As you can see, I haven't changed Mabel's outfit since the last shoot I did with her. I wanted to photograph her in her adorable Froggy costume, but this outfit was just too perfect to take off! It's a combination of pieces from the Pullip Merl stock and the Pullip Craziia stock. I think Merl's stock is one of my favorites. The main outfit is simple, but the accessories are so delicate and detailed! Here are some shots of her ensemble.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out this week's post! Next week I have exams, so I want to get my ADAW photo out of the way as soon as possible. Then my summer break begins! I hope I have plenty of time (and motivation, ehehe) to work on ADAW, The Pullip Tarot, and film some new YouTube videos. I might even start another photo project as well if I have the time. I'll see you guys next time! 

For this week's ADAW photo I decided to photograph Ruby, my Pullip Victorique de Blois. I haven't taken photos of her in quite some time. I was surprised how good she looked in a darker themed shoot. This girl was the subject of a picfic I started a loooong time ago (but never finished). It was sort of what motivated me to work on Blink for so long. 

When I first got this girl, a lot was going on in my life. I really got into my photography around this time. I met a lot of really awesome people on Flickr and in the doll community, and I finally felt like my work was getting recognized by others. I felt like my photos were finally good enough. I remember getting on Flickr's Explore page several times around this time. Even though my photos were always pretty low on the page (the highest ones were numbers 55 and 56 at different points, but everything else was 100 or lower) I felt so happy about even making it on the Explore page.

Looking back on the photos I took at that time, I must admit I'm a bit embarrassed. I thought my photos were so good, but now I can see all the places I went wrong. I think it's nice to see the growth, though. Without those awful years of horrible photos I wouldn't be where I am today. I think this is why I have such a difficult time letting go of my dolls. They've been with me through the bad and are finally here to be a part of something a little bit better. They were what started my photography journey eight years ago, and I would never have persisted if not for the people I met thanks to them. 

So picking up this girl today and snapping some photos of her outside on this rainy afternoon, I felt nostalgic. I have a pessimistic personality, and it's become all too easy for me to only see the flaws in what I do, so photographing this doll helped me recall a time where I was happy with what I created simply because I loved creating it. I think I need to put myself into that mindset a bit more, and focus less on the negative things. :)  

Hey guys! I'm happy to be beginning my newest dolly photography project - The Pullip Tarot! I used to read tarot cards quite often when I was a preteen, but I ended up abandoning the hobby when I got to high school. I recently picked up my old deck and reignited my interest in tarot reading. I've been searching for a new project/series idea and my boyfriend suggested I take doll photos to represent the 78 cards of a tarot deck. It's going to be a huge undertaking- I can barely keep up with 52 weekly photos- but I hope I can eventually complete it! This project will also help me to get more acclimated to using props in my photos, as well as telling a story with my dolls (oh yeah, and also taking portrait oriented photos- my nemesis!) I am looking forward to working on this and sharing the journey with you all!

So, for my first Pullip Tarot card I decided to do something simple. I chose the ace of swords, oriented upright (for those of you who don't know, tarot cards can bear different meanings whether they are drawn upright or reversed). The Ace of Swords is often linked with justice, fortitude, and seeking out the truth. This is why I chose my Pullip Veritas to represent this card (veritas in Latin means truth, and the Roman goddess of truth was named Veritas). Besides being a symbol of truth, my Veritas is portrayed as a valiant explorer, on her way to conquer the new world. For this reason, I feel she is perfect to be the face of the card connected with overpowering obstacles and pressing on. 

I hope you enjoyed the first photo in my Pullip Tarot series! I am so excited to work on this! If you'd like to learn more about the Ace of Swords, or other tarot cards, here is a resource I often look to when interpreting my own tarot readings. It's quick and easy to understand- especially for newbies! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Week 12

I struggled a lot while editing this, and the rest of this shoot's photos. I thought they looked great while I was outside taking them, but for some reason that wasn't the case once I loaded them into Photoshop. I wanted a dark scene, but my photos were a bit overexposed. I also wanted Solstice's hair to be saturated and bright. I spent so long editing this that I ended up hating it. Looking at it now, I am a bit disappointed in myself that I didn't press on until I was satisfied. But I suppose photos like this are learning experiences. I'll keep working next time!

