First studio shots with more to come. A special custom commission for a special collector, this porcelain doll features the biggest ceramic engraving I’ve ever attempted!

Now that the challenge of doll design and construction is behind me, the new challenge of photography begins. And that’s a whole other can of worms.

If I have to be perfectly honest, I quite dislike doing studio photography. There I said it, my dark secret - I don’t like photographing my dolls! Let me explain.

Photography is its own art form, that requires its own set of technical skills, knowledge, creativity, and a staggering amount of specialized equipment to capture a beautiful image. By the time each doll even makes it to my photo light table, I will have already spent on average 500 hours bent over my desk constructing it, while executing hundreds of creative decisions in the process. This takes a toll on my mind, my body, my eyesight, and leads to creative fatigue, burn out and eventually clinical depression, if I don’t take breaks from the doll.

Despite my best efforts at work-life balance, I often work with deadlines that don’t allow much down time between finishing a doll and photographing it, which leads to me not enjoying doll photography as much as I would like. And yet, I always end up loving the photos I take, despite running on fumes while taking them. I love THESE photos! I’m already testing them for prints!

What about you, my fellow artists, is there a necessary aspect of your art that you dislike or even hate, or is it just me who hates taking pictures of my art? I’m curious.