tips to make doll look real

[IceMasterPT]

my first doll arrives tomorow (from Linkooer ) and from what they sent me from the factory photos, the doll eyes look totally dead.
I want a way to make photos so i can create a realistic instagram, with the least ammount of uncanny valley as possible!

I know Faceapp is amazing, but the thing is: The eyes! It doesn't alter the eyes. I want some tips of software, camera positioning, etc, to make my doll appear real.

I want to make her "alive" online, and make people really believe she is a real person (not for malicious reasons, just for the sake of Art)

[Rock13]

Mannequin Fan's E-Z Move Eyes can help you with that. I have four pairs and they're tops!

[Mr Franz]

Lighting, position of the eyes, tilt of the head, camera angle, it's often the little details that make the most difference.

[Leatherman]

Hello Rock

Factory makeup is minimal. Pay attention to faces you like. Practice getting the application right. You can get a hint of a highlight in the eye with good eye shadows. A little blush will bring additional focus. And never underestimate to the importance of a good wig!

Enjoy your girl!

[MattUK]

Looks at lots of pictures of real women (hard work I know). See how they sit, how they stand, how they place their arms etc. The spine isn't always straight up, shoulders aren't always parallel to the hips, legs aren't always placed symmetrically when stood or sat, etc etc. Pick a pose you like and want to recreate and work through every joint in your doll's body, from her feet upwards, and make it match the position in the photo. Get a feel for how all the individual bits stitch together to make the whole body have a natural shape and flow and a bit of energy.

And if it's a WM doll, find a pose that hides her hands

[Urdor Izajar]

I always zoom in on the eyes to make sure they look good before I take the picture. Take a test shot too and look at it on a bigger screen. You'll probably find something else you missed because you spent your time worrying about where she is looking.

[Willendorph]

What dolls generally lack is imperfections like real people. It's easy to add freckles, little moles and things like that with eye shadow. They wear off, but it'll make photos look a lot more real. Just start with colours that aren't too dark and small areas and go from there. Also, good lighting is essential for good photos. More important than the camera in my opinion.

[I like blondes]

2-3 lights & natural posing. That's all you need. This was shot with my cell phone in my messy bedroom lol

[Tighes]

It’s all about good lighting, body position eye direction, head tilts and pretty much what everyone else has said. You can go as far as a little FaceApp smile. A smile will give her more of a personality which really works well in photos.
As MattUK said, study modelling shots and find some you like then try and copy them. Look at the lighting angle to give the best light without harsh shadowing.

To get the best shots look at where your doing the shot. Is it clean and tidy and not cluttered. To much in the shot can distract from the doll and take focus away from her.

I shoot with full studio lighting but have also used something as simple as a lampshade to create ambiance in the photos. I’ve even done full shots of my girls using an iPhone.
You don’t need expensive gear to produce great shots. Planning your photoshoot will make a huge difference in the end result.

Just some tips from me.

Cheers
Tighes

[Grubhed]

One of the first photos I've ever taken with my doll. Used natural lighting and and a Galaxy S7. As mentioned before MannequinFans eyes made a huge difference for me. Including those imperfections, inspired by Julia Roberts, I also added a mole just below her eye. Another trick I do in post production is use the sharpen tool on just her eyes to draw attention.

[BigJoeBuck]

you can move her eyes around a bit in her head to get a look or two also dress her up and do her makeup as best you can

play with her

cheers

[Star88]

And if it's a WM doll, find a pose that hides her hands

For those of us still learning, or who don't have experience with WM could you elaborate on this recommendation?

[-Ragnar66-]

MannequinFan´s eyes & lids are always a worthwhile investment. They allow bits of taking away that perfect symmetry that makes a doll´s face look like... a doll. Same for the skin. It´s small imperfections as already mentioned and adding them in asymmetric ways adds much to realism. Different shininess on different parts of the face. Don´t powder (or MU) all over and wipe off those parts that usually have more shininess (under eyes, near nose wings, mouth corners, forehead....) Another small detail is coloring nostrils to add bits of depth. I also found putting baby oil on the eyes makes them shine more. Same for teeth (if exist for open mouth heads). Baby oil takes away from that oftenly plastic looks.

I´d also avoid using a flash when taking photos. What kind of light is best needs to be experimented with. Not every kind of light (bulbs, LED, natural daylight, spotlight, soft light...) looks good on a particular doll´s skin. Same with powdering which could change reflectivity and naturalness in bad ways. Powder (or eye shadow) color got to match skin color for best results.

Things I´ve to try yet is adding varying texture by use of heatgun and sandpaper.

[Citylights]

Does makeup damage the dolls with TPE skin?

[The Doll Advocate]

I've been wanting to experiment with clear coating a spare step of eyes I have.
With a good polish, I'm thinking it will make the eye look more wet like a real eye.