tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73963545134625559112024-03-21T13:22:28.032+11:00My Dolly AdventuresBlog about my adventures in the BJD hobby, the dolls I own and everything I do with them. Focused on my sewing and photography, but with lots of my opinions, ideas and projects.Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.comBlogger701125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-80173319432009227142023-11-19T21:24:00.000+11:002023-11-19T21:24:01.384+11:00Dawn, at Dawn<div><i>Apologies everyone for another delay. This was a pre-prepared post I hadn't shared. Not sure what I'll do, to be honest. In any case, enjoy the photos--I think some of these are stunners.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Well, one of the unexpected advantages of winter, is that I was able to walk my way to a park to take photos soon after dawn... and didn't have to wake at 4am to be ready! In any case, my dragon Dawn, deserves to be photographed at dawn, as she invokes it.
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Truth to be told, taking these photos was quite difficult. As you know, I shoot with adapted vintage lenses and leverage Sony's system to use focus peaks to help with manual focus <a href="https://mydollyadventures.blogspot.com/2021/10/vintage-lenses-in-your-mirrorlessdslr.html" target="_blank">(you can read more on my post here)</a>. The problem is that shooting with the high contrast levels that I wanted here totally screws the peaking system, and I was left to rely on my insticts.
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Good thing that my photography instincts are so attuned!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM48tBmcVaNuQak_zVkMZ1emQobgrBeV4zwqZD1HZrZk8YLyDgFTLzftwBewNcLP-wkXeMHvIMqZYusmUhf6FkvHahOmLEFE6iV3ZiS9flA2RzHcGS6Sb3g5wcohdDQYWfZ5-ZWYW8k_JXYAD-UTerinbf1vAc_vu2Ch-XtRBY7W8l8HmGhTNUD-u6d9-G/s1600/DSC09896_wm0.jpg" />
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In this case, I used my trusty Minolta 58mm f1.4 (from the '70s), and my Carl Zeiss Jena 100-300mm f3.5-5.6 (from 1962) to take this photos. Sharp as the sharpest thing. Vintage lenses are <i>so</i> amazing! If you think that because they are old they'll be "bad" or "not as sharp" as modern lenses... you are completely mistaking. They are equally sharp, are cheaper, and have a full metal body, meaning they are far more resilient; and since they're manual, they are far easier to fix as well.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dO3MiLBnCKantB1vdSoc4mL9Jvw24wKlYErha1DNegYkI0_fbRAlZtDQJAVU9xeIsS1TG5kR7TI3rw7ARpUwcCsEdS-gvtM5bdKVABRp6kS5boHr-L-cygqZJwO6niBH1xz3zApA21AHZxdq9q-4dagkKF24arOdi_-gQC0-Q3I0E5UEP5fnjQ63EFzk/s1600/DSC00020_wm2.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYA88hMp5CQHVABPMUJx8omliurPc3EggGREkmmJ-K-78qxPW6DjzOpqRpkg9OG39PsuSLdj6I3ZK7WpiaApqk4xYoj3vPMv8EOq4s9A9nxsbutnr0al1oYxGJkRQ6BRnUUp8Q_q1KuH7dgHNDJVnV6jOjPjqZGeMwAohvg5SKyS36lRkuZFU61ZyIxM8/s1600/DSC00213_wm2.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzhjv2l0ysMtnKdfzMCYFq1b_U6uM_t0XWKfGqmuYmoIJRCW2XeKQsNnmsIVpaAwP7cAbFxaRedr5fOnrh0AEb0vzGgki_EP02UEU7h4pSoK3u5_7RGPgaEIQ8PE2Q4YFxBpsF9fiCKUUhinFQg5EeHL4GlLsSguXJP5UT0mcqxCuFryHZEYhyDJIf9VP/s1600/DSC00287_wm2.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Z2z3NEAoRIlZNfr_WIWgcSOyiry0x-TCVpjWR9NFD4-JUAg3H7eXTwXAViEUsDkKc4t36Qi1AxKhAUkD1oArXOdiL7p9l5py8-CsMD7w0BavtV8K2Rc12TI1TTj9u80OIMX_03KPoe22FlQIK7iRqx-2NqkBQXWKeBCSV2_OWejI_5Zyl7PLOJPkBYxu/s1600/DSC09953_wm2.jpg" />
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These here are what I call "Dawn is summoning the sun", because the pose definitely seems to be that!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87v0dgcghzb1HWUGFxYf7OrqspxJS4T46b4YWEazg1RV2qvj_Q0mgnhf5l74sdqKtZVUNXfIAbxr4zVuYhl4SKaZOc81lZkVqrIzIIVea_QhSP10tpqi6R6emo5m9vVsvi-V_TcAgErWStO2IRIfKQX3kxj1K6n3eMQwxNMV_esNp3jyI4dlG0aRCuB31/s1600/DSC00459_wm1.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPce6JQSMX7BxN8lC9VA6mLlGol31IZWeg4owrJjDjYcnb65T92G-DTWm2LGcHN_ix46WZP1aR0EJ2ad2wSIkqInSf6ErAWMggiAxHrXfhFpZST8F4nV1cSeW_Vf0cIrGyTo-eFn05eCkWhX8WPVUxHCizY1ihswHsIwx4ZHkwfB2RN9M6CaKjeM3snsP/s1600/DSC09851_wm1jpg.jpg" />
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-40423266069174317292023-10-29T18:42:00.002+11:002023-10-29T18:42:51.682+11:00Dragons' Eyes<i>First of all, I apologise to my readers. Life happened, and it was increasingly hard to keep posting. I have some more posts to share, but I'm unsure what will happen, to be honest. It's been a bit rought, sadly =S</i>
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In which I was bored, and wanted to play with a macro adapter. I took this with a large Vivitar, and a few boxes to hold the unwielding thing steady. It was quite demanding, you'll see, because every teeny tiny movement would literally bring things out of focus. Likewise, since I was so up-close the doll, generally a single eye is in focus. Here is a teaser, and more under the cut.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1NuFaCKNdDIi_fhZm9zTqQAUqoCTlVJ2csD3j0bi5Q7qTP-J4GIYGOJoWLTIKzHtWl2JrbETwmnq31p9Sb0l-m8SUd9ribERUql0asjW6uPYzL-5Sw4t6Bypd8jOfquT-1OFG5zoHKwWUXLe6h-oDgleMvWaTK5IvmCasWCk9F7gfH9yTtSIfdtpmA/s1600/DSC07759-Enhanced-NR_w0.jpg" />
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I'm sharing all my (current) dragons here! I'm only missing Light, the third flower-dragon, which I haven't customised yet D: In any case, here are some more. What do you think of this set? Which one is your favourite?
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZbm3zt6OwRRUM6yPP4ez27Aos6DvNTNv_h5PKGysqY6WuUpXZlmpu1BNYxGYZd5Qb8xZCSNHkMIRfTHJ6DPPoc9NKcARnq8Lhx0eSk5-jM8t7BERn1TI_qu5xcnx4MPS0jCAh3NfdweonNFKiNcEgKLi8Jyfkaxe3_FPggOMP-rXJXEV8MzJgBN6xA/s1600/DSC07692-Enhanced-NR_wm1.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumNQFTvqacfqk_QQPlGYD8u7JrjhdBhJrUOsR-rSJpzlxey-gPSZfJ2Sr4N89na_iCP8QlH0WKhgFycMlvOuUJD48VZn8Lg3BM1_CP-v_QpY2Qzg5m-nEjFIkKyQbR7j0J_OlEsvp8l5ggnQXfC6a0YrzMm2YmsvXtzwjYUGM3TJkiruom0UzKcLyDA/s1600/DSC07737-Enhanced-NR_w1.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi36OypL9j8ojdOHdtppDuza26cdSLYitanJkDPXHso86ceDMJWw-PBq6XEYis4TG7HFL6JbT1-_TQmdmh5Ybqjo76gIcgTNReGXRNNsq2rkiXKZVhDCbcCvU4OFUJUyYqRLYjyiqibar42CNi8LyBluRrWWPWQielRTgn2-TeMrX1dBbtqBxbQ0fIpA/s1600/DSC07485-Enhanced-NR_wm2.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ak6rdlCCAJAtFMk2Hg46DxXeFaG_xgL7KbvH28yRPR5tkvm9wky7bRPt89dh6Lpdr7Za5ZFXQZerclxAMsy5_Lw0RUfcPC-JXbqK7qiGAXsxhDoQvEZuuu5r-NgNPIecsTU0h8vq6PwYd3jsnAR4MGIPRAlTsZdQ-nGLIzWaA8sSHT004DJ_VifJ8A/s1600/DSC07553-Enhanced-NR_wm2.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8ZA-mGXhuGaT3vh3R2MTIYb_Otad_Ox8OTXVf6EvdoDznaX2D_xzpQBtGzbvk9vkCI9GZ69bb5zSFCPBu_nzfGU7ThzpzjRpUexpCl_d0QvjEgY8L0QWbbolqJwGwJANuq71u44iCdpBkOnHuPGJCx_k8f1ErXlRgM9sY5Ei919iXjVUS2wgzf5diA/s1600/DSC07615-Enhanced-NR_wm2.jpg" />
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-38873725446366041802023-09-22T18:05:00.000+10:002023-09-22T18:05:11.434+10:00Dawn's FlareI know--<i>three</i> posts in the same month to discuss the same dragon! It turns out, that this is an "outtake" from Dawn's photo session... but I'm obsessed with harnessing/causing lens flares in photos, and also learning how to edit a photo with a flare. I somehow managed several on my other run with Kitty Cookie, but when I took Dawn's out it was literally the golden hour, I put out the camera... and got the biggest flare of them all.
