My 5 Favorite Doll Photographers ~ Summer 2014

I love looking at pictures of dolls. Scientists have proven that looking at pictures of puppies and kittens can alter your brain waves and calm you. Then, there are those exciting, romantic landscape photos that give you a glimpse of another part of our planet. I love those, too! But, I love the doll photos best.

My favorite professional photographers are Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino and Edward Steichen. They each have a distinctive and unique style and when you see one of their photographs, you know immediately who shot it. Their point of view through the camera lens is quite different from anyone else's.

In the doll world, we are blessed with many talented and creative doll photographers. It's a great deal of fun to see how each photographer's work changes over time as they learn new camera techniques, Photoshop tricks and all the other things that go with being a fashion doll photographer. These are my current Favorite Five!

Ready?

1. Sharon Marie Wright
She is a card carrying member of Screen Actor's Guild and an Emmy winning film director. Her experience is truly reflected in her photographs, too. Her images aren't just static pictures of dolls. Sharon's pictures tell a story. She's very artistic in her use of light to set a mood and her sense of humor is always evident. Often imitated, but never duplicated, she has raised the bar on doll photography since she emerged a couple of years ago.

Sharon is very generous as an artist, sharing tips and tricks about her techniques with other shutterbugs. But, even when you know how she did it, it's still difficult to make photos that look like hers. Sharon is one of a kind and much loved by her huge fan base of doll collectors and fellow photographers.

UPDATE: "Congratulations!" on Sharon's recent appointment by Jones Publishing as Executive Editor of Haute Doll Magazine. I'll look forward to seeing the next edition!

2. Deb Buckner 
(flickr handle: *disenchanted*deb)

Deb lives in Ohio, so I envy her the four seasons! (Here in Florida, we have a wet season and a dry season.) She often shoots her girls outdoors, and it's fun to see the changes in the weather through her doll photography.

I was first attracted to Deb's Poppy photos because she stages many of them in wonderful dioramas. She creates these dioramas, sewing, sawing, screwing and gluing things into place. I saw a vintage Susie Goose vanity in one of her dioramas that had been painted and I liked it so much, I messaged her and asked how she did it. Ever gracious, she told me everything I needed to know to make my own, including which paint works best!

It comes as no surprise that Deb is a talented seamstress, too! When I have admired her doll's fashions and inquired where they came from, her humble response, "I made it" just blew me away! We share a love of Poppy Parker and have become Facebook friends where I discovered she, too, collects the Fashion Royalty girls. We must be kindred spirits because we have a mutual admiration for Vanessa and Victoire Rouge. I've used several of Deb's photos for the banner photo on my Poppy Parker Fan Page on Facebook and I am extremely grateful that she is so generous in sharing her photos.

3. Barbara of Adelaide, Australia (flickr handle: poppybelle)

I cannot remember when I became aware of poppybelle. I think it was her Poppy Parker pictures that first drew me in. Browsing her flickr photos, I discovered that she does remarkable portraits of Poppy Parker and the Fashion Royalty Girls (I think Agnes is her favorite!).

I am particularly fond of how she redresses and restyles her girls, making them look so different from their original incarnations. The way she uses light and how she poses the dolls make her pictures clearly recognizable.

I am most appreciative of poppybelle's generosity in permitting the sharing of her photos. I am somewhat envious of her Poppy collection, too! She has many of the early dolls!

4. Lisa/Alex's dolls via flickr

This photographer gets around! Her travels take her to visit people and places which are reflected in her flickr photos. She photographs indoors and out, and I'm guessing she lives somewhere in the northeast, as her winter photos include snowy scenes!

I like Lisa/Alex's casual outdoor style a lot. She places her dolls in such a way that it appears to be perfectly normal for a doll to be there. Some people might find that a little strange, but I like it. It's why she's on my list.

She does really nice portraits of her girls, too. Her pictures clearly show her love of fashion dolls and that's REALLY what it's all about, in my humble opinion. Many thanks for allowing the sharing of photos!

