I've linked to Mariel Clayton, doll photographer with a subversive sense of humour before. Tonight I found Nancy Farmer, artist and doll photographer with a kinky sense of humour.

I posted a few links for Kinky Barbie to Sex Kitten tonight. (Have you read the posts in Laura's Boudoir there before?) The first link I found, which gave me the inspiration to look for more, was a Flickr group for Kinky Barbie and Friends. Have a look at OOAK Barbies too.

It was at Domi Dollz that I discovered Nancy Farmer, her art, photography and her Etsy Fetishdollies shop and a second shop on DaWanda.

About the Fetishdollies:

This is part of a little photography project I've been doing for some time. All rather silly, and some of it is quite indecent, but it keeps me off the streets! There is no trick photography in any of this, just patience and handmade accessories. The subject matter varies from merely suggestive, to downright rude but all, I hope you will find, done with a sense of humor.

Do you remember this doll? I spotted this poor girl in a GoodWill thrift store this week. She was not in great shape, some hair had caught on something and pulled loose from her updo. Her dress was torn and she was a little dirty. Not things I couldn’t fix but as nice as it was to revisit my girlhood, I did not want to take her home. I had one very much like her, about 30 years ago. My girl wore purple instead of yellow. Next time I go to this store I will be tempted to check around the shelves and see if she is still hanging around.

But, do you know what the doll is called? That’s the big trivia question. I did not. I had to look for it online. Thank you to Dollkind.com. She has written a whole post about… Bradley Dolls. There are a lot of variety to them. Far more than the type above (which was the only type I had seen among my friends and in the stores at the time). You could have ordered a Bradley doll from the catalogue, back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I’m not going to repost the history and information from Dollkind, I strongly suggest you check there and read if you are interested. One thing I did like to find out – people were making clothes for these dolls themselves. I used to like sewing, still do but don’t get much done. I’m surprised I didn’t get into sewing fancy dresses for my Bradley doll. I still design lovely gowns in my own mind, they just don’t make it beyond that point.

I found two groups on Flickr for the Bradley dolls. One for Bradley dolls in general and the other for Bradley sitting dolls.

After being inspired by photos taken of little dolls in peril or just trying to cope in the big world, I have found my own little people to experiment with. I’ve seen people use Barbie dolls, some kind of revenge against the media thing I think. I know an artist who uses tiny figurines which are sold to be set up in model train villages.

I have been using two Bratz dolls which I bought at a GoodWill store. I like their sort of bitchy expression and the fact that they aren't blonde princess types. These Bratz dolls have a range for true torment, real peril and facing it all with an annoyed look.

So far the hardest part is getting the photograph in good focus. Even when I’m sure I’ve got several good photos, I end up deleting all but one or two cause they are blurry looking. I’m going to see what tricks and ideas I can find from other sites and people who are taking close up photos of little things. It's almost macro photography, but not quite that close up and focused on one small thing.

My best tips for anyone giving this a try:

• Clear out anything you don't want in the photo's background. Get clutter out of the way. Look through your camera before you start and see what you still need to move out of your way.
• Get in close to your dolls/ toys. In the photo you should clearly see their faces and details of hands and other small items you pose with them.
• Tidy up her hair. The Bratz dolls hair becomes a mess pretty easily.
• Practice different angels: overhead, to the left, to the right, from below, over her shoulder, etc.
• Practice focusing on something in the background and have your foreground be a little blurry, not in direct focus.
• If you are indoors, bring a light you can move around. Don't let it cause glare but experiment with moving it around for different effects, like shadows.
• I bought a tripod to help me get a better photo, without blurring due to any least movement of my hand. This should help me get better, clearly focused photos. Also, it's nice cause it keeps my camera in the exact same spot if I want to try playing with the light.
• Use the macro button/ feature on your camera. This means you have to move the camera really close but it does give you better luck catching the details.

Orchid Dolls - Ten Tips For Doll Photography

• Align the eyes, forward, upward or sideways: spend the time you need for that.
• Focus the eyes. Make the doll look directly at your lens, or at some distant point from the camera.
• Another important thing are the eyebrows: even if the wig has a fringe, I always try to show the eyebrows because this is what enhances the expression in the doll’s look.
• I don’t use high angles with my dolls, because it makes them look like simple dolls. To make them look alive, I put myself to their eye level or even, sometimes, below it.
• Try to avoid elements out of our doll’s scale in our framing, such as benches, litter bins, people walking… unless, of course, your intention is to show just that.

A Source of Inspiration

• Little People by Slinkachu - A tiny street art project.

The Russian dolls (also called Russian Nesting Dolls) are called Matroschka, Matryoshka and матрёшка. As a kid I would see these Russian dolls when we went to the Canadian National Exhibition in downtown Toronto at the end of each Summer. I always wanted one. They were exotic, something from a country I heard so many different stories about. They were also so pretty, some were cute and some were so intricately painted they were things of real beauty.

I asked my Mother to buy me one. She told me to wait and see if I still wanted one next year and then I could buy one myself. This is still excellent advice for anything you want, it sure does cut down on my impulse spending when I am out shopping around. (Not that I always follow that rule, of course).

It took me a few years before I had the money to spend on a Russian doll. I couldn’t get one of those really big ones with endless dolls nested inside. But, I did get one that made me happy. She has five dolls, including the tiny baby in the middle. She is a traditional looking Russian doll cause when I took the time to look and remember the very first Russian dolls I had wanted this one seemed to be the most like the very one I had wished for all that time ago. I think she’s pretty. Of course, I have seen cuter dolls since then. But, I am happy to have the doll that I have.

I’ve been wracking my brain cells for an image that will give the feeling of Creative Fat Grrl to use in a link exchange. After much searching of soul and Google Images I have come up with a plan to use paper chain dolls. Do you remember those? Have you ever made one? I’m still in the drawing stages for mine but I did find interesting links and ideas for making more of your own. Maybe you will try it, again, or for the first time. It’s a simple way to create something nice.

Fancy Nancy Paper Chain Dolls has a pattern with a ruffled skirt.

Kiddley is making paper doll chains and decorating them.

Mumsgather has ballerina and boy paper chain dolls.

Stampington & Company has a chain doll pattern with braids.

Sketch & Jones has a really nice design that would be hard to cut out.

The Origami Resource Center has patterns for making a variety of paper dolls including one in a circle.

Sue has very fancy chain paper dolls photographed on Flickr.

Kraken Crafts made a paper gnome chain.

Mad Gardener has a curly haired paper doll chain.

Creative Muse has a chain with winged dolls.

In making my own this afternoon I found it crucial to have the hands a bit larger than you would choose so that the connection between each doll is strong enough to survive the unfolding. If you make any yourself please post pictures and add the link in comments here. My own pattern turned out kind of nice. :)