Week 13

This week was similar to last, in that my photos looked perfect on my camera screen but I struggled to no end with the editing! I think it's because of my conflicting tastes. I love, love, love dark and dismal photos. I'm not sure why, but something about them makes me go "ooooooh". I also love saturated colors with vivid backgrounds. On top of that, I like the look of old film and faded instant photos. My problem is that in post I try to brings all of these looks together. I doubt it's possible, but if it is I have yet to find the key to making it all work simultaneously! This shoot was beautiful and vivid and I sort of ruined it when trying to fade the colors and darken the scene. Oh well. This project is about progress for me- two bad weeks in a row just means two lessons learned. :)

Week 14

This week I was in a rush to get this photo taken, edited, and posted. I didn't even have time to blog about the shoot it was from or share any other photos I took that day. This was taken the day my boyfriend and sister came to visit. I was in a frenzy trying to complete all the chores I had put off (had to have the house tidy for everyone, haha) and I suddenly remembered I had yet to take my ADAW photo for that week. I knew I wouldn't have the time to when they arrived so I had to do it quickly before they got here. Overall, I wasn't thrilled with this photo, but I don't hate it either. 

Week 15

Again I was tested this week with editing. I was trying to create too many conflicting looks in post and I wasn't happy with the result. I actually hated it and was going to reshoot some photos the next day. I ended up giving up (why have I been doing this so much lately!!) and uploading the photo to Flickr on private. When I woke up the next morning, I checked on the photo. I can't see why I hated it so much, honestly. It's a decent photo! I think I had just been staring at it for so long that I started to convince myself there was something wrong with it. I think my recent problems with being satisfied with my work has lead me to become more critical. I think being critical of your work is a good quality, but too much of anything can hinder you. 

I hope to get over this photography slump I've been in lately. Doing these recaps really helps me to reflect on my work and find places I need improvement. I hope you guys are having a great weekend, and doing well with your own ADAW projects! 

Hey there! Once again I feel as if it's been forever since posting. Last weekend was wonderful - my boyfriend came to visit! He unfortunately had to leave last Sunday morning, but I'm glad we got to spend some time together. Since he left I sort of got into a photography slump again. I tend to let negative emotions take over my life. I lose interest in almost everything and would rather just stay in bed all day. I'm slowly regaining my motivation (and just in time, too- I have two research papers due soon ahah) and getting back into the swing of things.

This time I am sharing with you my weekly ADAW photo. The subject of this week's installment is my Pullip Veritas Deep Crimson Version. While I was editing this photo, I really really didn't like it. It came out nothing like I'd envisioned and I was incredibly discouraged. I was trying so hard to turn it into something I liked, but I couldn't. I uploaded it to Flickr on private, and gave up for the night. When I woke up this morning, I looked at the photo again. I can't see what I hated so much about it! I actually really enjoy it now. I think it proves that fact that if you stare at something long enough you'll end up finding everything wrong with it. Sometimes it's best to take a break and walk away. :)

I hope you liked this week's ADAW photo. I'll be posting a recap of weeks 11-15 soon, so keep an eye out! I'm also getting ready to post about my newest photo project. If you're a fan of things like psychic readings, I think you might enjoy this upcoming series! Thanks for stopping by- come again soon!

Hello all! Today I felt like sharing a few other photos from the shoot I had with Mercy, my Pullip Greggia, the other day. I didn't post them with the others (of her standing beneath the Japanese Maple) because they looked so different. I really really love this girl! Even when I'm not in a photography mood I can take her photo and enjoy it :)

I'm itching to start a new project, something different from ADAW. I want to do something shorter and less restricted by time and dates (having to put due-dates on my photos is sort of a buzz kill for me since I'm currently in school and so much of my life revolves around dates at the moment). I was thinking of something themed. I remember a few years ago I started a small series of photos that were inspired by different fears. Looking back on them now I can't help but cringe. I would love to redo the series, or something similar and creative. If anyone has any suggestions let me know!

I hope to come up with a new project idea soon and hopefully start this weekend! I'm really looking forward to starting something new. :) Well, thanks for stopping by on this Sunday afternoon. I hope you enjoyed these photos and stop by again soon! 

Hello there! Do you ever get in a really productive mood? I woke up feeling like this today, which isn't common for me as I am typically a huge couch potato. It's great for getting work and chores done, and also great for getting my butt outside to take photos! I have developed a bad habit over the years of only taking my weekly ADAW photo and almost nothing else. If only these productive moods came more often for me, heheh.