PrettyTiny Film Company -- random pix (Oct. 31 -- Happy Dolloween!)

[Loona]

They turned out great! Both Pam and the cactus are lovely, and I like how her hair and eyeshadow harmoninse with the plant

Arrgh, don't tell me about the issues with focusing at a shallow DOF - over the weekend I finally got in the mood of taking some photos, and "dolls with flowers" were exactly what I had in mind. I sat my rehaired Disney Store mini Rapunzel I've been meaning to show off for months now on the Hoya, and after struggling with not being able to take one single photo that had her face in focus for about half an hour, I actually gave up! Granted, her head is about quarter the size of a Little Pullip head, but it also occurred to me (after I've already given up and packed stuff away, plus the lights have already gone out) that I've tried to take the photo with my zoom kit lens, and not the 35mm or 50mm ones I usually use for my dolls - and which never gave me such issues. Oh well, I'll try to look at it positively: at least now I know this kit lens also has that focal point mismatch/aberration thing going on (in which the focal point visible in the viewfinder is not where the actual focal point is). I had this lens for about 1.5 years now, so at first I wondered how I haven't yet noticed it, but then I realised travelling was pretty limited during these 1.5 years, and I usually use this type of lens for travel photos, and in larger scale photography like landscapes and city photography, this doesn't really cause issues. When trying to focus on a face that is 1x2cm in size though, it is pretty apparent
Too bad camera repair shops fall into the category that are now closed by law, so who knows when I'll have a chance to take it to have it corrected. I might have to look into trying to do it myself - I know there's a menu section for it somewhere in the camera because my brother-in-law showed it to me once, but normally I definitely wouldn't feel pro enough to do something like this myself. These are desperate times tho...

[Alliecat]

Haha, no "making-of" this time.

Oh, bummer about the focus struggle. Kit lenses are not great! One came with my camera but it took quite a while (and some comments from the Pentax forum) for me to figure out that it wasn't great at focusing on small areas. I'm sure there are how-to's about that stuff... you can DIY just about everything thanks to the School of Youtube these days. Or maybe advice from a camera forum where someone could talk you through it? Bummer that you can't mail or drop off a lens to a shop even if people aren't allowed in -- they should let that much happen.
I use a 50mm most of the time. For such a tiny focus point I would stick a piece of paper or something with clear markings in the shot in the same plane as the face or other desired focus point, and do test shots focusing manually.

[Loona]

Some kit lenses aren't that bad, and I think they are actually getting better - but yeah, it depends on the purpose. They certainly shouldn't be used for portraits (of dolls or people), and they certainly aren't good at focusing at small objects, but some are nice for "running around a new city taking pictures of whatever you see and like"-type of photos. This one - and the previous one that broke - is perfectly OK for that, and I like the ability to zoom (it's a 18-140mm), and under these circumstances I'm OK to compromise with a 3.5 aperture. I definitely wouldn't be OK with that for my doll or object photos - I love me some bokeh, so my 35mm lens comes with an 1.8 aperture - the 1.4 version was awfully eensive in comparison, and to be honest, I don't use 1.4 all that much on my 50mm which does have it (and was also awfully ex-pensive, but I got a good deal).

I'm pretty sure I could mail it to them, but I haven't looked into that. (Here goes my lazy convenient bum-self again ) living in the middle of the capital city, I'm just not used to, nor comfortable with having to pay for shipping. I purchase 99% of my local purchases with local pickup, because I love to run around in the city with public transport (time is money, I know, but it's great me-time for me to walk and travel around with music on/in my ears), and I get grumpy when I have to pay shipping costs on a non-international (and non-personal) purchase - it usually makes me move on and purchase the item from elsewhere where local pickup is offered. Hungary is unbelievably capital-centered (which actually isn't good for the people or for the economy...), so I rarely encounter stuff that cannot be purchased in my city with local pick-up.

Thanks for the tip - and actually that's exactly what my brother-in-law showed me back then: take a paper with clear markings, take photos, and test where I focus and where it actually is sharp, and then... well, move the focal point somehow. I'm sure there are tutorials out there, I just need to get my lazy bum down to look at one and follow it.

