it's probably my own mental block, but then again, the entire look of the doll had a very strong influence on how the character turned out, so... :s

Actually, that sounds pretty intriguing! I understand your reluctance to intrude, but maybe you could do a somewhat, um, respectful photoshoot...?

[Yulia]

Actually, that sounds pretty intriguing! I understand your reluctance to intrude, but maybe you could do a somewhat, um, respectful photoshoot...?

I want to photograph her, because as my first girl she's always had a special sentimental quality for me, as a doll; but as a character, she's clinically died once, and now that she's finally gone, it feels like putting her before the lens is an act of bringing the doll-character back to life, because for me, it's only in photographs that my Crew 'lives' so to speak.

For the Crew, there aren't extensive character sheets for them, and I've always been happy to let things develop at their own pace, i.e very sloooooowly xD;; And because of that, character and doll are quite closely linked. Changes to the doll's appearance change the character, too. Realistically speaking, there's nothing to stop me from scrubbing her faceup and making her over into someone else, but I would actually still be seeing traces of who she'd been and that's a little hard for me to push away.

Although over time, I suspect that feeling of 'Oh no, you shouldn't be here, you're someone else now' will change. :D

[Twilight]

To be honest, I don't post pictures of my dolls because I never get any feedback from it.

Then I look at other posts where the dolls and the pics look like total crap and they have fangirls slobbering all over them saying "OMFG! They are like SO TEH AWSOME!11!!!" and it makes me want to barf. Also, the ass kissing kills me too. *hurls*

Yes, I would like someone to like my dolls other than me, it's a pride thing, I'm sure lots of people would like that. But after being shunned loads of times because my doll isn't gay, or isn't a goth, or some other tragic character, I just don't bother.

Ok, I've clearly had too much h8erade today. LOL :wahwah

[Janne]

To be honest, I don't post pictures of my dolls because I never get any feedback from it.

Then I look at other posts where the dolls and the pics look like total crap and they have fangirls slobbering all over them saying "OMFG! They are like SO TEH AWSOME!11!!!" and it makes me want to barf. Also, the ass kissing kills me too. *hurls*

Yes, I would like someone to like my dolls other than me, it's a pride thing, I'm sure lots of people would like that. But after being shunned loads of times because my doll isn't gay, or isn't a goth, or some other tragic character, I just don't bother.

Ok, I've clearly had too much h8erade today. LOL :wahwah

Have you ever considered that it might not be fangirl gushing or ass-kissing, but one person reaching out to another brave enough to post...? :)

There's this thing I learned from being on OWW - Online Writing Workshop. If you want comments, make some. You don't have to gush if it's not your style.

You don't have to be critical, either. Just talk like you would if you saw them at a meet-up.

[Twilight]

Have you ever considered that it might not be fangirl gushing or ass-kissing, but one person reaching out to another brave enough to post...? :)

There's this thing I learned from being on OWW - Online Writing Workshop. If you want comments, make some. You don't have to gush if it's not your style.

You don't have to be critical, either. Just talk like you would if you saw them at a meet-up.

No, you're right. I used to comment all the time on the gallery, even if I didn't get many comments on my dolls, I did try my best to reach out to others. I just think maybe my dolls are boring. ROFL :ninja

I should go back and revisit the DOA gallery. :)

[thirstyangel]

To be honest, I don't post pictures of my dolls because I never get any feedback from it.

As Janne suggested, one way to get feedback is to give it first. It's a reciprocal thing. A community works best that way. How many comments a BJD owner gets is not reflective of her ability to take excellent photos. You watch my back, I'll watch yours, that's all there is to it. The bright-eyed person will say this is a fair, win-win situation, everyone benefits. The gloomy-faced person will say, well, it's just another way of stroking each other's egos, kissing ass.

To each her own. I think it's just karma going around, just one of the ways the world works, no matter how you see it. Personally, I no longer care for feedback, so I no longer post my photos. I can enjoy my dolls without having to post photos for comments. :)

Edit: Sorry. I posted my reply without realizing you had posted yours. :XD

[koi]

I don't post my dolls that often because a) I don't want to spam and b) I don't want to post pix that are uninteresting. I try to post photos that I would like to see if they were posted by someone else. I don't want to post 20 photos of my doll in the same position but taken from every conceivable angle. It's easy to get carried away, so I try to add interesting props or play with the lighting. Which brings me to point c) Making an interesting photoshoot takes a bit of time and planning and I don't usually have that much free time to take photos of my own dolls :(

[krambear]

I tend to post the bulk of my photos on my LJ as opposed to any boards. My dolls are kind of boring, character-wise, and they're not made up of any super popular molds. Plus, like Cynthia, I don't comment as much as I could in the gallery, so how can I fault people for not commenting on mine? That's something I hope to work on here. :)

[Rhian]

Now that I come to think of it, most of my photos are quick snapshots (with no more than 2 or 3 photos in the 'set') which I take to document an outfit, or to show a friend a new accessory/item. I doubt very much that anyone would find them interesting save myself, so they don't get posted. I don't have the space or the setting for 'proper' photoshoots.

[sgtgeorgecarter]

Now that I come to think of it, most of my photos are quick snapshots (with no more than 2 or 3 photos in the 'set') which I take to document an outfit, or to show a friend a new accessory/item. I doubt very much that anyone would find them interesting save myself, so they don't get posted. I don't have the space or the setting for 'proper' photoshoots.

Why does everyone think it's all about "photoshoots"?
Yeah they're great and I like those myself but there's also a place for the fun snapshot that documents an outfit or accessory. These are the pictures I like best. They're like sneaky candid and I think they show more of a doll's personality and looks than people think.

[Janne]

It's funny that you mention that - because I'm usually disappointed with my more elaborate efforts. I'll have everything mostly perfect - but they'll be something like a stray hair in the doll's face in the best shot!

It's the candid shots I usually like the best. ^_^

[Rhian]

Why does everyone think it's all about "photoshoots"?
Yeah they're great and I like those myself but there's also a place for the fun snapshot that documents an outfit or accessory. These are the pictures I like best. They're like sneaky candid and I think they show more of a doll's personality and looks than people think.
In that case, maybe I'll reconsider! :D I suppose I feel a little silly starting a new thread for one or two photos, but I really like the quick, candid shots too, so I'll have to start sharing them occasionally.

[eptrauma]

i'm reluctant to post photos for several reasons.
First, my dolls aren't "special". They're not limited editions or painted by artists. They're not bad looking, but they're not "fan favorites". Namu and f-04 aren't very popular, and unoas are totally common. I try to dress my dolls nicely and such, but they really don't stand out against all the people who have more expensive, impressive, better dressed dolls than i do.
Second, my camera isn't that great, and i'm not usually happy with the contrast. (it's too stark)

[gayle]

Just an observation: alot of the people that get loads of comments on their dolls/shoots, are people who took a chance, and just started posting pics. I guarantee, in the beginning,most of those people didn't get many comments. However, the people on various boards have gotten to know those people, as well as the dolls, and the shots, props, clothes etc, have improved over time. Consequently, those people and dolls become better known and become better liked due to familiarity. It's a process of time and investment of it, without expectation.

I can tell you that this is absolutely true, and certainly was my experience. In addition, alot of us who dabble in photostories, spend a tremendous amount of time, energy and money, on sets and props. Some of us (me most definately included) are not the world's best photographers, but we keep working at it, and posting, regardless of comments or lack thereof.

So for anyone that is concerned that they don't get enough comments, keep posting! Your shots get better over time, people get to know you, and appreciate your dolls as your vision, and more and more comments will happen.