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Don't expect much of this post. Just four edits of the same photo, and mi rambling about WTF I got!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oRkToPVFCiHYtCS2A56Bj_D2XclFYQfNvlrMj63iDy41BsZycjUlq4thDWC8dzHkp9hMCwvncGbGUdJeWKQCnVUGmh40-t8XYdOfYixD3h4wVFb7A-XP1GdzQkyLAjwVYVoxii91cFM3HxZ9w0Fe6eWrZOAc4eQiGk2eWa4PpyFaKCtOBiyDHaY59w/s1600/flare_0.jpg"/>
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Well, somebody told me that lens flares are undesirable, I just shrugged and kept on trying. I think they are quite cool (some of my best photos had lens flares that I was actively "chasing", so to speak). This one is, though, a bit extreme.
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I used the Minolta 58mm f1.4 at nearly the golden hour. So, you may be wondering WTF are all the dots and "dirt" that appear in the photo--let me tell you, it was my first question. The answer is that these are literally dirt in the lens. Given that I clean them quite often, my guess is that this is located on the inner elements of the lens--let me translate. The "elements" are literally the different glasses that compose the lens proper, that provide the zooming, magnification, and focusing abilities--literally, round pieces of glass with a curvature and magnification (<a href="https://oneslidephotography.com/facts-and-myths-about-camera-lenses/" target="_blank">read more here</a>). So, "regularly cleaning" the lens implies cleaning the outermost layer of the front- and rear-facing elements... but not the rest. I got my Minolta 200mm cleaned internally, and gosh it was expensive! (More expensive that the dang vintage lens!
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What you see below is my attempt at enhancing the colours of the photo above.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceqYCgb98Non6LjgCoABPD6ATPSmECUho1gwig-_rqU-_5rIOLwub1Uq_4kouH-Lf-JEuFyS-wDcYPrG7z9x2cRoh_50fcgsJs6OGQMPa70JC2_wFixeExC_SkXVnQuN1gFiZsbEViRyWEGkAkY9S04q9FTNjFAdIReutotnKqmfMFgUIfJaKFwxAHw/s1600/flare_1.jpg"/>
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So, to get a flare, basically put the doll in a slightly higher position, and crouch to aim from below. There should be something partially covering the source of light (ideally, the easiest are tree leaves). The "obstacle" should be in the middle, at roughly equivalent distance of the subject and the light-source, or closer to the latter. In this photo, I literally had no obstacle. I just aimed slightly inclined, so that the lens was not facing the light straight away, but it just came from the side. My lens had a hood, otherwise this would've been "worse".
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Last comment, I tried a sepia and a black-and-white edit. Which edit do you like the most? (If any, of course!).
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORfJud7kNNb9uzIKjAONNJy7roE52uTqnXOUg5ZN9OiGN785YPRbPcY9vKFg2N-52eXPLIwfIDcneHxqIvLRsDbELkuPsy-sYwj9bQ1ixrGKXJhxZTLck3k5UZ3HNvmMmASECH5I4t3ew371-o3yDkKhj9Shh9ji3e7eprQo0CDhr2tcG01nxQ65pTA/s1600/flare_2.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3HCkwdAq8BSVdUMPs9KWPXsue-lX6areoTVRpptH5V-hd4wkl5coLZKEpFKv9o5lnY1ad9W2rwsY3U90pRFccjLJWdXk9qYcVtedgsek3A0W7CwPGVoo8LC-3UL3CbQVhJc5rh4YHCuOsgxk6zBt3XDsru8dilHHMbr_UDD3RuOX5vF1q0lNJEFpIQ/s1600/flare_3.jpg"/>
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-15142282224097548572023-09-10T21:31:00.000+10:002023-09-10T21:31:56.317+10:00Sweet Dreams!Well, Sandy is <i>by far</i>, the most neglected doll I have. She's stunning and pretty, yet somehow I never integrated her with Merry and Cookie. I guess that's a photo that I have pending. So, Sandy takes her name from the Sandman, because she's a Fairy of Dreams; cue in, I was listening to a classic song--Sweet Dreams. Mind you, it speaks of anything <i>but</i> sweet dreams, but I had this idea of enveloping the camera in fabric, and making Sandy seem to be between the clouds of dreams, eating desserts.
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This is what I got. Mind you, partner had to actually hold the fabric at very specific angles, so I could get the shot. Bless him.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_lViU6tS9-Lx9Ks6Qy7WDKJWggFcnlp7tMQknlj5kDrpPLflIVnkqbhahJdeFibK4C-zHvnpA92ZueER0OoKpu9HuVz0jD4IYA-QZzAcQxct2InXd_-yJUo7f8RAnp018qQKkTpfFErrs0wrx3LsJl7qpwEs5SxeOYWPgFT6M-HvfUczmM4tDkLhuMor/s1600/DSC09281-Enhanced-NR_wm0.jpg"/>
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This is a simple post, so here are more photos of Sandy. I definitely need to get her to appear with Cookie and Merry!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQpPLmDSpv_KrarClxM6Nt0QsR1do0Ot3h7y2UubS73AstcVoD1UmOtzjdwB1wRR4rP6odZi7a-_rWEKsKsgJAgiqb0Lq0hQREv9zYEF6NdReYmURQD1eve-ywuwFJhIM-tuucyISS7BHTRKyMgzGiSIxYjTncmhioPcxK2tnOb8m16fH0mq397ko7YoM/s1600/DSC09303-Enhanced-NR_wm1.jpg"/><br/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiroQwo-jyAjCvTVQ7be8Vm3uYDfQ78DhuqYTciIPY93xQ44axI9q066Ye5wfeuL4iFqO1fT7aqHi2NAh4nzlJCVH6n7fYwM8MrUOlj8w3i8Gj-JtUwd9MSjEc-4hg_FDWJ4l4c3p0_qTjmI4jBkM2d8DRI1z4Ve7tx0PF6JLAiuxK8eaYk--2tX4KClK/s1600/DSC09423-Enhanced-NR_wm1.jpg"/><br/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMsMKpds5IWmTv-MUmxpAc3dMZ0BiGFLGdUDs3Dinc-yOI81RY2MIwrRCNuxlVdMRvjULmpUbmmaaP1gfgXzz1cEQjnM8zA1sLgznFi2HPBra8ut8yspTD0wYqJjCrmzImf-s5OWXGcXeboAJFdWqpeE6IZUcqxivKcXCQ3Gcn2jf9bGFq-lR80ekr_h_/s1600/DSC09548-Enhanced-NR_wm1.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWYTv-9ac9NJCt5l6Y761kLLE72yz_rqUdyQQ3zIAa3x7ip7WwCqVpOknv5FUPLMp9w1-4_MkZJQGj3v1qRIhO_jL8pkQlzs0iRscRjU-ftGvtiRxB0s1Fk6sYyvpbqoS7KFA0K5q43TRxPOm7gBrDTQU9kdwp91s9SKe0ZJLdliQNCy7DAvMX97pGvzp/s1600/DSC09696_wm1.jpg"/><br/>
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By the way, I took these ones with a Pentax from the late 70's, which is a macro 1:1--totally recommend!
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Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-49039776555636694352023-09-03T12:56:00.000+10:002023-09-03T12:56:44.401+10:00Hope in PinkThis is actually an old dress I did for Kanon, so it doesn't really fit Hope's thicker neck (the rest is fine, though).
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Now, the problem with this photoshoot is that it was a particularly cold and windy day--but there was sun. You know, that good, shiny, unclouded sky that seldom happens in winter. Fastforwards to the second photo, and there I wass, beneath a puffer jacket and a thick beanie, shivering like a madwoman and with a hand so cold it was starting to get red. I had to go to a coffee shop and get a takeaway tea just to curl my fingers around something and continue taking photos.
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In any case, some of the photos are nice, and I wanted to share them!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDKMETDK6wQeRGbKeYklsQj5lHB0DDMZGrYsUTG8m6LcN4EiY6Z88L-WaOw0IDxERiDIi1s-lewwvfuL41ZySr2eiOwZa5oz0lf2cvPBgHEQCAq3ow6R21eqvOzdTW0kZoJOivkOVFzuksEspHSdPiA9CGX_C1UNbCedIDVIdq8TaNe-gAgvlLn5zLec4/s1600/DSC07981_wm0.jpg"/>
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These two here are kind of a "subset" I took near a plan that perfectly matched Hope's dress--and I really like them!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHXJx1Y2bWVEPGYPD6lsioRO4VYSAV9xI8EoY0s75oVZahyhuDyw0ihscavCu1VvoX4TahOX2EZlD_aD4m9KWxniatPuzXeFOr6tuI49qdYGIzNpmkb9NkvhVXKZtZaneK3GFhL4cce9z7Sqi9wWDem5HqCqaLB7zyU3oTiMnExqqsO-h3LTH5vqkDSHw/s1600/DSC08305_wm1.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhc8S1u58tDggk0NXK7RH4w6e5yn-bQLfKhzKnW7H1ysUELzyxf4TOvexTfy9BGphYmyB5yVCOjVj9c7_6o5al34vBCcwoCRCXx5nabm8bn2xsdwD8KoQp8MX2ki5vSgJl4nIb9BsgONmzV-ffEFIKytQBB-2dhyoWjFTYstVFM50aAXfbN45rrwwgsSOW/s1600/DSC08381_wm1.jpg"/>
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And this last mini-set. There is not much difference in time, just about ~15 mins or so, but the sun began setting in that span, hence the gold light. (Also it was warmer near the sunlight, so I had to make it work).
