Monthly Featured Photographer - October 2015

Sunny 16

Well it was the European Doll Meet and once again the British weather decided to throw a curve ball and actually give us 3 glorious days of clear skies and warm sun (I guess the poncho and wellies were staying in the car)

Bright natural light is a photographers best friend at times and worst nightmare at others, especially when one is pointing his camera at a model who is trying to maintain her composure whilst being blinded by the sun and getting hot and bothered. Fortunately for me, Xiaoli is a consumate professional and didnt complain once.

So out came the Canon 700D with the 18-55 kit lens in manual mode, and the Sunny 16 rule in mind. For those who dont know it, Sunny 16 is a rough setup rule for bright sunlight. f/16 and shutter speed of 1/ISO (these are all f/16 with ISO 100 and 1/100 shutter speed) This give distinct shadows whilst controlling exposure and if I hadn't had so much beer I would probably have remembered a little fill flash in a couple of them too, but Photoshop to the rescue for those.

I purposefully left Xiaoli unpowdered for the outdoor shoots in the garden and on the car as the DS Doll silicone has a natural sheen that gives a wonderful impression of light perspiration which adds a little realism.

My Smart Dolls, Mirai and Kizuna, offer a different challenge. Being only 60cm tall they are extremely portable but scale can make them look like simple toys. I like to try and get some form of 'life' in my photos so camera angles and locations become very important. Ok, they're never going to look realistic or large but with a little bit of posing and perspective they do manage to come to life. Their ability to hold a pose and support themselves in almost any situation is a huge plus for these little ladies.

Hope you enjoy the pics,
Karrot