[sgtgeorgecarter]

In that case, maybe I'll reconsider! :D I suppose I feel a little silly starting a new thread for one or two photos, but I really like the quick, candid shots too, so I'll have to start sharing them occasionally.

Please do. Its like being at a remote meet then, rather than reading a magazine, if you follow my meaning.

[Janne]

i'm reluctant to post photos for several reasons.
First, my dolls aren't "special". They're not limited editions or painted by artists. They're not bad looking, but they're not "fan favorites". Namu and f-04 aren't very popular, and unoas are totally common. I try to dress my dolls nicely and such, but they really don't stand out against all the people who have more expensive, impressive, better dressed dolls than i do.
Second, my camera isn't that great, and i'm not usually happy with the contrast. (it's too stark)

Namu not special...? Namu's one of the most gorgeous dolls out there, in my opinion! I was lucky enough to see one in person at a meet and I was almost speechless over how gorgeous he was!

And I'm a big fan of F04 too. (I have an old F-04 myself.)

Personally, I love seeing pictures of dolls I don't own, or aren't likely to. (There's so many now that you can't buy all the ones you think are gorgeous.)

[Panoptes]

I suppose that I feel extremely insecure about my photos. Since I don't make up (not quite) elaborate stories nor do I actually have time to change their clothes too often and also because I strive for perfection and artistry, I hardly post pictures on DoA and even on my own LJ.

But ultimately, I fear no comments. Even if they are criticism, I would like people to comment and would be forever grateful if they do.

[eptrauma]

Namu not special...? Namu's one of the most gorgeous dolls out there, in my opinion! I was lucky enough to see one in person at a meet and I was almost speechless over how gorgeous he was!

And I'm a big fan of F04 too. (I have an old F-04 myself.)

Personally, I love seeing pictures of dolls I don't own, or aren't likely to. (There's so many now that you can't buy all the ones you think are gorgeous.)

Well, i always think my dolls are special but it's like kids and pets, you know? everyone thinks their own kid or their own dog is also the best, even if they realize that public opinion is different.

maybe i'll give photographing and posting another try. :)

[ravendolls]

I find I'm very impatient with bad photography in the galleries these days. If it's not halfway-decent photography I just hit the back button. Blurry, flash-raped badly composed pics... I've seen too much of that. I've just been looking at these dolls too long to be patient with bad photos.

I don't take pics of my dolls that often, usually only when they get something new, or I'm particularly inspired and the light/season/backdrop is right. Since my house is half-underground and its walls are dark red cedar, indoor photography is impossible. The weather here is not always the best, so I'm necessarily hemmed in when it comes to picture-taking. I think that's probably for the best. I wouldn't want people to say.. "Oh no not Alba/Sigunn/Morning Glory (etc) again!"

I'm not "afraid" to post pics. I don't tend to get a lot of responses to my dolls anyway, I think my tastes are too unfashionable or obscure. I don't mind though... I post pictures of them for myself, ultimately. Positive comments are just icing on the cake.

Raven

[meeve]

Generally, i feel it's quite tiring to do so. I always feel anxious for comments and much anticipated to share with everyone. And sure, it does feels good when people either share the same taste as you do or drop you a comment, but most of the time it's not. The whole process of that kind of anticipation is just too tiring.
But then ultimately, i still feel that it's just a bonus when people appreciate your phootshoots and your dolls, the most important thing is to enjoy the hobby yourself, not enjoy the hobby for others.

[Mercy]

I post, on and off, to boards. I stay mostly in the photostory sections and in LJ and Flickr. It's really a crapshoot to me and the comments have always confused me how some things would get SO many comments and others, just nothing.

For over four years I have been running a small photo group called Isle of Misfit Toys (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Isle_of_Misfit_Toys_Too/) specifically for doll photography to help people of different photography levels post and feel better about their creativity. I've always felt that most people are WAY too hard on themselves and that most people just need a quick tweak (like move a light two more inches in or step closer... or whatever) to get their particular camera working right. It's just that one little helpful hint, or word of encouragement that needs to be said to point people in the right direction. It saddens me when people bash their own stuff. Seriously. And yeah, I may sound like Sister Mary Sunshine here, but photography, especially this stuff that we do is usually a matter of simple tweaks to fix stuff.

Sorry for the sort of OT.

[Ai Kazi]

I've always felt that most people are WAY too hard on themselves and that most people just need a quick tweak (like move a light two more inches in or step closer... or whatever) to get their particular camera working right. It's just that one little helpful hint, or word of encouragement that needs to be said to point people in the right direction. It saddens me when people bash their own stuff. Seriously. And yeah, I may sound like Sister Mary Sunshine here, but photography, especially this stuff that we do is usually a matter of simple tweaks to fix stuff.


I think out of all these posts I agree with Mercy the most. I agree that "the crickets" can be very upsetting at times as everyone likes to have their hard work acknowledged, but that it is nearly impossible to do so with such large communities as DoA where the "popularity bug" infects nearly everyone like the plague. With the little bit of studying and reading the manual (I usually just throw them away @@;) I've already found an improvement in my photos... and I feel more satisfied knowing that i've improved....which drones out most of my dissappointment from the "crickets." Does that make any sense?:sweat

[sgtgeorgecarter]

I think out of all these posts I agree with Mercy the most. I agree that "the crickets" can be very upsetting at times as everyone likes to have their hard work acknowledged, but that it is nearly impossible to do so with such large communities as DoA where the "popularity bug" infects nearly everyone like the plague. With the little bit of studying and reading the manual (I usually just throw them away @@;) I've already found an improvement in my photos... and I feel more satisfied knowing that i've improved....which drones out most of my dissappointment from the "crickets." Does that make any sense?:sweat

Sure. I've got better over time too, and I realise DOA isn't the place to put my pix. Its as much about knowing your audience as learning/having mad photoskillz.

[coop52]

I haven't taken that many of my doll yet because I don't really have any cool outfits or props. I'm also not that great at taking pictures, especially in the sucky lighting in my dorm room. Like a bunch of other people here, I've been discouraged by the lack of comments when I do post pics in the DoA gallery. I get "she's so pretty!" if I get anything at all. I've found that most people there don't get that many comments; it's the popular people or dolls who have the most attention. Even then, the comments usually aren't constructive unless it's posted in the critique forum. I'd like to get some feedback and help improving my sewing/photography but usually all I get is the ever present crickets.

[augustamethyst]

There's two reasons I really am reluctant to post photos of my dolls. The first is that I usually do not have time to look at other's photos unless I really want to see them (ie. the dolls belong to a friend or is something I might buy later on). It's that lack of reciprocity that bugs me. I also realize that since I do not leave comments, I do not get many comments.

The second reason is that it is actually a hassle to take photos. My camera is an utter piece of crap, evidenced by my latest photos I took at AWA. The other side to this hassle is that the sheer number of dolls I own makes it difficult to do photostories. A photostory from me might look more like a group meetup shot. :sweat

[Daggerchan]

Overall I'm not very much for forums, and I rarely post at all. It's only if there's a subject I know something about/am interested in that I do. I like helping and discussing, but if I feel that my oppinion is not needed I won't share it.

The same goes for pictures. I put a lot of work into my dolls (paint and customize them, even attempt to sew, put a lot of thought into outfits etc) and I'm very proud of what I do. For some reason getting no response to posts really hurts something in me. I love having my vanities tickled, and I used to get quite some feedback to what I posted (when the crowd was smaller), which lead me to believe that the work I did was really worth something. Then when the general interest of other members seemed to fade it made me lose a lot of confidence.

I find this development really sad, because as a collector of other people's pictures (that I find aesthetically pleasing) I can only imagine the number of photos that will never be shared because the owners have been disheartened by choruses of crickets.