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEnp9U-xYlNm4kW48G-wtrgBG8qJsXAoNq_Sk3qyj9vvDuToBz6SvpQZhyseLNhe9qxLBxkHME1yUO0at3VzXHt5KLYcJX3-M5CWK1gDIqWTTOj5XuhdCNGWo1wgZVjq-h2nYroSagZoRFgIzDxQtPPSABWwyg2LNyFe1jUjG6rCeSddP4KKIHkaEzldH/s1600/DSC08055_wm2.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYXIllMApk69za9TyhH5jFkZ4Hn_uTHRCHKZqvZvbvduh915FRheXInD98gt6K7vikokKlG3CZPoqoKgo6PLH3cOn5j3PYTI-qib-Thv-1lAh56hu-sF9gajnd7xpTAwbKPZWEgjoON0AWGjWsKzzI1e2qjsyWoQXNQiI41-Pt7K9voHpa2sdIvQve9e5/s1600/DSC08105_wm2.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVL6FD5NfHIfih2mz1C3-UY4ZGydUWVUyxItUgCAQwtBRUEVHAXlKcjUz8dBHEvJ1YFaHS2T0L7qafUxDcGbp71K0U53QFDTJKYOEF04FpLcA7Ay1SuKQP1-VJPfinboh6Ql-ql-7y2swWnTThq-ZQIzDeQA5cXupWMf7doqwwaiYKrtc3hnJKXeyg7SvG/s1600/DSC08452_wm2.jpg"/>
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-67266308262029858122023-08-28T18:51:00.000+10:002023-08-28T18:51:54.452+10:00Dawn ~ Character InfoHello all! I finally bring you the second dragon of the new triad! This time I'm presenting Dawn, who you saw on the very first post--except that I had to completely redo her horns. Her eyes are done by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lunar.tuna/" target="_blank">@lunar.tuna from Brazil</a>! We actually experimented a bit with the eyes, and there was some back and forth--but I'm so happy with them! The colour and shape is perfect--and yes, Dawn has a very sligh heterochromia.
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<div align="center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_BlLe4lkK8G9J7dvYQIMXau9PUBRTKQqPbDxhRqVVVvpQ0uZtSdhZ54mpxkQelWYSC-1d83zMj7X3mVzxWrWVPKsOsFI6A7U_SEUWL9EuZn_FZINsydtncpZHNs_CZVWk0VTDP_tv-YSHJ--Jyex9Byu7QR5U4WbsFBPgk98o2iS7D3vBztAu3E9yw/s1600/DSC05517_wm0.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqvuMF97C3ceMztK_WkXeOfqQHsIOrXLRcnmQOPQEhOPuREYhQp0UnmPbJhaLiHsjKuhSHcsYCfFyO_OHSXU2GGIyT66uVsxpLwgWRirPt9zuhPcl_hyy66bNDuyyDSkLomhsf3-Ewdb9AyED9BcjELI4mf75iLAzic14zjj4XChzIeqfUtY-n7AgFw/s1600/DSC05908_wm3.jpg"/>
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<h3>Joy</h3>
<b>Name Origin:</b> It is derived from the runes she has on the head fins. RAIDHO (the R-like rune) symbolizes travel, rhythm, spontaneity, evolution, decisions. DAGAZ (the "ribbon"-like rune) represents dawn, awakening, certainty, illumination, completion, and hope. I wanted a name that would convey both of these runes, and I think that Dawn is a journey, so I picked that.
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<b>Birth Place:</b> Dragons are not born. They are the manifestation of a certain energy. Dawn represents the energy of a new beginning, the evolution of night into daylight, and also cycles.
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<b>Age:</b> Unknown. Dragons are as old as the universe and the magic itself.
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<b>Race:</b> A flower-dragon.
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<b>Birthmarks:</b> Dawn manifested (or appeared) for the first time on a field of Epidendrum Orchids. Leaves of different colours gave her eyes, and that's why her green eyes are slightly different. The trees nearby built her horns, and flowers blossommed around her.
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<b>Pronouns:</b> As dragons are actually energy, they don't have genders. However, because human languages are usually gendered, the fairies using those languages tend to assign a pronoun to each dragon, in order to talk to them. Dawn is often addressed as "she".
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<b>Occupation:</b> In the fairy settlement, dragons are usually safekeepers. They are in charge of a magic vault, and store different treasures. Some of them are material, but they are mostly magic. In particular, Dawns's treasure is the gift of noticing the best of each opportunity, focusing energy toward accomplishing goals, and journeying towards prosperity.
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<b>Personality:</b> Dawn is calm but always optimistic. No matter how difficult things are, she always manages to see the best and work towards it.
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<b>Traits:</b> Dawn may be an optimistic, but she's also quite realistic--the difference is that she doesn't let gloominess deter her. She will make a plan and work towards it with the certainty that nothing is certain.
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<b>Special traits:</b> Dragons do not talk… at least, not in human language. They communicate with fairies by transmitting emotions and knowledge directly to their mind; they do this by manipulating their own energy to convert it to magic. Moreover, one of her magical abilities is to create small spheres of light, mostly yellow, green, and orange.
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<b>Other’s opinion: </b>Most fairies like Dawn, but the gardening fairies usually seek her out because they want to know *how* to grow healthy orchids.
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<b>Favorite food:</b> Anything. She's always grateful of food, and will eat anything, especially if it is derived from plants--unless it is orange. She doesn't like eating orange foods.
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<b>Hobby:</b> She flies over fields of flowers, casting her glowing spheres to give them more natural light.
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<b>Fears:</b> Boiling water. For some reason, she detests it.
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<b>Habits:</b> She often hums songs when she's happy, but given that human languages are not her strong point, she generally meses up the lyrics and ends up singing weird words.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwTEMI8zo_ixLC6IXBgnIj0dCwSbt9ml8Menv_xUmrdMIiFiqqbcqjCAiMSa2z3FYG2sLT0D-2YdcTZQKiu_Qi_9EFXsvh5mLXgU75dm-anTuaYgN_GjN1e4j4ueMyRRy0Ye-N2QWv4VgoDlLH61_VWDK8tXM11uKCrYoM0EeUnGN4aemg7iBqbgHfg/s1600/DSC05469_wm1.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37VXZItTk98QvY2ZqWjRXS_Q3nvuR7oUgRz-X4zLQgYHIzB5Dbk7y1-RPacKIELweUKA_dOk-UupNIhwmCARd7sHe26Xr6WSjQG17rppHAvt836TWZHWmVHIlyxa48aAPmC-HQr9MAW--8szRz6PBdNyYaIgzvBllPzMV9q_IMrVX-Z5JPYxackwvOA/s1600/DSC05653_w1.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjjnEajJEAEC2Zj2ECK_rU1nI_C7hGwdaq3T4hVM2OsMWbpWDxUmRauK327ZDYUmBX0pZwix-TIwQzer1KY7h2T-_v48TOF-d4QFXRlG9Imu77ywF86CgCMIzPYipxit9lkXsRMCkob_epuQR4o4XkZY7JHPefyl9e5OSXL4qVmWzPKPtVDJiLzWDCQ/s1600/DSC05750_wm1.jpg"/>
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And if you are wondering why the photos... I couldn't get orange flowers anywhere in the wild nearby. So I picked the next accessible, on-topic thing which was the sun. I know she is "dawn" and I went on the golden hour at "dusk" but who cares? The photos are good! Nevertheless, I must practice more at this time. The light messed up with my camera's system and getting the hints for the manual focus was... troublesome.
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And something interesting you may have noticed, is how "yellowy" Dawn looks. I didn't paint her yellow, but Rot's white is not a matte white, but a semi-transluscent one... so what you are seeing is literally the sunlight going through Dawn. So on character, ha!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKZGf7IMvw-6tM7AsdtUt_TMRePP57T4Ax0rAPxOQB6WBJnsQG7UlCDSsyTvmmklP4VPUrlHx_y7FsWZlEmKHY8Q8xKcXKQa18lvN_OvcHyy58RaItJPgtajWon2n_sVljrqMAhJ_WGodz64e9gUkg6rouNZvfMvMuySmiVGktTZDnuLslmGavNkJjQ/s1600/DSC05902_wm2.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuc-_vqLsgL6lgBg2DH4fPz_N76gRhU3VQIS584LzmHvo4zIQS2IkTdRF2jawYBXkmIADrX-8ngRvQWUis-TKnj4yBjtUjI12abYv_R47b9TPv5odOfYxPFXTHsnzxUUl5L8cMHDD7hGFUhBPGbnusHolUGWs1wlRhK_vUcEuvmLSrKbIrLDjJ2NPUw/s1600/DSC05816_wm2.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXkN3Z3h4Sy6Bn0eQGmrTVlk3ZdQjyWl1mvr-XymyWai6G9sUGpK8-L4OSbDq5WCs27KAkq_hVUNHLWnlyQenB8c7g3Ufnhq_FA7YaRLzXqKBFMff2Ps6qarXILvefH4ScIkfQjiJbjyy4SBTxdDQ2V8I2gW1U2NFwyy1mXeLAW2s6kbuc2hXcwczyQ/s1600/DSC05889_wm2.jpg"/>
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Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-71989180818409443452023-08-14T12:51:00.000+10:002023-08-14T12:51:34.584+10:00New Horns for DawnDo you remember <a href="https://mydollyadventures.blogspot.com/2023/02/new-dragon-crew-project-wips.html" target="_blank">the horns I had crafted for Dawn</a>? It turns out that they had a glaring space between the hole and the rim. Rot's original horns are extremely thick on the base, and this looked terrible. Thus, I set up to do new horns.
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Phone photos again, but I'll show you the final result and the steps below.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wEizvlZbwdK4cXiNAeMAdeMqrexyXhcZhvESm4PMGeWYM91OJrnZCoeRz9cAQhNZQ9SaIDzMwfBJKf3keTW8c0G99sVxNpQigFT9esi3az7Nrmw-PfRrHiXnY5fGiOXjOwK3O2vIsuS7zQvQGc_iW3TYo2H4oQmi_TqgjXr4OUFOIAURl6BQwfiTcQ/s1600/rot-1%20-%20Copy.jpg"/>
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Basically, this time I did the same as with Joy (<a href="https://mydollyadventures.blogspot.com/2023/04/making-of-joy-another-custom-dragon.html" target="_blank">you can see it here</a>). I covered Dawn with a plastic bag, and did the wire base and basic modelling atop the bag. This ensured that I was perfectly covering the horns' space.
