Behind the scenes: dolls in a pool photography
Hi again! The school year started a couple of weeks ago, so I'm busy, but I thought I could drop by and write a quick post.
Every time I checked out Instagram this summer, my feed was flooded with beautiful photos of dolls by the pool. Most of them were on a doll size floatie, some of them were sunbathing by the pool. And I just wanted to take pics like that with my dolls. But the biggest problem was that I don't have a pool, nor I have a relative or friend that has a house with a pool. So, I had to get creative and make my own pool.
A while back I posted some of this photos on my Instagram and in a Facebook group I'm in, The Pink Lounge. My photo received lot of possitive comments and people found very interesting how I did it. So, I thought it could be a good idea to write a short post and break it down for you.
For weeks I was thinking how could I make a pool that looked more or less realistic. I needed some sort of plastic container, big enough for the doll to fit in. And then I realized that I have a teal laundry basket from Ikea, big enough to fit a doll. I also managed to find a floatie cup holder from Primark for just 1€. I wasn't elated that it had a Minnie Mouse theme to it, but I didn't manage to find another one at a cheaper price.
I took my laundry basket to my little patio (that I mostly use to dry laundry) and filled it with water. This is how I set everything up for the photos.
Since the "pool" is quite small, most of the photos I managed to take were close ups. The perfect container for the doll pool could be a kids pool, as is quite big and will allow you to take pics from further. If you don't have a kids pool, use any plastic container that has a blue or teal color.
I got the best effect when the sun hitted the water and I stired it gently using my hand. I placed the laundry basket in an area where the sun would hit part of it and the other part will remain in the shadow.
I took the photos on two different days. The photos with Lea (brunette) were taken the first day and were more of an experiment. It was also interrupted by my mom showing at my house without calling first, expecting that I would be free. Why do visits always come during the most inconvenient moments? The second photoshoot wasn't great, as I took the photos a bit late, almost noon, and the sun was hitting so hard that I could barely see the screen of my phone. Also, too much sun didn't help me to get the best photos.
We also have a small teak platform made with two teak tiles that one of the companies I worked for was about to throw away. It's a bit damaged because I didn't took good care of it, but if I wet it, it darkens up and looks good again. I used it to take this photo of Lea relaxing.
If you don't have teak floor in you deck, you may have a table or a chair that will give you a similar effect.
That's all for me today. I hope you guys enjoyed and that it inspires you to take some summer pics, even thoug if you don't have a pool. I know that October isn't the best time of the year to post but, the good part is that now you have all this months to figure out what can you use to make your own doll pool.
Since I'm quite busy with college, I don't know if I'll be able to write a new post soon. I have some photos of an outdoor photoshoot that I took a few weeks ago and I'd love to write a dedicated post to it. We'll see if I manage to have time. In the meantime, take care.
M.C
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Every time I checked out Instagram this summer, my feed was flooded with beautiful photos of dolls by the pool. Most of them were on a doll size floatie, some of them were sunbathing by the pool. And I just wanted to take pics like that with my dolls. But the biggest problem was that I don't have a pool, nor I have a relative or friend that has a house with a pool. So, I had to get creative and make my own pool.
A while back I posted some of this photos on my Instagram and in a Facebook group I'm in, The Pink Lounge. My photo received lot of possitive comments and people found very interesting how I did it. So, I thought it could be a good idea to write a short post and break it down for you.
For weeks I was thinking how could I make a pool that looked more or less realistic. I needed some sort of plastic container, big enough for the doll to fit in. And then I realized that I have a teal laundry basket from Ikea, big enough to fit a doll. I also managed to find a floatie cup holder from Primark for just 1€. I wasn't elated that it had a Minnie Mouse theme to it, but I didn't manage to find another one at a cheaper price.
I took my laundry basket to my little patio (that I mostly use to dry laundry) and filled it with water. This is how I set everything up for the photos.
Since the "pool" is quite small, most of the photos I managed to take were close ups. The perfect container for the doll pool could be a kids pool, as is quite big and will allow you to take pics from further. If you don't have a kids pool, use any plastic container that has a blue or teal color.
I got the best effect when the sun hitted the water and I stired it gently using my hand. I placed the laundry basket in an area where the sun would hit part of it and the other part will remain in the shadow.
I took the photos on two different days. The photos with Lea (brunette) were taken the first day and were more of an experiment. It was also interrupted by my mom showing at my house without calling first, expecting that I would be free. Why do visits always come during the most inconvenient moments? The second photoshoot wasn't great, as I took the photos a bit late, almost noon, and the sun was hitting so hard that I could barely see the screen of my phone. Also, too much sun didn't help me to get the best photos.
We also have a small teak platform made with two teak tiles that one of the companies I worked for was about to throw away. It's a bit damaged because I didn't took good care of it, but if I wet it, it darkens up and looks good again. I used it to take this photo of Lea relaxing.
If you don't have teak floor in you deck, you may have a table or a chair that will give you a similar effect.
That's all for me today. I hope you guys enjoyed and that it inspires you to take some summer pics, even thoug if you don't have a pool. I know that October isn't the best time of the year to post but, the good part is that now you have all this months to figure out what can you use to make your own doll pool.
Since I'm quite busy with college, I don't know if I'll be able to write a new post soon. I have some photos of an outdoor photoshoot that I took a few weeks ago and I'd love to write a dedicated post to it. We'll see if I manage to have time. In the meantime, take care.
M.C
Other posts you may also enjoy:
Thanks for the tips! Your pictures did turn out nicely. It's good to see you pop in. You need breaks from school, right? ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't know what I'd use to take a pool pic outdoors, as we don't even have a hose to fill up a large tub, like the one that you have. Oh well, I have a long time to think about it.
Hi Barb! To be honest, I already had all of the photos taken and edited, which made it so much easier. I don't have much time to work on the blog, I just can find a bit of time here and there to write a short text. The next post I want to write it's also going to feature photos that I have already taken.
DeleteYou can use small buckets of water to fill up a large tube if you manage to find one. Maybe you can find something similar to what I have at a store like Dollar Tree.
Thanks for stopping by!
This is a really great post, I have a similar plastic laundry basket, the same colour and size too, and I never thought to take photos like this in that! Yours look really great, so realistic. I once took some photos of my tiny dolls on air beds in our pool that we used to have at our house, and they came out very well...but I've not done anything similar since. You certainly have given me some ideas for next summer.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon! Thanks, I'm glad you find it useful. It's a bit tricky because the doll moves, and most of the shots that look good are close ups, but it's an alternative if you don't have a pool. I encourage you to give it a try and show us your photos.
DeleteThanks for your kind words.
Oh wow! Another inspirational post, love it! It's always nice to come to a blog with so much positivity, keep up the good work MC and remember "all work and no play ...... etc. etc."
ReplyDeleteBig hugs,
X
Hi Xanadu! Thank you so much! It's a big compliment for me that you see my blog as a positive space. I feel that we already face enough negativity in the "real world", and there's no need to bring it here.
DeleteBig hugs to you too.
Look at that pool! I had thoughts of taking some dolls to the lake near our cottage but did not get to that for some reason. Your photos turned out well and the color of the laundry basket makes the water look like it is a pool or a ocean! Great!
ReplyDeleteHi DollsDolour! Thanks, I'm glad you like the photos. It definitely wouldn't have worked if my laundry basket wasn't a water-like color. I hope you get to take those lake pics next year, I would love to see them.
DeleteTake care and recover soon from your arm injury.