Then again, who am I to titter, I haven't got one whole doll as it is and haven't posted any comment-worthy pictures in a year or more.. :sweat

[tylonika]

I love taking pictures of my dolls, and I still do. Its an expression of love, you know?

My issues are mostly Time and my camera. Time because, well, I'm a student. College eats mah soul. As for my camera? Its.. gotten a little wonky and I think it's been through one to many geology field trips. As a result, the quality of my photos have been going down, and thats frustrating. Nothing like taking 50, 60? photos and having only 10 come out reasonably. I think when I get my next camera (DSLR with any luck!) I'll have a stronger urge to shoot once I have better equip, methinks.

[Pia]

I've never had offers to buy my dolls either. But I tend to not post photos because I sometimes just find that people don't appreciate the photos and you feel a little let down especially after putting effort into it.

But it's not a big deal. I post heaps on my LJ, and I love looking at my own photos. So it all works out :3

[evol resin]

I was reluctant to post pictures at first because of my crappy photo skills, but I got over it, what the heck...I just love taking photos of my guys and sharing them with everyone....I just love looking at all the wonderful Dollfies out there and I try my best to comment on as many as I can.....I have learned so much from being observant....I really do enjoy this hobby......I'll keep posting my so so photos......spam...spam...spam..lol...

All the best,

evol resin

[Ladyrixx]

I don't really post any pictures at all anymore. Even though I own more than one doll, the one that I always want to do fun things with is my Obitsu, with my frappy faceup. (I know my faceup isn't that good, but I can't bring myself to have someone else do his.)

No one likes Obistus, so if I post pictures anywhere outside my LJ I get something between crickets or "kill it with fire". I finally braved posting outside my LJ when an outfit I made for him won an award, and I got a 20+ page thread about how everything about my doll and my sewing sucked and the judge was obviously a moron to give me anything.

[branchuchan]

I am reluctant to post my pictures publicly anymore because no one seems to care or even look at them other than my friends. That or DOD makes fun of my dolls. Which is never nice or fun. I really dislike DOD because of the sarcastic and mean nature there. :(

I find it depressing that I can't get more than 30 views on DOA and so.. I just don't post XD I post my pictures on my live journal where the people who care reply to my posts.. and am happy ^_^

[Janne]

No one likes Obistus, so if I post pictures anywhere outside my LJ I get something between crickets or "kill it with fire". I finally braved posting outside my LJ when an outfit I made for him won an award, and I got a 20+ page thread about how everything about my doll and my sewing sucked and the judge was obviously a moron to give me anything.

Oh holy cats! I can't tell you how sad this makes me feel. I know one of our thoughts going into the creation of this forum was that "all dollys are equal."

The hobby, to me, is about having fun - and a community should be about sharing it. It shouldn't be a clique that rareness or expense entitles you to.

I'd think of it this way - you had the fun of painting your doll yourself - something a lot of people can't say. And if you have one of the few Obitsu's, she's only that much more special. (Congrats about the award, by the way! That's awesome!)

[Daniel Falls]

I'm reluctant to share my photos, because I think that many of the photos that I take are not up to my standards, or they don't capture how beautiful my dolls are [as I see them]. This is usually due to poor lighting and/ or my novice experience with photography. Im even more reluctant to share photos, since I see so many wonderfully beautiful and talented photos of dolls in the gallery threads. But these photos also inspire me to work harder to capture the true beauty of my dolls, which Im currently doing.

[Taco]

No one likes Obistus, so if I post pictures anywhere outside my LJ I get something between crickets or "kill it with fire". I finally braved posting outside my LJ when an outfit I made for him won an award, and I got a 20+ page thread about how everything about my doll and my sewing sucked and the judge was obviously a moron to give me anything.

If it makes you feel any better, I love obitsus. I have a Gretel and an SD13/Obitsu hybrid. Unfortunately, some people just have the social skills of a fungus and don't know when to keep their mouths shut :mad

[saint_savin]

The only class I ever failed in highschool was photography. I'm not as bad as I used to be, but it still worries me that I can't stand up to a whole forum of lovely, well-photographed dolls.

[Lyn R]

I used to take a fair number of pictures, but with the move to the new place there is nowhere to get good pictures inside and I find I'm rather discouraged. My pics tend to look like mug shots anyway (too many commission proof pics) so I just keep them to myself or my LJ these days.

[Bel]

Lighting is a big issue for me. I'm at work until sunset and our windows, even in full light, don't dump sunshine into the house (which, to me, is a GOOD thing in all aspects other than for photos.)

I like your mug shots, Lyn.

[Lyn R]

I like your mug shots, Lyn.

All I need is one of those height backgrounds and booking board. (or whatever it's called.)

[Bel]

"Booking board" sounds like the perfect term to me. Hah! Okay, we TOTALLY need to start a "mugshots" thread here. You know we do. Complete with crimes.

[NikoMari]

I'm lazy. Plus I've had the same digital camera since...9th or 10th grade? And the quality is just awful.

[ShaDrouet]

taking photos of my girls is part of the fun of collecting them..for me its a must. whenever I change something about my girls. I always break out the camera and share

its just more fun that way

[lunameth]

I'd like to be more active here in the Galleries, I'd like my dolls to become known and get to know other people and their dolls. But on somewhere as HUGE as DoA, I just get tumbleweeded, and I stepped back a long time ago. New dolls get a lot of response, I have to admit, but I still prefer LJ and posting knowing I have close friends there who have done the same thing.

Aside from that, I hate the lack of set-up and good lighting in my house, and am trying very hard to do something about that. Once I do, I intend to be a lot more active! (I'm also horribly lazy :blush)

[lin]

I think I take crappy photos, but I'm working on it. I have about a million blurry photos (grrr). So irritating. I probably need to take a class.

[VinylFaerie]

I don't post often, so I expect a little response when I do share. I don't get much, so I don't post. After all, what's the point of sharing with an empty room?

[SassyStrawberry]

Photographing my dolls is where I derive a large part of my enjoyment in this hobby, and while I don't post as much as I used to, I would like to encourage everyone who *doesn't* post because they feel that their pictures are not good enough.

This is one of my first photos from 2004. I was using a desk lamp (artificial lighting) and a 3mp Leica Digilux camera which was borrowed from my Dad.(I had never owned a camera of my own, then)
http://www.sassystrawberry.com/dolls/examples/L1000246.jpg

Yes, when I look at it now, I wonder what on EARTH was I thinking...:doh

From then until now, I continued posting photos, and rec'd a lot of encouragement on & off the forums (lj, S.O, friends, etc), and its inspired me to improve, to keep getting better. And in April 2005, my SO presented me a dSLR (when I had only used P&S cameras like the A90 & Digilux 1 at that pt in time), and Rebel&I have been an inseparable team since then.


Technique is one of the easiest things to learn, it is the eye for photography, for beauty that you either have, or don't. I think you people who love BJDs because of the aesthetic, already have a headstart in that dept. :)

Keep on taking, keep on posting:dance

Cheers,
Steph

[Malice Librarian]

I'm not crazy about putting up pics of my dolls because my camera and my photography skills suck. And I don't have Photoshop to boot. :P I'd like to take a class when I have the time, though (that's another factor for me - not having time to take pics!)

[chibaraki]

When I do take pictures of my dolls I tend to be 1. too lazy to edit them into something postable, and 2. disappointed in the poor quality (combination of an old/cheap/crap camera, lack of skillz, and the fact that there's hardly any natural light in Seattle 8 months out of the year), so even when I take pictures I rarely post them. I keep thinking maybe if I get a new camera (image stabilization! Maybe then 3/4 of my photos won't be blurry!) I'll want to post more photos, but I suspect that's wishful thinking.