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<div align="center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fJAhu6QIqILLrAamXWk0kmuU3OqDHYVUb91D9KlXGPC3A4KG5g4gbO2tLEsK29llukkgFoByMDH267S79Y4S7u04gOMlMLNKlpvfWzpk-L9pzCNRDhGBrkL7lzQkfosaPamXZiiUg0RcONRSo2ie157siclecbUBlIb3J8tLc37rEiAyK8XePrbinQ/s1600/process-dawn.jpg"/>
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I baked it at 120 degrees because my oven is unreliable and tends to go higher, but the horns ended up perfect. As usual, I made them with polymer clay--but I must confess I was too scant with the aluminum foil because these are a bit heavier than I wanted. Perhaps because they flare so much. But in case case, Dawn stands perfectly!
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After that, I spent an ungodly amount of time (almost 1.5 hours, to be honest) glueing the new flowers and leaves into the horns, while testing their fit in the dragon's head. I used superglue to glue clay-to-clay, and silicone to keep the horns in place--this way, if I ever want to take the dragon apart to repaint, I can do so.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV1nczKhr36Pm_vLJLmuldqNzm5VnuDsUeH2wo_11S7kYCh1H1ex__ix0pGComWUu_4YWP4FBT9qMwFzMqrSFJyM7_mHYE6AUViTlSNTpcOR0kJ3WKw17I2upCqh1xw_f6LbRa2MyUhKlceaZu3yUMOG2xkedODUzQsbN0rbMikZKuPriTTcpSZMOBA/s1600/PXL_20230420_075309787.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg"/>
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Silly update, I know, but hopefully you'll see photos of the finalised Dawn quite soon!
Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-68129128169701372682023-08-06T17:02:00.000+10:002023-08-06T17:02:38.990+10:00A Kitty in the WoodsHello everyone! It turns around I was walking on a park, seeking for a good place for photos, and somebody had built an ideal place! Don't ask me why, but there where plenty of pruned branches of about 10cm wide, stacked up against a tree in a tent-like shape. In any case, that was the perfect spot I was needing! I took some macro shots, ground-level with my trusty Minolta 50mm f1.7, and here they are!
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Nothing fancy in this post; just Kitty looking amazing in this place.
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<div align="center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYE5d_S8D9SnFqC8NsltGDlg3MiQ8mcZVvQFjs_kcY3bcAB29hnVGsBGiLeYES1aIxsfhCV_2gMAgUCn4uXNibkXDWwoxODRhTLfHXRbYpy1uVaeLESQBJsMdaLxa5nd2mfymsRnQEPJ2qJFrIyw5GZ_eVRPs7NSphlRF-tP4J68Laclw4G_CUV4cSA/s2000/DSC02701_wm0.jpg"/>
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And are two more photos from different angles--I really like the middle one, Kitty Cookie looks as if peeking rouguishly!
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<div align="center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdkb7QS86YWMCnKXaUeBIH55HZhYnTLCKcYswUr8EJ-dS3mYMIe-sNeI0vhILBUifE08XUZpRUClloXkWkCFAcFFA1Fi1Fq6gCSwXw-bx4risDR490uYljyxm1OKXzF-ENUC2jHkW5joAIpkzG_FacZJhbPAUj8mhCs1srKzxFo2p3DGZcXnxj_62bQ/s2000/DSC02785_wm1.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDAHjNTTFBepu4NMtO4BIdRx8S5z1uO4SxZcdxghObseyM5OTyOwJ4A3PosbnvptWFHwn-I7Arkvxu3Ek63_LM_CT5aebzXdZMzps8J1wE2MFKIF82d5e-VIbxmVP23pwvEdPufIWEUidvgpC0pFQY7XRpt9AUMMYXHcY0rktqbpZO1b1It3RGl15jg/s2000/DSC02814_wm2.jpg"/>
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-66949021319123400202023-07-23T19:34:00.000+10:002023-07-23T19:34:47.400+10:00Cookie's BicycleOh, this is easy to explain--I was going to be walking near a parkland, and I had time to spare, so I picked the camera with my Pentax 135mm f2.8 (this one is from the early '80s, I think), and challenged myself to take one prop to rule them all. The bicycle popped up the box and I thought it was perfect. The photos turned out great!
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And yes, I have a think for blurry background and bokeh.
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<div align="center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvdvu4KXob2VbRTy5twvQ34kkbA3Fxj6dcZbTlnu0r3dRRCXmTd1ASIGACVEKY-B1ewhyZ78iItmIYVSmMnpHJsCsbQ5y11TDRgXUTR_hhlcoGGu0SJ23eeA5VEj1vzJNncFoCW4yNE3XHQwPDiDK6TUHuKe-KI-ohV4COP-QR5U-0TMQL5zRkmB6yA/s1600/DSC04795_wm0.jpg"/>
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First, let's see how the journey started!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GrtFt6Bk0F5Tuoe4mv-T9zRN7cUhCaC5VxPyf17KXyy-Ydmc8O9eSM2_Gu5Rli69kCfn7WPqmkTpVMMqJAc7dP_FgnXqiYeGsrDH6L8K3y_4ODfE5kmiUMRAyA8tN6zI8iBh5ux6ZVK_q7oaIDhVKaA_bbhRQK9jQruN07cVX6IjiSLDjmJqvu_Ikg/s1600/DSC04338_wm1.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyL-5MG6PFTJEjrc1UmT9-DvOqfWoUyVxAkQW7SAGulXIBNxZEMKhB3IBIFWE8qxPHGW66aaXK2w-jKCG8SQgKMx6MWoOWvE6hGATQNYKtzo3iOJ-S5cMNY69HClOQOfNzm9N5Q5NBgvwVJSOgeM7rcZ_PI5JQdBBkL5rI0DY6s66XR2i7YkhiYC_jQ/s1600/DSC04558_wm1.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhKQWNBISmjD77YOdC8q-jxO9TCqIF37-ETc62Jqw4I18_uL4HYmguW1t9-1_XQ7cuMG-lOhQ7wHXrqnHokXJP31P4jj1H9EbO5fszNoIcDmRCR3Q_i6vhApbTXWe8xiDB9wRWbLaLt7xDaMOIv1AUrvKX-NUGNB89ELRPLi1JKNVZpBMLKKkqRW4zw/s1600/DSC04620_wm1.jpg"/>
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Then I found some hanging branches (don't ask me why these tiny branches where hanging, because I have no idea), and I ended up crawling to do this "from beneath" shots.
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<div align="center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7LpIt_5EyP6Va_I9WO9oufUH07vqJVfx_QphY2XLekkh2KBmxwNoGpsW1fjSEA715XOP61wPgF-y90Fclf1P854CxbiXaDT_OUq3UQEfT-cgbl4SEx9dt6JDPtDFtWxfXlpE_NLEugPFUgvsNlXA9ipCsGHnkLHCehYjAZezntZlZ91Ty8fotlAA-A/s1600/DSC04737_wm2.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5Irco_1YNd-B30IWpTYCd97qhLXP_LMs9hBV6WK4Fd59FMCTZX6SS6jKDdrNWNRIOeyy4hN8ajBnIny1vZVImR1D-YmPtndkvFaK7BCQSJbhfT3M294LFvpxU27ZfotbDZBMKNCiHmS-j5gfxAejOUVk0ElYCiQOig8HrkR0fHK-B2evMz9k8WwZFA/s1600/DSC04897_wm2.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLPPQljlRGe6iREuU1yJJ_fFdRT0-w0y8dzVxFCC0th-3vSONTzs1YwZv--60W4mf31i7c4iakSF5aDB2AMVynk1Gn7GqlgQnwoV4brrLvmYDNcAKwqi_WI-bkGzLkI-lGoTg4FjF4FwmD9n45uoxP9sm8P3iQsLkitPCuBJiy8zByGRom0Rg4uJBrQ/s1600/DSC05121_wm2.jpg"/>
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-82770958786746435152023-07-09T20:36:00.000+10:002023-07-09T20:36:48.074+10:00Finally! Venezia's New DressHello all! So, after a while, I *finally* sew a nice, large dress! It took me a bit of studying the fabric, because I wasn't sure whether I had enough, but at the end, it did! Also, I'll be putting up the pattern up <a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/momospatterns" target="_blank">on my Etsy Store</a>, so stay tuned if you are interested.
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In any case, here is a (brief) story of me running out of nice spots nearby (having to take a train to a nearby town is not my definition of "near"). So, I basically opened Google Maps and started picking on every tiny green spot that fit my own definition of "near"--and came to this place here. It was located between buildings, sinuous and quiet, with two different "parks" (gardens, would be more appropriate) connected.
