Doll Photography--Part II
This is Part II in this series. Part I discussed selection of basic
equipment to get your doll photos on the Internet--cameras
and scanners. This installment discusses options for getting close-up
focus of your doll details, dollhouse items, and small dolls from your camera. As
mentioned last week, small dolls and doll marks are some of the most difficult objects to
photograph clearly and in focus, because most cameras do NOT focus close enough to
photograph such tiny items (often items are under 1" small--see the small poupee
sewing kit to the right, where the case is under 2" and the sewing implements much
smaller!)
Regular SLR Cameras
As mentioned in Part I, the only type of camera you should consider for photography of dolls and doll details are Single Lens Reflex film cameras and digital cameras with comparable through-the-lens viewing abilities, so that "what you see is what you get" through your lens viewfinder. Most SLR film and digital cameras do not focus anywhere near enough to get large, clear pictures of your tiny doll items. So, you need one of three types of camera equipment accessories:
- Close-up lens
- Macro Lens
- Bellow or Extension Lens
Your cheapest option is to add 1 or more close-up lens
that screw into the front of your camera. Usually, the quality of these lens are
low, but they are adequate enough for photos that will be published on a web site.
The "off-brands" of these lens 
are usually only a few dollars, and
often come in sets of three (by the time you put all three on to get the closest close-up,
you may see the lens in your picture, called "vignetting!" Your best
option is to use a branded 2-optic lens (from Nikon or Pentax or Olympus, for instance)
that is of better quality, and costs around $40-$50.
Choosing a macro-lens is definitely most
expensive, but if you are going to do lots of macro photography, it can be a good option
because of the wonderful quality of a fixed macro lens. Such a lens will usually
cost several hundred dollars. There are many inexpensive zoom lens that offer
a Macro Lens option as part of the lens (touch a lever or button, and the lens focuses
close-up). Zooms with macro options can sometimes be only $100-$200, but, again, the
quality isn't ideal, AND you may not be able to get a large enough image of your miniature
on film (many zooms with a macro option will photograph as close
as
1:3, which means that you can have the image on your film be as big as 1/3 of its life
size) I recommend that you look for a camera which will give you a 1:2 ratio, and
even 1:1 if you can get it (1:1 means that you get the same size object on your film as
the object itself is!!)
Finally, there are bellows or tube extensions that can be used to "move" the lens closer to an object and away from the film, producing close macro focus. Usually bellows or extensions can get you at least to a 1:1 image, and a good quality image as well. However, bellows and tube extensions are truly for the smallest items, and, because of complexity of use, I recommend that you choose one of the other options, unless you routinely do very, very small work, such as 1/4' scale miniatures. For a more detailed summary of your options, check out Phillip Greenspun's "How To Take Pictures Of Small Things"
Digital Cameras
Pay close attention to the macro capability of a digital camera before purchase--most digital cameras have the added complication that they do not have interchangeable lens, so you cannot purchase a separate macro lens, and only a few have screw-on elements which would allow you to attach a close-up lens. However, some of the better digital cameras have good macro capabilities built right into the camera. For instance, my Nikon Coolpix 8800 can focus down to 1.2". Further, other cameras such as my old Olympus D-500L do allow attachment of close-up lens. All the pictures shown in this article were taken with my Olympus D-500L with a B-Macro converter lens. Some of the sewing implements n the picture above are under 1/4" across. The other two pictures, of the Armand Marseille Doll Mark, and the doll shoe, were taken with a macro photography option that is part of the basic camera.
The ZDNet products site has a wonderful chart summarizing features on almost 30 digital cameras, including closest focus AND closest flash distance (very important if you are photographing your miniatures indoors!). You can also find reviews of digital cameras made by 24 manufacturers at Digital Camera Reviews. Finally, check out Curtain Short's online Digital Photography Course, which will give you pointers on purchasing your first digital camera.
Part III will discuss basic techniques for doll photography. Part IV will discuss software options for making dissemination and editing of your doll pictures easier!
Part I of the Doll Photography Series (cameras and scanners)
Part II of the Doll Photography Series (close-ups)
Part III of the Doll Photography Series (Tips and Tricks for Quality Doll Photos)
Part IV of the Doll Photography Series (software for photo editing)
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