[dollseye]

The main reason why I go onto doll forums is to look at other people's photos of their dolls. But I don't ever post photos in forums myself any more because about half of my abjds are hand made from clay, not resin. So as they don't fit the criteria and I don't want to have to discriminate between them according to what material they're made of, I upload photos of my own dolls just to my own site.

[Raouken]

Thank you for your post SassyStrawberry, that's very encouraging :D I love your photography *_*

I love photographing my dolls, but most of the time I only post it on the Dutch forum, not on DoA, because..well, the crickets. It won't make me stop photographing-didn't get that DSLR for nothing-or make me stop enjoying taking pictures of my dolls, but it is discouraging. Besides, on the Dutch forum, my friends will see it and I know they care to see my boys and actually want me to share it, while on DoA it just gets lost, it seems slightly pointless.

[sgtgeorgecarter]

No one likes Obistus, so if I post pictures anywhere outside my LJ I get something between crickets or "kill it with fire".

Fools I tell you fools!
You know I love Obitsus ;)

[Chops]

Early on I used to post pics in the Gallery, but it moves fast! One time I posted what I thought were rather nice pics, and over 200 people looked but I didn't get one comment! Hmmmm! Rather discouraging!

I am hot / cold on the DOA Gallery, sometimes I don't visit it for days, other times it is quick look see. I do so appreciate the photos when searching for a particular mold--it has been very helpful. I have also made comments on some threads that have been overlooked, maybe it was a newbie and just needed a bump.

Of late, I have been posting my pics just on one or two threads in the size forum. I like getting to know the other posters who share their love of the mold.

[Tonboko]

Well, between my lack of decent lighting and no tripod to adjust manualy for the dimness, my pictures don't turn out all that spectacular.

I'll take pictures for games and whatnot, but I just don't feel they are up to snuff for gallery postings.

[desiderus]

Hehe I'm just a little shy to post up photos in the gallery~ all the dolls there seem to be so beautiful *__*

So I keep it for my LJ xD;;

[kyliebee]

I used to post lots, though now i feel the dolls are more for my eyes only or are only really important to me. It does suck alittle when you post some piccies on Doa you think are rather nice and not get a single comment, though it doesnt really bother me i loves me dollies still^^

[Mercy]

I totally understand the not getting comments thing. I post and get that sometimes. One shoot last year I think I either got zero comments or one and it was one that I spent a lot of time, photoshopping and aggravation on. So, yeah.

As far as blurriness, quality of the shot and lighting go, that is all fixable by adding a few lights. This link should help a lot of that. I wrote this article on simple lighting (http://www.dollicieux.com/series.html)for Dolliceux I think two years ago. Hopefully the link is working right. But for like, less than $30, you can get three desk lights and fix 80% of the problems most people have. Digitial cameras need light to focus and you need them sometimes right up against the dolls. You can find the lights at thrift stores for under $8 usually and a 100W bulb is like 99. cents. I can't tell you how getting even two lamps improved my photos.

Dolliceux has even more free articles on photography that are still online that are right here (http://www.dollicieux.com/archives.html). And there are lots of great publications on line about using your camera, but the best thing I can suggest is just taking pictures.

I don't know about you all, but I also try to look for threads that have 0 comments on them or very low numbers and try to comment if I have the time. Usually on page 2 or 3 at least as well. I've found a lot of great pictures that are totally over-looked because of how fast the boards move and well, like we all have complained about, we miss out. But if we don't comment or just comment on the massive threads, I'm not sure how we can help each other.

I dunno... just some ideas to kick around. :pirate

[hobbywhelmed]

Hey, guys, I took lengthy photostory shoots with a 2 megpix camera, which is considered archaic by today's standards. 2 mp is fine for pictures you're going to post online. You don't need a camera with 8 or more unless you're getting into printing pictures or trying to get pix printed by magazines.

And the use of a decent after-tweak program (I use Photoimpact) helps salvage borderline shots, with sharpening tools and cloning tools for taking out the bits you didn't realize you'd left laying in the frame (or even for digitally cleaning up the "house" when you forgot to sweep the floor before shooting!).

Mercy's right. Lights can be desk lamps -- or even bulbs in clip on lamps or reflector bowls (I steal them from over my lizard tanks if I need extra light). White foamcore boards or cardboards propped up provide bounce light into the shadows if you put it opposite the light source. A white sheet draped over a chairback, aimed toward the shadowed side will help too. You don't need a 500 watt photography bulb. Just watch the color balances stated on the bulbs, and experiment.

No tripod? Learn to brace yourself against something and hold your breath, or have a barstool or something else solid to rest the camera on. And expect to take a LOT of shots besides the best ones. And expect to have to crop to save some shots.

And Mercy has a very good point about MAKING comments in photo threads. You don't have to gush like a fangirl if the mold isn't one you like, or you don't like the pictures, but some sort of acknowledgement can do wonders to someone who's discouraged.

[Baakay]

All wonderful advice, Hobby!

But you left one thing out.
You must not suck.

That's why I don't take more pictures ;) I can make the most stunning moment look like a five year old smashing Barbies and Bratz!

[HighPriestessIce]

I love posting pics of my dolls but I do find it a little irritating when there's 75-100+ views and not a single comment >< While I don't expect everyone to comment, it'd just be nice to know what you thought of my photos, and what I should improve on and stuff.

[hobbywhelmed]

Everybody excuse me for a moment. I know Baakay well, and she's overdue for something--

Baaakaaaayyyy--come over here-- lean in a little more.... WHAP!!!

[ms kang]

I only posted a pic of my girl on a database thread, only because they say you need a picture.
I don't have a camera, aside from my crap cellphone one, and the quality is so grainy I'm like, why bother?
I get a good pose, fairly good lighting, take the picture and it either looks grainy as all hell, or my hands are shaking so bad that nothing looks good. v.v

[sgtgeorgecarter]

For the shakes, I've found taking a deep breath and holding it right before I snap works most of the time.

[Tereya Chan]

I love posting pics of my dolls but I do find it a little irritating when there's 75-100+ views and not a single comment >< While I don't expect everyone to comment, it'd just be nice to know what you thought of my photos, and what I should improve on and stuff.

Maybe try posting in critique? It might just get people to know you're interested in their opinions.

[JennyNemesis]

Gawd, folks, if you're that sensitive to cricket-noises, then DO stay out of the Gallery. You can't get standing ovations every time.

No, I'm not reluctant. I post chronically, anytime I have good pictures that're suitable for sharing. I don't care if my sculpts or my styles are popular or not. When I get 3 pages of replies, OK, great, nice. When I get a grand total of 2 replies, from the same 2 friends I sent an email to-- oh well. So it goes. I don't let it get me down, or automatically assume that "everyone else on this forum must be idiots because they don't like my style or my pictures, everyone else only wants gays & goths, oh poor me, nobody likes my normal guys, etc etc..." It's not the audience's fault. I'm secure in what I've made, and people who like looking at that sort of thing will click if they see it.

Unsolicited sale offers? Pfft. I've had them. Dealing with them is so easy: Just say No. If that's any reason not to show picture of your doll, then you're also better off staying out of the Galleries completely. Or just don't buy a camera. You know the saying, heat, kitchen, etc. Unsolicited sale offers are exactly like telemarketers: If you let them infuriate you, they will. If you just refuse each one, & keep rolling with them, your blood pressure won't suffer.

[Baakay]

Oh heck, I think I'd be overjoyed if someone looked at a picture I'd taken of a doll and liked it enough to send an unsolicited offer!