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<div align="center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSv_J1HNQQuKaxau8GalktPZzHyKMAHd2MwZREH1WSCXHtCUY2k1ehpqgxMw2kWxAsFmKng0CkZ2xPFgnpBQUtUyRt0KVcYMhvqx9fDIMyzTVynKXxFthzopmPofo_PlD7bSNdmdzfHqc_0zHIoG9-CgRJ1D4ySHWGXeCl-hw1op9iACBvctuqMDRRmQ/s2000/DSC03799_wm0.jpg"/>
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Here are some more photos on the first mini-garden.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurbT79WW14l3aVoBlBVrPIvRzyx3eJStxujeQg1OpADpY94FK3JxgGPE48XFWR89hQ8p0DMgllMQtBOXmxJezb7g7hPAGu15M8JKKb1ctLwP3KF1GM0oBCWsr2yHMwlAqRnfoAydtRFqavw9H4CH8KncwbVX_YrsXjBBrBObU4j72EIRY0s3ipTAz1g/s2000/DSC03833_wm1.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAAyaNOvjMUj70OUIc0uCJyHk9fk1688dOFL39oE05c2WX7gXY8jmq1S1CfkRON5Zf6MD7_4Z9GpJuo4HF9jx7Hr1hjBh7yXNI5huhkB6JweI-Wjlkpc5lv9GOWNK0Twagc1_MqmZveFYzENVYw43Gn5S6b_vZXydmvm_ATabA7CAfbfA4rreELb5GA/s2000/DSC03866_wm1.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjh1zZkocCJbPO4tuwGYLzd_7GXg_uR7fpCi-4s8TfbMUkTd6zJIqA1ZuNOMrcxJtRk6u90VP0xBDiSxCqoYGkB0yF02DRkyejlcnxIxRZdO95nNvMOipUWs9hlCmTHKXflmgA_NUVlkdx9bAVgvDsOJYAJJ1tfz5z0DBzE4XHmXuIiPO6vCeULedyw/s2000/DSC04177_wm1.jpg"/>
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Here are some photos from the second garden. There were more of each in different angles, but I decided to just share one of each, not to crowd this with too many photos.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMQQr2fPwn5TRbhY_J2Qi7wXIcsQcgPgAAYVKCgrTVRJV44LFo2_L7Rf6nGx0seWCafcDulWRMyaj70JdDssrVCXE4Njfdi3pMBAq5uCXBVBa6IhbsL_yLNUCrYo7S4oUdHtXVESk2SmeUsRWOy7DtGNB-nxQFTNTjh7Pv38iralWYY-nHypvHa70Qw/s2000/DSC03371_wm2.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWsSKd6Sf09QENtUuts9EVKSV4_pLTkIbN-nBqhUlVsEmgkYTD53Hu3VHH1AvFqQmg9_Kgy1AQySPOq_xbOFa7N6yrFHfsE_s22zo6uSTFyHJq3cUy_bVEU7u7A4ConKPDfo70IlfB2aCucHG66gVzqS7LVMAGL7ocn0tUYwe4vo_g6jciGNfuO6vrw/s2000/DSC03586_wm2.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiFo7oc_KG_AnvnCKgz9q7PNQwCbW8W_B3nP5TK1H89H7tsKHu_iK6CI9HsPS9aqSOWWZlskwwkfzlS2iPaNpjTD6Ja0yNMlR99-6J-spv4XkmhUtVY29VW3RYVDt-QjrcSCmuAWBXew1tHK-3nNVV3QwOzaMZo7ytgTo042cQSDy4k1wlMVtKOCr0A/s2000/DSC03726_wm2.jpg"/>
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This one was a time-consuming dress to make. I think that adding the beads and decorations took me about ~9 hours alone; making the skirt and the bodice was probably about ~20 hours, mostly because I had to draft the pattern and all. I hope to reuse part of the corset to make a different dress style... but that's mostly going to be in another year. Ha!Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-66241599658016051842023-07-02T21:10:00.000+10:002023-07-02T21:10:36.786+10:00Kitty Cookie ~ Testing a Hellios LensHello all! Today I bring you the results of my experiments with a weird little Russian lens from the... eh, late '60s, I believe? It is a Hellios 53mm f1.8, and I have it with an old Contax adapter. I'll talk a bit more about the lens down the cut. For now--low and behold the current Queen of the Bokeh, Hellios 45th, ha!
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In any case, it turns out that this little lens (wait, and you'll see the minuscule lens under the cut) may be an anamorphic lens, which is a type I have been chasing for years on eBay.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0C8qQ5kJGTjQhWr8_QWHAOIUx3jDposGJ_hElOkrT5UT0V1XxUy_fQcuuH19nnqzTYlw6PbxBee-YG5vHv4I6WZPMZj-a1t-X3rdjlef2jEwRDVGjEJDTRMl-PnKgtoDys1dszlJUHxhARvkJDFmqyvbBdyrNKCcRkJjvD196vq_CxJ3JqO2UVvUnLA/s1600/DSC02939_wm0.jpg" />
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Manual prime lenses (those that don't zoom in) have generally two rings: one for focusing, one for the aperture. It turns out this lens only has one ring--the aperture. That means that the focusing ring is actually <i>on the adapter itself!</i> Imagine it this way--to focus the lens, I end up literally screwing and unscrewing the lens from the mount. Apparently, the old Contax mount had the focusing ring on the camera, so the adapters that are here and there are actually <i>taken from old Contax cameras</i>, instead of actually re-made (as Minolta or Pentax adapters are).
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Do you want to see the mighty lens? Don't laugh, please.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYa84RlKb65i-azXdGU7lb4chEzPmVMBoljYEhFgmF5npaI_HAUH8wEsw6NEaccm_W_PeyY1d6ACofeN4Y16Y7S-Y1S3UUSVCe10zqdpfQirKGx22rUbmx7sw1CHmKKXOoO87YRQSjsEkjrgUt88Hx5vIQxETWtWeajJbCqnIkbFVEC45ztBwrH7_lAw/s2000/hellios.jpg" />
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It is a weird little thing, but it makes some stunning bokeh. It has some sort of hazy-feeling (again, it's not real haze; the lens is clean), but I think it is what gives this lens so much character. The blurry depths are always creamy and melt together, and it feels kind of ethereal to me. A good lens for doll photography!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB774yPOPgyXYwJkCRRA9LodzH0XKtnMu5frmgMunnJgyMJaO07mdyuaNHRZwIC9iRe4ybMLNTPsj6lMeWrp-8nErSKfsyw4P71FlN7CYTnTIOGmrYODPzUlV_5VylVChbMgdAifzhmtCQI6kdSVfzEZfGpMjK4CG-YLJUzh4hDAl68ar58y7uRvKyUA/s2000/DSC03051_wm1.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97swoZ7aRJCT_BN0HMOUItbEjdrd9k9XxdCMq4c_OQK_zFjrsXmgEj1xB3u2nNd6Pnlct68JC99ffRpLvKrv8sIjRgqntgBVs8tZy66-4pjZ9M-ipEpOFDhGFSL-wbzZN0D__814_OFHBg-rSLc4GIl6LcqtnGI9LYNArjkIT0Ufx21AiAYeyV_uihQ/s1600/DSC03085_wm4.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDWIrO-TtbQ60QYv9_McOmHmxQcxOuO50Nl5D8M-Y9HVrPhLzQmBiomg0RFm7qqLFM0Dt0gcW6VOFqcmQ8_iT9_8wtfPttNm_Vaa0sArQxZklvpgWw1_NFccHeYPhm3Z0w-al3R79HtpqUswVi0GxJ65lBbu3_SkzYpC6uDNtYLardWx4wmCZWdjeiw/s1600/DSC03230_wm4.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtxAKi7llv2782EK5ugDTAhCOE9LBgO6TbLD7tHo-X-FbnR-obitV8m1kB_sbe8gEjWu8dUxGn8KDcEZ0TuGbXkcv1n8TTDae5odSPsLZLMaEohrXVCt9E-T1pHCi_WdNIsvRqesYbPhwfNsIkRXP0-9d3MbDs5e-JYV94Fa47w-d1eiS2YbN_cRKjw/s1600/DSC03239_wm4.jpg" />
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There are others with no bokeh, but I *love* how much it blurs both on the front and the back! In any case, you can see in some of the photos (especially the second-from-top from the batch above) that this lens kind-of sort-of makes a very light fishbowl effect. It's not really bowling, because even when I put the filter in Lightroom to remove bowling and vignetting, there was not much. Surprinsingly, this lens doesn't have much chromatic aberration, even when I was pointing it straight into the source of light (like in the V-shaped trunk, also above).
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqhC78TO7Y71tt449-VdORdQFkGNq02kw9hMJOcK3Ip_KFbPrk2IPP0NJzgf5sfvbXOjZGCeYp-BEbVsH9gEg30puvIesNTJxx8TjDvwL3hRCn3BnIA0Rx5WBs2v7cSZgwpSuaDlajobcqB3JQa8AOCji5wFTPWktSDerpD370W1C3oUM2WDH9Smvxg/s2000/DSC02978_wm2.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5qNyI-t91byCS3FquvKai2puJERPP47p2geIapruXB2GqVq8vENajlzYRQS6uqK-4o_pE-InSrw61xya7PRJ3NS2L5pVQtCMvGxsCDppKbZcNMUvLnKhsxZAEfm3i1ASgNkWZy95l13kirXNtWkLzRB_wS1gr_lzKZacxRz0Lm2vqgWOyFpjMsiR4g/s2000/DSC03008_wm2.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKh0PfaqslmzDBKZsRNZ2Qb4J_MQ06HLwUm3nOrJ6jIam7xJyqQyNhIHOxjolKMpig12S6a3bVOCGzW50uzAFvZpP7KMd0xRPdQHle1NAOSA0-sJaebhHQwM6XGY7NLbyelbI8qyUBCf9zYzlVN2ZFaj3h3DuXJ1JtIwJ8uGsHRX4uzuWaB7Rm3ZpiBw/s2000/DSC03189_wm3.jpg" />
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Do you want to know the funniest thing? I got this lens "for free" when I purchased the adapter! I wanted the adapter for my well-loved Jupiter-9, which I have featured plenty on the blog... and it turns out that the mount was sold with this little Hellios for free--of course I snapped it (and with grabby hands, I may add). Turns out it is an exquisite lens.Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-49166852786713947482023-06-18T19:26:00.001+10:002023-06-18T19:26:41.385+10:00Merry Has Toys!Hello all! Well, a supermarkets in Australia was doing this promo that if you purchased specific products, or a minimum amount of money, they'll send this Lego-like bricks that are (supposedly) made of recycled plastic. I hesitated at first but then requested the samples because I thought they were the perfect toys for Merry! And they were! The photos are quite silly today, but I hope you'll like them!
