My Photography Setup

One of my goals for 2015 is to share my crafting and doll space with you, but that requires me to actually get the space presentable first! After the holidays my craft room is in serious need of some organizational TLC, but I wanted to go ahead and share some of the systems that are working really well for me right now.

I want to begin by showing you the setup I use to take the majority of my doll photos. I love to see "behind the scenes" doll photos and learn how people organize and stage their photos. The system I use has evolved considerably over the years, mostly through trial and error.

The base of my photo station is the 6 drawer Alex unit from Ikea. I love that I can easily wheel my whole photo station around the house since the very best natural light is in our dining room.

Stored on top of the drawer unit is an L-shaped wooden backdrop that my dad built for me.

I love that this backdrop fits perfectly over the Alex drawers, so it doesn't take up any extra space in the craft room when not in use.

The backdrop is made from two pieces of plywood that are each two feet square. The upright board is attached to a smaller piece of wood which then screws into the base. The types of screws used allow me to easily disassemble the backdrop if needed.

The top three drawers of the Alex unit hold the majority of my photo props. The top drawer holds Re-ment and other miniatures. It looks a little chaotic, but I promise there is a method to the madness! I organize my Re-ment by type rather than series, so categories in my dividers include things like snack food, school supplies, serving pieces, kitchenware, etc. The second drawer holds some overflow Re-ment as well as larger scale props for my MSD and SD sized dolls.

The third drawer holds all my photo backdrops. I primarily use colored posterboard, but I have a fair amount of scrapbook paper as well. I like the poster board because I can get larger pieces, which is helpful for dolls taller than 12 inches.

I attach the paper to the wooden backdrop using poster putty.

Here is what it looks like with a doll ready for photos. I'd like to say that I get all professional with a tripod and such, but usually I'm frantically snapping away in an awkward crouch while screeching "Don't touch! No hands!!" at the almost-two-year-old who is typically circling me like a shark at this point, gleefully squealing "BABY!" while brandishing a crayon like a saber at my helpless photo subject. #toddlerproblems

Here are the results of the above photo shoot (and twister-like toddler avoidance dance!). I switched to my 50mm lens for these and did just a little bit of Photoshop processing. Not too much Photoshop for me because I've barely scratched the surface on all there is to learn about that program!

I do also take photos with dolls on the floor, especially for my bigger girls, but that requires someone else home to entertain and contain our resident tornado sweet angel baby!

While it can be a little time consuming to set up and tear down each photo shoot, I really like that everything tucks away out of sight (and out of reach of little hands!) when I'm done. The only real downside of this system is that sometimes my photo angle gets too wide for the backdrop, especially if I'm trying to incorporate lots of props. One of my many project goals for this year is to create some diorama backdrops with more detail on the walls - maybe by using those tri-fold poster boards that are made for science fair projects? I haven't worked out all the details yet.

So that's the behind-the-scenes view of my dolly photography. I'd love to hear about your system or any tips or tricks you might have! Even after years in the hobby I have still never figured out how those amazing photographers get their dolls flying and riding bikes - are they all Photoshop wizards? Tell me if you know!!

How I Organize Memories

Let me be perfectly honest with you. I'm pretty much a paper hoarder. Ticket stubs, programs, every greeting card EVER. I keep eeeeeverything. All of this amazing hoarding memory saving begins begging for a storage system (or leaning precariously, ready to crush you in your sleep). After several iterations, I think I've settled on a final system that is both doable and accessible. I thought I would share in case you, like me, do not have the paper purging gene. 

You know how these things start. It first lived in a jumbled keep-sake box. Then it moved to an accordion file. Then a file box. It just kept growing! I needed to intervene before it became a sentient being and started stalking me around the house. 

 

Random box filled to the brim with wedding cards

If I was going to do something to permanently address this problem, it needed to be compact and allow me to actually see what I was saving. It's not like I was enjoying fond memories through giant paper piles. My solution was to scrapbook. *cue Psyco horror music* Before you start to panic, let me assure you these are not fancy scrapbooks. The key to this system is slapping stuff down and moving on. There is no embellishing, no fancy paper cutting. I like to think of it as just a flat, cuter filing system. 

 

For greeting cards, I cut the card in half so that the writing inside can be displayed beside the outside of the card. If there is a lot of dead space around the interior words I'll trim it down. 

I generally try to group like items or events together. Race numbers, wedding invitations, holiday cards, etc. 

What was revolutionary for me to really become efficient with this system was the discovery of those sticky dot rollers. Holy glue stick Batman! I flew through seven years (seven years?!?) worth of holiday cards in about an hour with one of those puppies. 

 

I do still utilize some filing systems to keep everything contained until I'm ready to stick some pages together. I have a single "Keep Sake" folder in my everyday paper sorting station. That way as soon as something save-able enters the house it has a designated home. I also have a small file bin with folders divided by category for when I sort out the everyday file box into the file cabinet every couple of months. This might seem like overkill, but it works for me to keep piles from forming on the counter tops or my desk. When I have a few spare minutes, I can grab a folder and my glue dot roller and go to town. 

 

This is seriously hack and slash scrapbooking. I don't own a paper cutter - it's just me chomping those cards apart with a pair of craft scissors. What made this a system I could stick with was the speed of assembly. I have too many other projects going to devote hours to making beautiful scrapbooks and not enough craft space to invest in scrapbook gear. Plus legit scrapbooks totally intimidate me. There are some incredibly talented scrapbookers out there! And I am not one of them! 

 

That's right, every post-it gets saved

So that's my version of memory storage. I've really enjoyed being able to actually see what I have saved without investing an unreasonable amount of time to maintain the system. An added bonus is that  this storage solution will grow with me. Instead of needing an ever larger box or file folder, I simply add to an album. 

How do you save memories? Are you better at letting go than I am?