That speaks volumes about how good a picture it actually is. Because even if it's a rare and wonderous doll mold, if it doesn't look good who's going to shell out good money for it? (Maybe a mod- or rescue-freak, but that's a small subset, I think...)

[Loki's Mom]

I'll admit it. I'm reluctant to post photos of my dolls in galleries.

Every time I do, I get at least two unsolicited offers to buy said doll. I've posted them on LJ and gotten offers, but DeviantArt is the worst offender of all. I recently posted a photo of a friend's doll... and two hours later, someone was offering $50 for it. :sweat

I'm also keenly aware that I have serious lighting issues with my photos, even though I use four light sources. (I'm still struggling and feeling clueless, even though I have bought books dedicated to the subject.)

Are you reluctant to share photos? If so, why?
I don't post much on DoA partly because it takes so bloody long to do the shoot, fix the pictures, resize, and upload to Photobucket then post on the site. Plus my computer is borderline dinosaur and likes to freeze/crash a lot making it somewhat frustrating (need a new computer). I'm not the greatest at taking photos (lighting in my apartment sucks in the worst way, as I see many also have the same problem), so I don't generally post. And yes, there are a lot of crickets out there sometimes.

I do post on my local board because we are a much smaller group and many of us have gotten to know each other at least a little bit over the past 16 months we've been together. We meet pretty much once a month, so it helps, especially if you've actually met many of the dolls and owners in person. Not as many crickets on that board. :)

I've heard of others having problems with people asking to buy dolls off them. Fortunately, I have not had that problem. Frankly, I don't know where people get the balls to ask such a thing. I find it incredibly rude. If I'm going to sell, I'll post it in the marketplace, thank-you-very-much. *shakes head*

LM

[harlowe]

Gawd, folks, if you're that sensitive to cricket-noises, then DO stay out of the Gallery. You can't get standing ovations every time.

QFE x 10, it's seriously frustrating to have people constantly whine about not getting enough attention in the gallery.

When I posted pics, I treated every comment like an unexpected bonus to my own enjoyment- which was putting it all together and taking the pics. That way, it's a pleasant surprise to get them. Soliciting comments feels pretty empty to me unless you are looking for critique or advice.

[hobbywhelmed]

I love spending a day doing a shoot and then tweaking and resizing the pictures, working out dialogue, etc., for a photostory thread. Responses? Sometimes nil, sometimes a few (over the course of days), and very rarely if ever have they ever gone onto a second page. They're nice, but like Harlowe says, they're bonuses. I ENJOY doing the pictures. And all the ancillary work involved is no different from when you write a story, crochet something, sew something. Most hobby projects pretty much take a good chunk of time.

I have to add about computer freezes -- I'm working off an old one with Win98, and it was freezing up constantly. The more pix I worked on, the worse it would get until I had to reboot. Turns out you can be having a problem where programs don't let go of the RAM they were using, when they're finished. FYI, in case anyone is having this problem, and has tried all the other things like defragging and making sure the hard drive isn't full up, I tried a little free download called EZMem Optimizer, by emsa systems. Not only does it let you know how you stand with the amount of RAM available, but you can on-command free it up. I was blaming the picture-massaging program, but my antivirus also was a culprit. Rarely have a crash or freeze now.

[april]

I've got a couple of rare heads (vampire elf el and vampire elf lishe), so I've gotten one or two PMs asking if I'd sell, but it doesn't bother me. I feel for the people--they want the dolls! And they ask nicely. I just say that I'm not thinking of selling at the moment and they're fine.

Heheh... At least you know people have seen your dolls or read your posts if you get questions about selling!!! :p

My camera isn't the best, but who cares? I post when I feel like it and because I feel like it--not to get comments. Comments are nice, but I'm into the dolls, not ego-boosts.

Mostly I won't post because I'm too lazy or too slow about taking pictures!!! And I know it's super-crowded with posts on DoA and things get buried quickly, but if I have the photos, I'll post 'em, usually... :)

[River]

Gawd, folks, if you're that sensitive to cricket-noises, then DO stay out of the Gallery. You can't get standing ovations every time.

No one's expecting a standing ovation every time.

The need to be acknowledged by ones peers is very basic one and obviously one that some feel more than others. It's fantastic to get any comments at all but when a post goes down like a lead balloon and you get none it can be very disheartening. Telling someone to stfu and gtfo just because they'll admit that wont change how frustrating it is to spend hours on a shoot that you're very happy with only to get no response at all.


There is a lot someone can do to be proactive about getting more responses (commenting on others threads, responding to the comments they DO have, taking the time to produce shots that ARE worth commenting on etc etc etc) and personally I've found that simply continuing to post drums up more responses because people will start to look out for your posts if they like what they see. It goes both ways, which is what some people seem to be missing.

[harlowe]

I don't think anyone is saying GTFO exactly, it's more a comment on how annoying it is, because I think most people deal with photo's that get little or no comments & they don't whine about it. I think it's far less courteous for people to bitch at a board for not commenting on their pictures enough, than people not commenting. The act of "not commenting" isn't a personal affront, it has more to do with that person's taste and time. If they like it & if they have the time to comment.

I don't think it's appropriate for a person to pressure people into behaving a certain way because it will validate them more as a doll collector. They should let comments come organically, because those are sincere comments. Not forced ones.

[Lizzard]

I agree, Harlowe. No one is entitled to attention and loving comments.

If you want attention, get out there and wow people to earn it. Post only your best shots, and actively work to improve your skills. Do something original with your shoots, or choose unique locations. Accept that you may have to work your way up to a certain skill level before you start seeing a large number of comments. In the meantime, realize that if others aren't moved to comment on your photos, that's not due to some flaw in the viewers. The flaw is in the photos, which haven't inspired a reaction.

I know it hurts to think your work hasn't impressed anyone. But that's the way life is. No one gets anything served to them on a platter, including comments on doll forums.

The good news? Everyone can to work on their photography, face-ups, and other doll-related skills to improve. If you're not happy with the attention you're getting -- and if validation is important to you -- you do have the power to fix the problem! Practice, practice, practice!

[Tez]

Agreeing with Harlowe and Lizzard.

I do not expect much in the way of comments on my pictures, because I consider them fairly average as photography goes. They aren't shit, but they aren't Renoir either. If I've ever wowed anyone, it's either the doll itself or the personality I've given it (the most comments I've ever gotten was on a spectacularly dorky photostory that was the result of way the hell too much caffeine and not enough sleep).

Comments are something to be earned, not something one is entitled to. I'd rather have two sincere compliments than a host of comments that were forced.

[tessagi]

I don't get offers to buy the dolls *lol* but I don't get as much feedback as I would like. Considering it takes me at least two hours to set up and take the pictures for a photoshoot, sometimes dealing with poor lighting and therefore having to take the pictures again...I would like more comments. XD;;
I think the most feedback I've gotten for my best photoshoot was from my Photo 1 teacher. XD

[River]

Don't get me wrong Harlowe. I agree entirely. If someone doesn't like a shoot then of course they shouldn't be expected to comment. No one should feel forced into it.
I was simply trying to expand on why someone may feel the need to get those comments.

[JennyNemesis]

I don't think anyone is saying GTFO exactly, it's more a comment on how annoying it is, because I think most people deal with photo's that get little or no comments & they don't whine about it. I think it's far less courteous for people to bitch at a board for not commenting on their pictures enough, than people not commenting. The act of "not commenting" isn't a personal affront, it has more to do with that person's taste and time. If they like it & if they have the time to comment.