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<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmZ7Jz60pEl-3WK2hYrCshbgTMCsSeUX2wGYyIcxG_U5UYNvHydWboP-3fbCqhzOM5jbfiUj69HVK8akFMSWHfx3IOf2iyilRYHstMzDFw13FAnX_8JlOkAHBKcsmSXPei8JB_1rGmubuEA32ZAtuA9du-QV3SZucqMjtoXLtmGdyBh3hjWp2QjdwZw/s1600/DSC02357_wm0.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisE7pXscqWgXZp_ocI-zmx147KMOJBuRY3pE93FYFsjN__zNIGKlP02X5VtdYAzEhXCh5XotuKl7Fs11R40oDOj2jmq-htm0_7RXGMNUqXR2BMClUe_Wb5hi1nPcKdQUDAR3shWFHZp7OV1bPUrILPwMfs8UrYW7f4U_yINxwCZz-D8cvOVv3rljfGUA/s1600/DSC02312_wm1.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcn5ZWBLUdLelXdDgItlbWzGG8k2IMGarvKyLfp2_kUzGNe1BRN0wPTZbAmtV7pLQJf8QCv0_Lk4SZRmoGVCDh-jEg9TAuwHy7sZotlE-QLa7QVxqstU82obwOD05ci8whtZQLGFmsS78avJFnTq5L8qcKgtsL4AA2ND4IaklC4tMtuduwk79gy-eyQ/s1600/DSC02528_wm2.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6lW8drWdL3z-m9hOb9g2XPpQPsNtCERU0oVpZumEIuDLvACq4nhBXoAGMHOy3erDm4AALtBj3DadDo1u66u3PjTHJmLf6j84DRqCA3Ck-VGkWnITkGbdqxZnMub5Hjimx97o3fU8Eb7_OrH9vRc7IYLYkJn6_R0mOrUA4tt4qyNhxlUt-qZh4kvnCQ/s1600/DSC02580_wm3.jpg" />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrudFExiTAek8XVQpA5HXYaJssZnGXHAbYNk_f6s52W7L37b3FRt7Kxj3OCelv3rvnfN5IRvrS3_QlE6-LR-kDM5MFP4f5CU25oJCECIzAe7WL8qpIxmF-I_rn5kw2HZFOE43RBw_t_UPs7K_TOTxcnmKHPmRhkhDWL8gX0l9M9IkZuFlXMeKqs08r7g/s1600/DSC02445_wm4.jpg" />
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This is all for today--apologies for the simple photos, but I really liked this mini toys!Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-86654015135024054802023-06-11T19:00:00.000+10:002023-06-11T19:00:12.981+10:00Nyx in the GreeneryOh, this is quite straightforward and simple--I was a bit downcast, so I grabbed the camera and the nearest dragon (Nyx, the purple one) and went out to take photos. It was quite nice, because I tend to neglect poor Nyx. In any case, downcast or not, I ended up doing camera-stretching and camera-yoga all around a park. In other words, business as usual, ha!
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I hope you'll like the photos! More under the cut!
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<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrqZxXzgnmY-EDxDGnxulLftEDUoeIQ9R0JpmWEoLXb3ycNYzjyTMa81n_dMtolGTwALEm8vrGmPqICYnU0o1pAGG7DXWTIomgDQGrEv4tatv8j1bmWiu7Z-eY2pPA6feY-GE8vlqr8aiHp9ZcBZdjelozaj6m4nsZdMTZf9-Lfbrksfm8vS_X0dTCQ/s1600/DSC00270_wm0.jpg"/>
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For those who care, I took these with my trusty Sony a7riv, using a Minolta 50mm 1.7 adapted lens from 1976.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErmJkGketWU101UpaZX-caljdCWSD8qoCIVGEJcLvjSq4I3TmtobDglNgZxlkgjXwcuSswfKyAj-Oqbk5BraF3jR3n-qwj5slmS0aNn-E-b2uIW3-ddkhIpJ1sDcddqCUzH90eF_fkkNWQ4PLRxu5ei6xb4Qd4SnikIuxnHPBGIfaGRVmkK93gErqeQ/s1600/DSC00183_wm1.jpg"/>
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And other photos, away of the pretty purple flowers.
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<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW25SJqk6Nhyy465OAu3BmF6KpD0uJOhp91VJUcAgk8rymao5oebzp16RwNg0Cr9ShgHdsEF59XS7iXfwsNiv6-eS-6M2kwvaK81nxKXdpkGgD7cF-B5sTpZ2uYCGsPqFYVhrZgRNeV4cJXzpyWEtKDTa5SCvJCnbnPsOC7YUAloo_FB2pegSnsM1gdg/s1600/DSC00099_wm2.jpg"/>
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<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LjcUUTMaAzCkgyU7FKmrcW48Ledh3tnHvCWmRXaYjwW39UfnFo8MB9dSVjZGFBAhWrOlEBwWQW7bGsTFc9p3GJwCkIbY0itLz1TcaSm70FdF0nxXmZ9CCEWho0IDCRo-nJX_DslSm11WaXZYEA6dUgJHjUjUMwpw2LKG8XAwHtF0pWW51zoiTsDdvQ/s1600/DSC00166_wm2.jpg"/>
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<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXQt94lRaab7_n_Ua7rTaiYCF8111BrzD_fX1LZg394NVvp2K36yAsUNzfIo5p9wqsQj5AotGFFW-Txv-Lb7lYg_uslOtqGmu_AgK0463JMPN6VdYm1kN_HyygnwaJCuUGOdaq8s3Q0WEl1b31P8sf3Lf-YqQrP4UD0xuYu7LIeWbHF8mh5lXAD0y_w/s1600/DSC00309_wm2.jpg"/>
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-25437639556378641112023-05-28T18:34:00.000+10:002023-05-28T18:34:19.146+10:00A Flare for Kitty CookieHello all! Today I have a new set of photos to show you. In particular, I was trying to get a hold of some flare effects and trying to learn how to purposefully achieve one. So, delightfully, I even managed to get <i>two mini rainbows!</i> I know, it is *barely there*, but it is there and I squealed in joy when I saw it! There are more under the cut!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudgkse03ChKuvAyYzWAm-9nsjlEFqguBiqL1J6kDWaDZorsMTM36xqyXASsjeBhZ60A_UX2rC2RDdSJpfEDMiR3xJzDflyYVwReRqTV0z2z8DDre5G0F7qZd8ISiPjkDw8N9CTh0AEUmf155Cp-9Avwe62edhBzZKymYkJcbwh31L7NwmgX4Zv8QcGQ/s1600/DSC09543_wm0.jpg"/>
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Well, what I managed to learn from doing the flares, is that you need to aim the camera towards the source of light but not directly--say, it has to be on the upper leftmost corner, but not right in the centre. Then, the source of light had to be partially covered (in my case, by the tree branches). Because of that, I also toyed with the rule of thirds and a lot of negative space. What can I say? Tree-made bokeh is amazing!
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Here is another one with flare and rainbows--I honestly not sure how I managed to get the rainbow.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdgaTrbq1c_ICh3jOd5hD-AwqkQSz7uzhTpJ6PaWUuXOZh1Uhcau9ZGea0PUDbWs2xvtkf-rk3EC1iI3LbWfId8HF1wlm0uoKiOZjHNiG8tTWEo5PW-cI-wxm7PQb8eLS3WWzGqnvIyB7cZ20HMdxtRYqayWOZ0muYmWf_-McH4z2fkEHsnY4hwM0NA/s1600/DSC09949_wm1.jpg"/>
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Then, there is a bunch of bokeh photos with high contrast, but I loved them all and couldn't decide. I'll try to put only one per set.
