Tell a Story: Reunited

Once upon a time I used to make "photostories" of my dolls, way back when I thought I was a really cool teenager. (It's everyone else that was weird and lame, not me.) My favorite one I did was of my dolls playing with Lego's and then my cat came in and knocked everything over. I remember having a lot of fun, but things change and I'm an adult now. I keep saying it, so it must be true.

Who am I kidding? Nothing has changed. I'm still weird as hell, except now I get to play with my toys to learn how to be a professional artist. 

Anyway, for this assignment I had to tell a story. I love stories, and I love telling stories. I also love things that tell stories without words. So I'm not going to tell you what's happening because it should be plain, no matter how you wish to interpret it.

I was torn between this one and another one. I loved how the helmet looked in the first picture, but this one didn't have anybody's heads cut off. I don't have many other photographs to show because the first shoot was...trash, and the second one I already knew the idea I was going for so much of the pictures are the same. 

I took my Asmus Toys Legolas and Gimli outside on the deck at first and set up a sheet as a backdrop. But everything about it was wrong. The sun was reflecting off the wall and windows behind me so the lighting was terrible, and it was just...wrong. Here's a picture of the same story idea from the first shoot, heavily edited because I was trying desperately to make it look good.

Look away! Look away! Save your eyes! 

Ok, I'm being dramatic. But the pictures from the second shoot are so much better, because like my mom said, they needed to be somewhere organic. I may be covered in mosquito and ant bites now, but it was worth it. I put them several places around those tree bush plant things, and most of the time they were cooperative and stood even if I had to reposition their feet numerous times. The last few shots I had to prop Legolas up on the tree, but honestly I think it gives a little playful air if you're paying close enough attention. 

I didn't have to do as much editing. I just boosted the saturation a little and added a vignette because apparently I love vingettes now?

This is the one I liked of Gimli's helmet, that ultimately was rejected because the top of Legolas' head is missing.

This next one I thought was good as well, but everything was much too center and feels too staged rather than the helmet being haphazardly discarded in haste. I mean the whole thing is staged because I spent a good 15-20 minutes posing them and probably could have spent longer in all honesty.

I could have played around with their hands a bit more, but this way it's almost like they're still in motion, going in for an embrace rather than already embracing.

I was going to do some different things, like maybe have Legolas in the tree like the hippie elf he is and Gimli below with an axe protecting himself against whatever strange tree magic might occur. But I didn't. Mostly because I'm not a fan of the Asmus hand joints and I haven't had the time to mod Gimli's wrist joints like I did with Legolas, so the mobility is limited and I haven't tried out his axe holding hands yet.

Uh, anyway that's a lot that has nothing to do with photography or school and more to do with my hobbies.

The End