I don't think it's appropriate for a person to pressure people into behaving a certain way because it will validate them more as a doll collector. They should let comments come organically, because those are sincere comments. Not forced ones.

"Organically", nice.

And I would take that one step further: people who bitch about it tend to make a bad first impression. If I hadn't ever seen their work before-- if my first encounter with a person is hearing them fish for comments, give puppy-eyed comments of "should I just go home?", or blame others for not commenting-- it's a huge turnoff, & I'm less likely to bother looking at their stuff again. I may miss out on their next photoshow that's totally exquisite, and of course that'd be my loss. But you really DO only get one chance to make your first impression.

I'm Italian, so I already get enough guilt-trips from my family-- I don't need to hear them from my online compatriots, thankyavurrymuch! ^^


So for anyone that is concerned that they don't get enough comments, keep posting! Your shots get better over time, people get to know you, and appreciate your dolls as your vision, and more and more comments will happen.

Was just about to mention this too-- no matter your resistance/sensitivity to cricket noises, one must never be afraid to take crap photos! Because if you take enough of them, one day, they will magically turn good. I swear. It's a wacky phenomenon called 'practice makes perfect'. ^^ OK, OK, maybe not perfect, and maybe it doesn't happen all of a sudden one day, but you get where I'm going with this.

You may have to punch through your own resistance to posting pictures "in an empty room", especially when the Gallery is very large. But go ahead and post them anyway. It may take an act of sheer will every time, but it also gets easier every time. I was once reluctant to post my photospam, and now I am not. Soon, you will build confidence, which really takes the edge off not getting standing ovations every time.

If this tip helps: Use the same mindset you do when you lend somebody money-- don't do it unless you can afford to lose it, and just prepare yourself to not get anything in return! That way, anything you get back that's > 0, even a grand total of 2 comments, will make you happy. :) Baby steps, y'all.

[harlowe]

I'm Italian, so I already get enough guilt-trips from my family-- I don't need to hear them from my online compatriots, thankyavurrymuch! ^^

I'm from an Irish Catholic family and in absolute agreement with ya. =)

[Lady White Raven]

I love posting pics of my dolls but I do find it a little irritating when there's 75-100+ views and not a single comment >< While I don't expect everyone to comment, it'd just be nice to know what you thought of my photos, and what I should improve on and stuff.

That is exactly how I feel.
I used to post pictures way more then I do now simply because A) it gets swammped and B) if you do... well... it wont matter, its the same as just keeping them on your harddrive and not uploading. People might look, but no one ever says anything. Heck I wouldnt mind even if people said my dolls sucked or that my picture skills needed improving. I would just like something.
And I am sorry, people that say that your superficial for carring so much what other people think of your photos feel the excact same way but just wont admit it.

My two cents anyway.

[hobbywhelmed]

You know, it's the same thing at a meet. You bring your dolls, and only a person or couple of people have anything to say about them, meanwhile everbody's oohing and aahing over their friends' dolls, or Dollshes, or the dolls dressed outrageously, or whatever. Does that mean you stop going to meets? Well, some might. But others are more involved socializing and just shrug it off. Forums are the same. The discussion threads are the socializing, and the photo threads are your dolls sitting on a table. Some get comments, some don't.

It's not whether you care or not that you didn't get a lot of comments, or any comments at all, the difference between people is what they do afterwards, whether they 'drop out' or shrug it off and continue to do what they feel like, or what gives them enjoyment.

[Gypsy Eyes]

I don't post often in the forums, let alone the galleries, but I'm trying. My lack of posting is mainly because I don't have time. and with my computer I'm lucky to get anywhere with editing and such without a crash!

I love my dolls to death and I am proud of them. So what if no one likes them? So what if they're not popular? I like them. When I post them in the gallery if I get a comment Great, if not, thats fine too! I have to be really happy with a shoot before I put it up. I'm extremely picky. Like everyone says practice does make perfect. I also agree with everyone who says posting will help. The more people see you on the forums, the more people will get to know you.

I mostly post on a local forum for the Toronto doll clubs, since its local for me. I do post on Deviantart too but only if I really like the picture enough.

My dolls don't get much attention at meets either. it doesn't really bother me at all since I'm there to talk to friends not to fish for compliments. Not to mention my camera hates me seriously and takes really terrible pictures. Someday I'll get a new one but for now I'll just deal with sporadic good shots amongst the blurry ones! :p

sorry for the rambling! so much to say and not sure how to word it!

[Lae]

I don't have mad photographong skills so my pictures usually end up being quite dull. Before it didn't bother me, but nowdays it does, so I don't post so much. I have also noticed that my dolls don't seem to interest others so much. Maybe it's the sculpt or maybe the outlook, but either way I don't see any reason to show them so much around anymore, when so few are interested in them (they don't get any attention in meets and very few comments to their photos). I love my dolls as they are - dull looking or not - so it's enough for me.

I do like to watch other peoples photos of their BJD's though, but I'm very lazy at commenting. I usually don't have anything witty to say and repeating "Beautifull", "Pretty" and "Nice shots" seems to be so pointless and almost like spamming so I don't do it so often. And there's quite many times I would like to say something but my english is too bad to say it. :sweat

[gothiclibrarian]

I ceased to judge the worth of myself or what I do based on other people's responses and/or opinions (or lack thereof) a long time ago. I think that might be harder for (not to call myself old here but...) those with a bit less life experience?

For anyone not posting due to fear of response or non-response...why does it matter? Seriously? Do what makes you happy!

I don't post many photos to forums as I've had so bloody many photos stolen over the years (sometimes even published in print without my permission, which really chaps). :angry :angry

[Lae]

I don't post many photos to forums as I've had so bloody many photos stolen over the years (sometimes even published in print without my permission, which really chaps). :angry :angry

There's actually one shop here that sells badges and little purses with BJD pictures on them. Some of the pictures are originally company photos eg. from DOD. I find it very weird - why would anyone even want to buy that sort of thing when the doll isn't even your own?

I have also never understood why someone would take someones dolls pictures and claim them as their own. The only reason I can think of is that they would soon try to scam people by selling a doll they don't even actually have.


For anyone not posting due to fear of response or non-response...why does it matter? Seriously? Do what makes you happy!

What I ment before, was that I don't see any reason to post pictures if nobody's interested. I'm happy with my crew without showing them around. <3 I just don't see the point posting them if nobody's looking at the photos.

[purplewiz]

I don't post pictures because I don't have many pictures to post. And that's because I don't take many pictures. And that's because I HATE taking pictures of my dolls.

I'll spend 20+ hours beading a doll dress, but 20 minutes of setting up a studio and futzing around with lighting and posing the doll and taking test pictures and futzing with camera settings and I'm ready to throw the whole mess out the window. I really hate the whole photography thing. And then all the post picture evaluation and editing...yuck. Just yuck.

Unfortunately, without pictures it's hard to share my dolls, so every so often I'll grit my teeth and make some pictures happen. I did teach myself enough to get something halfway decent (but no more), but it's under duress.

I have to say one thing: being a lousy photographer means I don't worry at all about my pictures being stolen :)

Marcia.

[Vega]

I don't post tonnes of pictures of my dolls because, frankly, I consider myself a rather shoddy photographer. That is to say, I'm never pleased with how my pictures turn out. So, I suppose it would be safe to say that I'm picky.
*shrugs*
-V

[dicebox]

I find this thread so interesting to read...

Personally, I don't post a lot of photos because I don't take a lot of photos! And I can also understand some of the comments here about not getting much feedback or interaction from it.