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUgSg3wohzbFIMoMezuNQUZcFK8NDWVTfHGNl0aJjqZvKUAtXS8BN9BxPRB2QTb9TPGjc_1oqtSJVI9e3SFCwsPJ5eyKm_Nj44WrbRZTE3RzjJYLUeTBECQCgU_2s3WGUMivbtVyrHt-vPMYWt8QR62RIGSMAF3CHQNy1RIR-ALGatN08F06DFxH9sQ/s1600/DSC09472_wm3.jpg"/>
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgInYmhGF29ofeUApJ5QOQhZDHTGPJ8v4HhtkAGd2EoFJJjDEDm3gAPpNZTM-E3i_5NiRLgQi141fmyDeKqPjEuUmd1q2Eq7YIjiiYeQWoH4yaq9u107GBiR4xSzxpKWfejsnxdIgShoJI74ygwgxJltpE1mbobhSQOSXQ_NiQ7H5JVz6xswaR9QXdExQ/s1600/DSC09543_wm0.jpg"/>
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcn4eYrLo20Ovim9BiDKnBQ7euz2kyq-199E3BRawePWD9ordTzsK6XQYQxdB9EtFkrtfn3XyxStI6rtRMXHYFaXlvG4a0p_q_6b-hX7qz1wXfGdoF7KhR6IeFmHRMM7ze36L5EIAcw2hiuz27n3ixmRLLS1JEdeRE5RhZW22qD_v9i1WSHaksn-ZN-w/s1600/DSC09668_wm3.jpg"/>
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And the last two, playing with a feather and a little branch that I found on the park.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMi0GQoQLsMLPK6dtdnzqfBnW4kzaW2aK6O53ez92okCOX7ZiSCbjmd4gQJ82A1Pm6O-ddEFQ6W1vvQ25LZavWiupnZj49yyrFemf5aeuOfmGCMOkqGRs4QJCaYBKcIvSNST3UNAaZy462u66ZDWUCk3Sk7ay_OMjcUKniHo5GdHl9OzzESgacEvHPDA/s1600/DSC09711_wm2.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtjgv2MIAWp8CgPhoQME4S2WteGnrWcLmHnQlfut-DP-SCP3TxAWaIFEvGCxh5xRJd8nfiP9DBfKKXPicG714UhonGw426cwqM119SuI696kEsHWEvrinApfQw1RDst0-AUzwA-Uca4aeV51WarGJLvhe7arGZS2yC62WGLTaW55mNOJARhr-vDIQZQ/s1600/DSC09814_wm2.jpg"/>
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Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-69661773576856637922023-05-20T21:32:00.000+10:002023-05-20T21:32:07.356+10:00Sandy ~ Character InfoIt's been quite a while, but I finally (thanks to the dragon's project) managed to make the flowers for Sandy's horns, and to write the character sheet she was owed. So without further ado, let me introduce you to Sandy! There are some photos and a character sheet under the cut!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgQpDiiWMdSOxU0dpNDT1zCx7lyX58jVnTH5SjSviNbeY0ter91s9xgGPQ7E03yOGfMMwEHLTLsXng-1Xx7Hyy1fPLLCNCPEI8bI5DlKBlMokljs1u-xjtBBRhTwxHDB3xlLyADUvejPnRDptnZj9sBL3BDCGBwem2kZVpWXE_SKz87CAPqZRnu08zQ/s1600/DSC07653_wm0.jpg"/>
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<h3>SANDY'S FACTS</h3>
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<ul>
<li><b>Name:</b> Sandy Gold</li>
<li><b>Birth Place:</b> Animal fairies bloom from flower saplings. There is a ceremony and Elder fairies are there to receive newcomers. Sandy was born from a gardenia flower.</li>
<li><b>Name Origin:</b> Fairies are named by the other fairies present at the first moment, based on the impressions they get from the newcomer. Sandy's hair shone like sand under the noon sun, so the Elder decided her name would reflect that colour.</li>
<li><b>Age:</b> Fairies don’t keep track of how many years each fairy has, but do remember the arrival day. Sandy is still considered a young fairy, but older than Merry.</li>
<li><b>Race:</b> Animal fairy, mouse. Her animal self is a sheep, but she is not able to have a full animal form--hence why Sandy only has horns.</li>
<li><b>Birthmarks:</b> Her ears have small perennial gardenias, and she has two tiny beauty marks on the right eye.</li>
<li><b>Pronouns:</b> When using human languages, Sandy prefers her/she pronouns.</li>
<li><b>Occupation:</b> As a sheep fairy, her job is to help humans dream at night, while pushing the nightmares away. Sandy is unusual, because she likes working with adults rather than children.</li>
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<li><b>Personality:</b> Sandy is shy, and is usually scared of fairies and humans with bright personalities. She blushes a lot.</li>
<li><b>Negative traits:</b> Because Sandy doesn't like speaking, other fairies take her for granted. Sandy has trouble speaking up for herself, and always resorts to smiling and nodding.</li>
<li><b>Positive traits:</b> She's thinks a lot and its quite kind, but would seldom speak. She tries to give back to the fairy community, and often help fairies to have nice dreams at night as well.</li>
<li><b>Special traits:</b> As most fairies, she cannot use magic. Also, she hasn’t learned how to transform herself into her animal form (like Cookie does).</li>
<li><b>Magical traits:</b> She can conjure sand and make it move at will, creating shapes. The sand often shines like gold and is brims with magic.</li>
<li><b>Other's opinion:</b> Other fairies consider her as immature, because Sandy doesn't speak.</li>
<li><b>Temperament:</b> She is peaceful and quiet. When she is too focused on something, she ignores the rest of the world and is very careless. If she get's scared, she'll summon her magical sand.</li>
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<li><b>Favorite clothing:</b> Sandy either likes summer dresses, or pajamas. There is no in between for her.</li>
<li><b>Favorite food:</b> Smoothies. Sandy *loves* smoothies, especially those containing spinach.</li>
<li><b>Hobby:</b> Sand castles. Once, Sandy created a castle so large the fairies had a tea party inside!</li>
<li><b>Fears:</b> Children. Nightmares.</li>
<li><b>Habits:</b> If Sandy get's bored, she'll fall asleep. Anywhere, and with a surprise ease.</li>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgna0dhLBlsrId8Ozs1wc9yiucllkYl9lNhSHF9B58BENNzGb1yhrqunxNMjWfB0f66_0b0ipZLkL4J9GMeVBCy7zdyZnN3A50wBj-NSfJGXjZp2VttZGqJhMViDKBE8QO9--FAOij_A19UrPyoA9ikbzT-pKcG3YrajSyhl6Q8XDVGe6SR75qmdwK4wA/s1600/DSC07707_wm1.jpg"/>
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Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-10417200225557178372023-05-06T20:37:00.000+10:002023-05-06T20:37:40.508+10:00Joy ~ Character InfoHello all! I finally bring you the first dragon of the new triad! Let me introduce you to <b>Joy, the dandelion dragon</b>. The whole <a href="https://mydollyadventures.blogspot.com/2023/02/new-dragon-crew-project-wips.html" target="_blank">project began a while ago</a>, and Joy was the first to be finished because I had the spare eyes. Thus, I hope to have the other dragons soon once the eyes arrive.
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Also, don't laugh, but you can imagine I walked around a very large park, collection dandelions, and then spet ~45minutes crouching in weird positions just to get these photos right. Taken with a trusty 90mm macro 1:1 from the '70s. I have a sudden need for more macro lenses, but they are hard to come by. Anyways, the character sheet starts below the end!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJG3hbN7EYE32S9-RN1yZ47_4XYwtPDGy9gxIgPoXxhwg8f1xutWsNNkFO__iFfyv4f_tKVHq1U7SxabIQgKwdjImMaxF2GrwoA_rn0jz1DMDS1uf8ov2fMEyHVQiWIFpJhSjxXM_atvSbCjmgMkfkmTx6HRD-RrFeSgpr2prZM4Pf86Wsaq117tsHQ/s1600/DSC08545_wm0.jpg"/>
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<h3>Joy</h3>
<b>Name Origin:</b> It is derived from the runes she has on the head fins. WUNJO (the P-like rune) symbolises balance in the midst of chaos, comfort, harmony, prosperity and reward. EHWAZ (the M-like rune) signifies a change for the better, or the change that is the result of planning and effort, perhaps of a gradual nature. I wanted a name that would convey both of these runes.
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<b>Birth Place:</b> Dragons are not born. They are the manifestation of a certain energy. Joy represents the energy of movement and progress, combined with prospery, success and balance.
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<b>Age:</b> Unknown. Dragons are as old as the universe and the magic itself.
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<b>Race:</b> A flower-dragon.
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<b>Birthmarks:</b> Joy manifested (or appeared) for the first time on a field of dandelions, missing a wing. She talked to the flowers, praised their resilience, and the dandelions became part of Joy. They gave her a new wing, strengthened her horns, and shared their resilience.
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<b>Pronouns:</b> As dragons are actually energy, they don't have genders. However, because human languages are usually gendered, the fairies using those languages tend to assign a pronoun to each dragon, in order to talk to them. Joy is often addressed as "she".
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<b>Occupation:</b> In the fairy settlement, dragons are usually safekeepers. They are in charge of a magic vault, and store different treasures. Some of them are material, but they are mostly magic. In particular, Joy's treasure is the gift of resilience, daring to change, and seeking balance.
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<b>Personality:</b> Joy needs to move--she's always moving, changing, improving herself.
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<b>Traits:</b> Joy has no tolerance for meanness or injustice. She cares for all living beings, and is prone to leaving windseeds everywhere, being the culprit of more than one field taken over by dandelions. She can often by found blowing windseeds to seal her intentions in them.
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<b>Special traits:</b> Dragons do not talk… at least, not in human language. They communicate with fairies by transmitting emotions and knowledge directly to their mind; they do this by manipulating their own energy to convert it to magic.
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<b>Other’s opinion: </b>Most fairies like joy, but the gardening fairies generally avoid her, not to bring windseeds and infest their pots.
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<b>Favorite food:</b> Anything with ginger, hibiscus, or essential oils. She hates spicy food, and dislikes rocket because the leaves are just too similar (in appearance) to dandelion's leaves.
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<b>Hobby:</b> She stores yellow things on a secret vault. From fabric to pressed flowers, glass and toys. Anything yellow (and ocassionally purple) ends up stored on her vault.
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<b>Fears:</b> Horses--they move too fast, too reckless, and too heedless.
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<b>Habits:</b> When she is happy, dandelions blossom around her, and the wind carries windseeds.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_js2QPX9t66SLHOmPeqigx0_BRNaz_PXJXooQ8PwIzqXTDtB3uOKYEvcBrmGktYu1oYLju7hQ4bE1Hz2WzTnDmp2ofhIaNZ5hZRoYFssaZHDtHGPpZBHS0Ubeo2oxq6QqGuxZIN0GAajwa6Za--e9YXBx78hnby8FSSctoZdH6uTmTU-U4IHE38qMA/s1600/DSC07942_wm1.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ29RelUss5VrpsjNaSBYVj3jzPTQu-3IbeHnQGsNzUhG8sX7KHbmFZgb6Jke3Mi4_MlLV3IIMTkos2siwlXROTp5qA013jnpyAyidE5sovxuiuwQfhOFRSyyqWw9mtSq-4jr7oOYoZUnUvX34SbHvf03e9j7HvmXPiQqi_cZfhdMYEYswIczRIijGtw/s1600/DSC08303_wm2.jpg"/>
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-72090976271672563572023-04-24T19:01:00.000+10:002023-04-24T19:01:55.947+10:00Autumn is ArrivingHonestly, there is not much to this post except a bunch of photos of Eiar looking adorable. These weren't taken in Autumn but Spring, actually! The thing was that the ground had a lot of leaves, the little trunk was also quite orangey, and I did an edit favouring the warmer, browish colours rather than the greens--hence why it looks like Autumn. In any case, Autumn is nearing here Down Under, so they "fit" the mood!