5. Michaela Unbehau via flickr 

My opening photo comes from the lens of this up and coming fashion doll photographer. She was recently profiled in the Winter 2013 issue of Fashion Doll Quarterly.

Unfortunately, Michaela does not allow sharing of her photos. No. Pinterest. No Tumblr. No Facebook or Twitter sharing. Which is a big bummer for me. She creates these amazing images of fashion dolls and we all want to see them, but she doesn't make it easy. I apologize if it sounds like I'm coming down on her. I just don't understand why people participate in photo sharing web sites and then don't want to let anyone share their pictures. I just don't get that.

So, now you're wondering where I got these photos posted here, right? Yep. Figured as much!

I found them on Pinterest. There are only a few. Like I said, she doesn't permit sharing. But, I did find a few and that's all we needed for this purpose.

That said, you can click on the link and go to Michaela's flickr site where you can see her amazing photos. Enjoy!


A final thought: I encourage doll photographers to watermark their photos before they upload them to the internet. When they are watermarked, we know who they belong to and can give the proper credit. As a long time doll collector, the internet has provided a wonderful environment for us to share our hobby, most often through photographs. If you're a photographer, claim your work so we can "LIKE" it! Isn't that what it's all about?

De-boxing Fashion Dolls

Doll bondage. What a concept, huh? 


Walk down any Barbie aisle in any big box store and you'll see them. Playline dolls, collector dolls ... all bound to their boxes. I am looking at my newest acquisition ... "Katniss" Barbie doll (from "The Hunger Games") dreading removing her from her box. But! Remove her I will! She must be free!


Collectors ought to be able to sue for damages and mental anguish as a result of deboxing their dolls. Particularly Barbie dolls!  


If you collect Barbie dolls, you know about the injuries that can be acquired while trying to release them from captivity. Have you ever sliced a finger as you wrangled your trapped Barbie doll from her packaging?  Uh-huh. I thought so. 

And while struggling with Mattel’s idea of doll security, I find myself wondering about the child who has received a doll for Christmas or a birthday. What a nightmare for any child! It's imperative that a responsible adult assist in the de-boxing!  


I can remember when you brought your brand new Barbie doll home, slipped the lid off and lifted the doll out of her cardboard prison. I even found this photo on Flickr of Never Removed From Box bubblecut Barbies from 1961. You can see how easily the doll could be removed.  Wow! What a concept! Nowadays, it takes scissors, tweezers, needle nose pliers, and a whole lot of patience to free Barbie from her box.

Last year I discovered the Poppy Parker doll from Fashion Royalty and when I received her was immediately charmed by the box! The box lid is secured with soft pink ribbon tied in a lovely bow. You pull the bow and the lid opens very easily.  I love how the doll is gently tied to her liner with soft white ribbon. It took every bit of three minutes to get her AND all her accessories out of the box! Heavenly!


But, more recently, a new monster has reared its head. It began with the 1996 Holiday Barbie doll that I donated for a raffle. A lovely woman won her and seemed so pleased with her prize. She took the doll home and, not being a collector, she removed the doll from her box! Now, holiday Barbies are packaged to be beautifully displayed IN their boxes, and one would think she would be left that way. Alas! When this lovely lady removed her doll, the head fell off! She did call to report the mishap, and we asked her to return the doll for repair, which is what I will be doing tomorrow. {Poor beheaded Barbie!}

And, that's what got me thinking about it. De-boxing dolls, that is. I began de-boxing my dolls last year. I found I was running out of places to put them and I wasn't having any fun with them IN the box, so one by one, I freed my dolls from their trappings. Along the way I discovered that the rubber bands were dry rotted and the twist ties were rusted. These discoveries reinforced my efforts to get those girls out of their plastic cardboard prisons and I find I am enjoying my dolls even more!

I don’t think it’s necessary to attach a doll to a box in such a way that it almost requires destroying the doll in order to remove it. I’m sure Mattel has heard complaints about this. I’m sure they have justification for continuing the cruel and unusual punishment of Barbie and her friends. But, I think we are due for a kinder, gentler world of doll bondage, don't you?