It's interesting to note the forum vs. LJ debate, because I think part of the issue is that the forum doll community has become so big, and people are exposed to so many pictures in the gallery, we feel less inclined to comment every time we see a doll that is merely beautiful, we can only be bothered if it's one that completely knocks our socks off, or is a doll we know/belongs to a friend, et cetera.

Also is the issue of "my camera skills suck". I find the photography element of this hobby interesting to consider, because it's becoming so that in forum galleries we're not really sharing our dolls, we're sharing our photos of dolls, those being two related but completely different things. People are expressing lack of desire to show photos because they don't have a DSLR or the proper backdrops and lighting.

On LJ, on flickr, perhaps we're merely sharing our dolls with friends, showing snaps of a new outfit or how you were just mucking around the night before, etc. In my mind it seems like the BJD hobby and the BJD-photography hobby are two separate things, though obviously intensely related. I am not a doll-photographer, but sometimes I take pictures of my dolls.

Umm... I don't know if this made any sense. :sweat

[Bel]

Dicebox, that absolutely made sense to me, and you articulated what I feel. I'm comfortable spamming my Lj with bad photos, heh, but am extremely picky about what I post on forums.

Tangent:

Part of that is because, unlike a lot of people, I don't care about comments on forums - when I post photos of my dolls on forums it's mainly in hopes that the photo will be a helpful reference to someone, whether someone searching for a mold, or a color scheme, or an eye type. I rely SO heavily on owner photos and pic-request threads myself that I like to contribute in hopes I can help someone else.

But to do that, I need *really good* photos. Crappy photos aren't useful.

[cheshiretiffy]

I rarely post photos because I'm a horrible photographer and I get wanked a lot for my crappy faceups, too XD

[HighPriestessIce]

That is exactly how I feel.
I used to post pictures way more then I do now simply because A) it gets swammped and B) if you do... well... it wont matter, its the same as just keeping them on your harddrive and not uploading. People might look, but no one ever says anything. Heck I wouldnt mind even if people said my dolls sucked or that my picture skills needed improving. I would just like something.
And I am sorry, people that say that your superficial for carring so much what other people think of your photos feel the excact same way but just wont admit it.

My two cents anyway.

It would never really stop me from posting, becuase comments or not, wheather it's wanted or not I will spam the hell out of everything with my boys. For me it's more irritating than anything else. Some days I don't care, I just wanted to spam people because my boys looked cute today, other days some form recognition would be nice. >< My crtique posts tend to go totally ignored D:

[vampireanneke]

I don't post, because I don't have time to do photoshoots as I want. By the time I get home, it's dark and taking pictures at that time isn't good. Then I'm not home on the weekends or to tired for photoshoots then.

-Anneke

[Sonoshi]

When I posted pictures of Demek's Illness Illusion faceup. I got no response. It made me think that something was wrong with him. It made me upset, and since then I haven't posted pictures of him. I took the photoshoot down.

Another time I posted pictures of my Elf Yder. I thought he was beautiful and I was so excited putting the pictures up. I got one single comment, and it was something to the tune of: "wow, your doll is creeping me out".

After that, I took a long break from the fandom. Over a year in fact. When I came back, you guessed it, I did not post photos in the Gallery over at DoA. I did add my Benard and new Ayumu to their individual Databases and removed the dolls I no longer own (the Yder head, a Dolkot Hara(long story there) and my Breakaway). I won't like do Photostories again, or snap pictures for the Gallery.

Not because of what people think of my dolls, God knows I've seen some pretty hideous ones getting fluff comments up the wazoo, but because I don't want to be put in that situation again. I don't want to question my attachment to dolls I paid for, because my dolls aren't limited and they don't cost thousands of dollars.

I may not own 35 dolls, but the ones I own are mine. Common or not.

[Mercy]

I have a question, and maybe this should be a separate topic even though this is a spin off of this one. For those of you that don't post pictures because you feel your photography skills "suck"... would you post if you knew that you would 100% get valuable feedback or some sort of comment about the photos? Do you really want to improve?

I ask because it is simple to start a user group here and encourage everyone that posts to comment on all pictures before they post. That how many Flickr groups work. And if we all work together, we can easily help each other not only learn but see a lot of new pictures and make new friends. How about that? Would that be something people would do or be interested in (that is what Isle of Misfit Toys used to be sort of)?

[Bluehairfreak]

Hmm Well I have posted a few photos of my dolls, I don't post very many or often. Partly because I don't have time to take photos, but mainly the majority of my photos don't turn out(my camera is an old 3.2 megapixel Fujifilm finepix) But fortunately I've gotten a few cute pics to share.

[Magickat]

I don't post too many. Usually, when I do, someone asks how much I paid for a doll like that, or where they can get information. I tell them, there's no harm in it right? Well then I get messages of how expensive and "stupid" the hobby is, how I've "wasted my money" ..But really it revolves around my poor topics, or well lack of. I only have one outfit for mine, and though I don't mind taking him in those, it seems a little dull. My grandpa's camera is great, but I cannot get the hang of it either.

[Baakay]

I have a question, and maybe this should be a separate topic even though this is a spin off of this one. For those of you that don't post pictures because you feel your photography skills "suck"... would you post if you knew that you would 100% get valuable feedback or some sort of comment about the photos? Do you really want to improve?

I ask because it is simple to start a user group here and encourage everyone that posts to comment on all pictures before they post. That how many Flickr groups work. And if we all work together, we can easily help each other not only learn but see a lot of new pictures and make new friends. How about that? Would that be something people would do or be interested in (that is what Isle of Misfit Toys used to be sort of)?

Uh... I thought that's what the Photography group here was for? That's not meant sarcastically either, it's a serious confuse on my part. Or did you have some other sort of usergroup in mind? I'd definitely go for such a thing if it would work, though.

I think my issues with posting (I say that I "suck" primarily to bug Hobby ;) ) have more to do with available time and complete hatred of making another "necessary chore" for myself. Like cleaning bathrooms, going through all of the steps required to put up photos is one of my least favorite activities. As someone else said, I end up wanting to chuck it all out the window.

Still, I think my dolls are beautiful, regardless of whether they've got professional faceups or the funky ones I do myself (another area in which I have more practice to do) and I would like to at least let people see them all once or twice.

My major problem is not having a decent understanding of my camera. It's been quite a long time since I learned how to control the aperture and so forth on my manual camera, and I've long since forgotten what I learned there. The automatic settings on my digital camera are ok for some things but I know I could do better with the "set them yourself" settings.... if I had someone to point me toward the clue store ;)

And yes, I've asked for references to a decent book, maybe an online tutorial, and I haven't gotten far with that.

Ahh to have about six extra hours of free time a week. That would be so wonderful! But I fall into that big ol' category we call Baby Boomers and, contrary to popular belief, some of us have at least fifteen years to go before we even *qualify* for retirement! :oops

[cheshiretiffy]

I have a question, and maybe this should be a separate topic even though this is a spin off of this one. For those of you that don't post pictures because you feel your photography skills "suck"... would you post if you knew that you would 100% get valuable feedback or some sort of comment about the photos? Do you really want to improve?

I would like to improve, but I've tried multiple ways to learn how to use my camera better (online tutorials, reading through advice from others, random experimentation with the camera) and havn't been able to figure it out for the life of me. I think photography just isn't my thing. That and I know I need better lighting and just can't afford it.

If I took better photos my crappy faceups would be more noticible XD

My time is more spent taking care of the baby and trying to imrpove faceups/sewing than trying to improve my photography.

If I ever got a faceup that I felt was worthy of photographing well, I'd spend more time worrying about the pics than the subject.

A note to everyone saying they don't get comments:

There's usually a reason. A lot of people are wary of posting anything negative especially at DoA where its discouraged, and don't post at all if they have nothing positive to say. Or you'll get a lot of fluff comments that don't help you improve at all.