[Alliecat]

I think I recall reading about how to shift the focal plane or something with mine as well -- before I learned that the kit lens was why my dolls' faces weren't sharp.  But I meant, without getting into the camera's innards, you can just put something strongly patterned in the shot beside the doll's face or wherever you want to focus, and take a few pictures with it there as you adjust; then when it's sharp you take it out and shoot the pic.  Of course requires being able to shut off autofocus so it doesn't change on you when you remove its target.
18-140 is a pretty nice range!  I use the kit lens for news -- doesn't matter when it's going to be a 3x4" black-&-white newspaper photo
I don't use much under 3.5 myself.

I didn't get around to doing any Easter-y photos, alas... been slammed with work which is finally winding down; my crocuses got all rained on, and today it bleepin snowed.  --Just flurries, but still.
Stupid climate.

Anyway, because you can't take just "one" in a pic-a-week shoot, (well I usually can't), here's one more of Crystal and a few of Dorothy.
I should neaten her hair.  >sigh<  But Marilyn is still in line for a spa day that didn't happen yet.

[davidd]

Crystal's face-up is adorable... as is the surviving crocus.

Dorothy's boots remind me of those of Pullip Amelia... only Dorothy's appear to be superior quality.

[Elfy]

Crystal looks so hopeful. Dorothy is clearly a goat whisperer.

[Lejays17]

Crystal does look very proud of tge single flower.

And Dorothy’s outfit is adorable. Love the goat whispering.

[Alliecat]

Crystal's face-up is adorable... as is the surviving crocus.
Dorothy's boots remind me of those of Pullip Amelia... only Dorothy's appear to be superior quality.

Dare I say it, anybody's boots are probably superior to Groove's...?      Yes, they are quite nice, are slit down the back and go on/off very nicely.
Crystal is Connie Bees / Yummy Sweets's one & only mini custom!

Crystal looks so hopeful. Dorothy is clearly a goat whisperer.

Crystal does look very proud of tge single flower.
And Dorothy’s outfit is adorable.  Love the goat whispering.

Thank you both!  

I thought last week was busy; this week brought even sillier deadlines.  At least I got caught up with last week's photoshoot.  Not the best location or the best light, but, gotta work with what you have.


Doryn checking out the really good crocus patch that didn't get rained on & frozen.









Lila always gets to pose with the purple flowers.

[davidd]

It's a cavalcade of croci! Plenty of purple! Loads of lavender!
No flowers here yet at all. Half an hour south by highway, tulips are emerging, but here... nada!
Lilac Lila is lovely!

[Elfy]

What is it about dolls and flowers? They just go so well together.

[Lejays17]

All the lovely purples! Dolls & flowers always looks brilliant together. And tge minis suit the small flowers so well.

[dargosmydaddy]

So beautiful and cheery!

[Alliecat]

Thanks, everyone!  

I got way behind with posting some photos.  Tonight I managed to sort a bunch, so, here are various members of the crew from the last couple months.


Samantha, sharing the pain... tax time.


A couple more of Samantha with bunny friend:









Another from Dawn's shoot with the amaryllis.



And one more of Miss Sunsette enjoying a warm day.  Sadly, these little flowers got snowed on shortly after, so they didn't last long.


A couple more of Abbi with the forsythia:







Now... I had no idea my garden might be magic.   A couple of years ago, Sunsette told a story about how the magic garden in Hawaii gave us back Aloalo's missing garlands, a windy day later after we lost them.  Today, I found Abbi's hat decoration, both pieces lying together at the edge of the sidewalk, where I was working yesterday and never saw them.  I had no idea they'd even fallen off.  I never noticed.  They could've fallen off in the grass anywhere between the forsythia & the house.  Yet there they were on the sidewalk.
Hmmmmm.
We said mahalo to the garden.  Here's Abbi with the pieces.  They have now been re-glued.




Then, a bunch with Victoria, continuing Dolls With Flowers and just because she's so gorgeous

















...yeahh.  I just want to take a million pictures of her.

Mahalo for looking!  

[davidd]

Just finished up taxes here a few minutes ago! YAY!

Love the amaryllis pic! Such intense colour!

I gushed about most of the other pics on Flickr.

Every time I see your red pirate girl I want you to take a million pictures of her!

[Elfy]

Did Samantha need to cuddle the bunny to destress after doing the taxes?