If you're not getting comments on your photos don't pout or beg for comments, try posting them to a critique subforum. There people are more willing to say what needs improvement instead of just biting their digital tongues.

[Lizzard]

Not because of what people think of my dolls, God knows I've seen some pretty hideous ones getting fluff comments up the wazoo, but because I don't want to be put in that situation again. I don't want to question my attachment to dolls I paid for, because my dolls aren't limited and they don't cost thousands of dollars.

But... You are avoiding photos because of what people think of your dolls. You don't want them to "question your attachment." By definition, that means you do care what people think about your boys. You're focusing on the response and allowing it to color how you feel about your own dolls and the hobby in general. You even left the hobby for almost a year because of what others said (or didn't say) about your dolls. How is that not caring what people think? *_*

Regarding photography improvement, I'll go out on a limb and give the honest but possibly unexpected response -- no, I can't say that I do want to improve my skills. Or, more accurately, I would want to improve if I had the time to devote to it, but I don't have that time, and I know it. Therefore, posting poor photos in the hopes of receiving critique would be a waste of everyone's time, because I know bloody well my odds of ever getting to try out any of the suggestions given are slim to none.

Saying I want to improve my photography skills, at this point, would be like saying I want to go to the moon. I could work toward that as a goal if I chose, but I have other priorities. My photography isn't anything special, but it's good enough to make me happy. I don't expect that anyone would ever be interested in it -- much less my dolls -- but it pleases me, and that's all that matters.

Hey, at least I'm honest about it.

[Brightfires]

A good point...

I don't think my pictures were awful... Most of them were okay. A few were even nice... But as I said earlier, I *do* think that they were becoming very boring and very repetative. It would be nice to be able to get beyond that rote sort of "Okay, here's stock composition #1, here's #2, here's the macro...", but like Lizzard, I can't say I'm willing to devote the time to it.

Photography is a secondary interest. On the big list o' stuff I need to do in a limited amount of time, a composition crash-course is pretty far down the scale of priorities... When I do have spare time during the week, I feel like it's better to spend it doing the routine maintainence tasks that are necessary to keep these dolls in good shape. 8P

[purplewiz]

Do you really want to improve?

Let me start with quote from Mark Twain: "A classic is something that everyone wants to have read and nobody wants to read."

I'd like to BE improved when it comes to taking pictures, but no, I do not want to put in the work and the time and the effort to do so. As I explained earlier, I get no joy out of the photographic process (especially all the post processing and sifting through 40 identical shots looking for the best!), and I have a lot of other things I'd rather be doing with my time. Worse, it makes me resent my dolls :(.

(The funny thing is that I WILL put in the time and effort to get the details on a doll outfit I'm sewing *exactly* right, even if it means doing 3 muslins and 5 test pockets and a fully lined and finished first article. But there's something about that process that feeds my creativity - and this is where I think we run into the fact that people are just different!)

Quick tips and quick fixes, sure, if changing something small, fast, and inexpensive is going to give me a BIG return, I can do that. But if it means futzing with exposures and apertures and all that, sorry, the cost is too high.

Marcia.
hey, at least I'm honest ;)

[Raouken]

I definetly want to improve, thanks to dolls, photography has become a hobby and I'm very willing to put time and effort in it. So the subforum sounds like a great idea to me :D

And I'm honest, too!

[Mercy]

Thanks for the honest responses on not wanting to improve. That's fair.

Second, I didn't know if there was a photography user's group here (i.e. I should have looked, insert DUH... IRDUMB) that really sat there and talked about composition, different sorts of lighting, photo challenges, and really peeled back the layers of photography. I'm used to seeing DOA's photography Q&A section with was more like people starting a thread, showing a picture they did and asking questions (which is why I asked about creating a more in depth club). It's sort of the same, yet a little different. Hopefully that makes sense.

Improving photos doesn't always mean hours AND HOURS of time. Sometimes all it takes is buying two new desk lamps and moving them closer to the doll. That takes all of five minutes. I think usually it's just understanding your camera and it's limits. Most digital cameras need a lot of light to work best avoiding blur, you have to be X far away so you don't block the light, etc. It's just getting the basics down, like sewing, riding a bike, using a computer, or anything else really.

But like with anything, there is some time involved. And some people may take more time than other, which is fine too. Some people see things and learn differently.

I'm still not sure if I should open up an Isle of Misfit Toys (http://http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Isle_of_Misfit_Toys_Too/) here. I'll take a look at the user's groups and see how many similar boards there are and think about it.

Thanks everyone.

[Kahli]

I post photos but I am the world's second-worst photographer (I always figure there must be at least one person worse at things than I am :p ) and I don't have a lot of room in my house to pose and do fancy displays for them. They just have to stand around on their shelves, looking forlorn.

I still love to share photos and if no one wants to look at them, at least it's a way I can "take them to work with me". My own personal photo gallery. ;)

vicki

[hoshinokachi264]

i have to say that i really enjoyed reading this thread, i think that it is easy to get sucked into the ideal that people have to comment on your photos. for me personally i at first really wanted that because for some odd reason i convinced myself that it would some how validate my doll's existence.

but i think a lot of people said this really well, you don't need someone saying anything about your doll's in order for them to be important, important may not be the right word but i think you know what i mean.

the first meet up i went to i checked the photos on line and there were no photos of my doll that anyone had taken. at first i was upset because i love her unconditionally but then i thought rationally, and remembered she did look a little crazy after my fiasco with trying to use Krylon for her faceup O_O< don't do hat ever by the way.

same kind of thing happened when i posted my first pix of her, i know i can do the photography part because i am an art major, my issue is putting more time into it. like a lot of other people.

anywho, i think everyone's dolls are speacial and i deffinlitey think it is time to get over the complex of thinking what other people say is so important.

you guys helped change my mind, and now i know i am not alone when i don't get any comments. ~ . '

[strangeseraph]

I think the easiest way t o handle it (this is what Tyler costumizers do) is to put in your comments/details section of your photo somewhere that the doll nor outfit is not for sale. Might stave off some of the comments.

As for me, I can't post pics of any dolls I own anywhere because I don't have a proper digital camera or dollfies! I for one would love to see your dolls. :)

[blackwingsblackheart]

Let me start with quote from Mark Twain: "A classic is something that everyone wants to have read and nobody wants to read."

I'd like to BE improved when it comes to taking pictures, but no, I do not want to put in the work and the time and the effort to do so. As I explained earlier, I get no joy out of the photographic process (especially all the post processing and sifting through 40 identical shots looking for the best!), and I have a lot of other things I'd rather be doing with my time.

Quick tips and quick fixes, sure, if changing something small, fast, and inexpensive is going to give me a BIG return, I can do that. But if it means futzing with exposures and apertures and all that, sorry, the cost is too high.

Purplewiz, I love you, marry me? :lol You said it perfectly!

[blackwingsblackheart]

Let me start with quote from Mark Twain: "A classic is something that everyone wants to have read and nobody wants to read."

I'd like to BE improved when it comes to taking pictures, but no, I do not want to put in the work and the time and the effort to do so. As I explained earlier, I get no joy out of the photographic process (especially all the post processing and sifting through 40 identical shots looking for the best!), and I have a lot of other things I'd rather be doing with my time.

Quick tips and quick fixes, sure, if changing something small, fast, and inexpensive is going to give me a BIG return, I can do that. But if it means futzing with exposures and apertures and all that, sorry, the cost is too high.

Purplewiz, I think I love you. Marry me? :lol I couldn't have said it better myself!