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As you can see, I was trying on getting some front-and-back blur, and only the dragon in focus. It's quite hard to get both of them, honestly--especially when using objects (in this case the leaves) to "obstruct" part of the space. I need to practice more, but I think it makes for some amazing photos!
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Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-51416608195497170332023-04-16T21:54:00.001+10:002023-04-16T21:54:23.207+10:00You can find dragons near fountains!...or so I just found. Truth is, I found a bunch of pretty, moss-riddled, ancient-looking fountains, and I had my dragons with me. You'll clearly notice that these are from three different sets, as they were taken in three fountains. Rather than doing a heavy edit to "match" the photos, I decided to keep the "vibe" each fountain gave me.
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So, let's go with the first one! There are two more under the cut!
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The above, as you can see, was quite unkempt and the water wasn't running--so it was green. But that stagnation gave it quite a "solid" surface that reflected the tree's bokehs very nicely. I only have one shot of it, because the others were just different angles of the same pose, and I didn't want to bother you.
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The next one is the best, in my opinion. It was <i>*huge*</i> and working, and I squinted at it for a full minute until I found a little triangle on the edge where the water wasn't wetting everything--and that's were I placed the dragons. I used my wide-angle (Tamron 35mm f2.8, macro 1:2) to force a weird angle and a perspective, because otherwise I couldn't get the entire fountain on the same photo... nevertheless, I *adore* the outcome. This area was a bit shaded and I think the fountain was made on bronze (hence why it was so greenish-brownish now), but it looked terrific. Also, the photos "froze" the water drops, which looks great!
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The last one was in an enclosed mini-garden surrounded by an heritage building. There was only one meagre tree around the fountain, hence why the background looks far golden than in the first one--that was <i>surrounded</i> by thick vegetation, and looked overall more "gloomy". This one is taken with the Minolta 56m f1.4, which is why it is wide, but not that much, and why there is so much blur--I took this one almost wide-open (so, f1.7).
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</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-12105661961288369142023-04-09T16:12:00.000+10:002023-04-09T16:12:35.162+10:00Bunnies! Chicks! Hoppy Hope Easter!To be honest, I think this is the cutest outfit I've done in a while. I dared to try something wild with the sleeves of the dress and they looked great, and also the bunny hood is just so adorable! I took these with an old Pentax which is, apparently, from Japanese manufacture and has the rings spinning in the opposite direction! I know it doesn't sound much to you, but I'm an avid adapted-lens photographer, and this is the only lens I have which is (quite literally!) backwards.
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Anyways, there isn't much to do with this, except wishing you a a happy and relaxed long weekend, and that the chocolate eggs don't upset your stomach (which could be a reason of why Merry isn't here, mind you!).
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You won't believe me (or perhaps if you sew, you will), but I have had this fabric since 2020 I think... and there was never a right project for it! Like I would always pick it up when planning, and discard it because it wasn't quite right, but then in turned out to be perfect for this outfit!
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Now that I think of, I have no idea why that store was selling cute chicken props as an Easter think, but Hope certainly looks adorable with the Sylvanian bunny and the chickens! A last one for the road. Hoppy easteer!
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</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-23275792324457536042023-04-02T18:55:00.003+10:002023-04-02T18:55:37.590+10:00Making of Joy ~ Another Custom DragonHello everyone! Remember my project with the dragons? Well, I finally bring another update! This time, the dragon is complete because I had the eyes, although I had to redo the horns, and had some issues with the pastels. In any case, I think this one is very cute.
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The dragon I'm presenting today is called <b>Joy</b>, and is a <i>white Violet, painted with dandelions.</i> I added a clear jaw, and a broken wing (so it would be one-winged), and I opened its eyes a bit. I also decided to do branch-styled horns, but towards the back. The runes are Wunjo (meaning joy, armony, balance even amidst chaos) and Ehwaz (movement, progress, change, symbolising a change for the better).
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Anyways, here she is, and all the rants and WIPs are under the cut.
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<h3>Painting</h3>
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Oh, this one was interesting to paint. I know everyone is going to say that dandelions are weed, so on and so forth--I don't care. Dandelions are gorgeous, and that's my ultra subjective opinion. So, I wanted to give the dragon that sort of... "wild" appearance of the dandelions (which grow <i>everywhere!</i>). I also wanted to have kind of like plants growing from the bottom up. So I began basically by adding pastels shapes (which later turned out to be a problem) and used watercolour pencils to create the base layers of the dandelions.
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<div align="center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDiETqR4hNNYuSDG3y2X5QLS094XfSN_-qIaq3P9qTxBsktWLJWXjDlGRCL6Fujh4i_SwzjzNwlGTorB-CaFVZxx7tvP2Y7CStjQRXWfLuJsxYRoaZmXZKjCEJ2DYqelc2etjPvhkBa2NbINIDUcFDpxFJhWcm92vPs0AKI6jopCHaBOBtUMeL8N3TQ/s1600/02.png"/>
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The main issue with the green pastel was that it didn't hold--I would basically add a lot of it, get a strong colour, and seal only to find that a lot of it had faded. That doesn't happen with any of my other pastels, so I'm guessing it's a problem with this particular shade.
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Anyways, as you can see above on the bottom row, after having the outline done with pencils, I used watercolours with my Army Painter Insane Detail to paint the dandelions. For the flowers, I only added a dark yellow to highlight <i>some</i> of the strands, while I used a single tone of green (with more or less water for thickness) to get the leaves/branches. It's not very visible on these photos, but I did some greyish windseeds, and then with acrylics, I added <i>white</i> windseeds. They aren't very visible with my phone camera, but look adorable in person.
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The final step on painting was using a golden acrylic to add <i>another layer</i> to the dandelions, which gives them some darker strands. After all sealings, I used the regular gloss to add some touches here and there. I did a very think touch on some dandelions and in the cheeks, so there is a sheen there.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D7psP0oCHlmWWuL1Eyp8v4_h7FHvIFn3Q3fnQvXjMJAL0xf4lm75l5BF5Eqyu8sUUHnH7hxIcDhME8QZfBuKjQIpY5jrssg8h--YVEZVX7Jf-QeOotYp5Sz6nIpbr8kCOflQpt0iKOEahuKR73Bun9YynxoEIyMARpybvMNJysQ8488djoJwC8GfRg/s1600/03.jpg"/>
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<h3>Issues with the Horns</h3>
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So, after she dried, I sat down to begin assembling her... only to find problems. First, the horns were half-baked (apparently, I had set the temperature 10 degrees lower than intended), and they broke while I was struggling with them. However, that was not all! Second (see on the leftmost photo below), I had basically "crushed" the armature, so one of the horns didn't fit in the head's locking stubs. Then, the wing didn't fit--I hadn't accounted for the nape's curvature (centre photo), so the wing pushed against it, basically not fitting! D: To top it, the only horn that fit had broken, and it didn't fit <i>against the faceplate</i>--there was a weird shape that pushed against the faceplate.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvOGRNMsxBL4e_GLqmZ9FM6QM9RtvILFgrHnspHbja-dD6miXaofIMxO3LZDb-qcL1o4fAbh3H9mDAQ_r2dVkRY6DiovnMUg3oHkyDRBcPwQSJxRpmICTRBGyu3F_Dp44Lw8N3IigzoTbhyjyDYRNhtp_nYRLAvGx-d1jwhZs9j35tzHzu3Den_H3UA/s1600/04.jpg"/>
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After several days of thinking how to achieve what I wanted, I tackled the project again. First, I covered the parts in plastic not to damage the painting with raw polymer clay, and di new armatures. However, as you can see below (top row) I tried to: 1) surround the plastic stub with metal to avoid crushing it, and 2) create more wire branches so that they wouldn't break. With the wing, I took special care to push it back and low, trying to mimic the angle from the regular plastic half. Finally, I also put up little foil, as I only wanted a bit of a body and nothing else.
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Now, to make them, since I had the pieces covered in plastic, I tried to model them <i>in the head and wing themselves</i>, to ensure the pieces would actually fit. This was challenging, because the gloves made me clumsy and sometimes the angle was strange. I did a similar process with the wing. Then, I made sure to put the damn oven at 130 degrees Celsius, and produced a very sturdy shape!!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3MBOF-pn4Y9MMuDWj8WCf_K7xpLgeCTLqkEPA0hc_ut2zEtmO1bfJLn3NmEViyxOOqPr4ZPk_I3MGE7R__H9ovrFkzilLT-61KeFHj__6vdI5iTHsV5xWGfk-fmHBCTwAttem4Rv88kPcZPb4ZtzWpCXg8FydFnvWxNuQw7IXujL-I9UR1wGpb8myw/s1600/05.jpg"/>
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<h3>Assembling</h3>
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Some more time passed overwhelmed with other stuff, until I managed to sit again with this little project. The first thing I tried, of course, was the wing--and it was <i>PERFECT!!</i>. It fit seamlessly, it was soundly sturdy, and the head has the regular movement! After that, I rushed to test the horns and whether they fit on the plastic stubs, and against the faceplate--and they did! One was a bit loose, so I had to fill it in a bit and glue them. Also, they are not at all symmetrical, but branches are never symmetrical either!
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Finally, I begun the very slow process of glueing all the sculpted dandelions and leaves into the branches. There are some closeups here, but I will show you the final dragon with prettier photos!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdUmrrGWVoThApoVi8DmX5Ik637VLXHYzDsgyw4ScSz2lWD_97aHk9JkmSlEcoDX-UF8N65kPuuOOJGUyvjM1Dgc0Rg6VknkwAL0bIxC_ud5n2EhYeMUVTxMfVp7TnOS_BGM5JIZh4Y7hzzJYvc0z9CbaTK_pLkpiJFjlH752nwKM9PMyytKdPV1C5A/s1600/06.jpg"/>
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-80934084083715264602023-03-19T20:50:00.000+11:002023-03-19T20:50:52.258+11:00Dragons' Chess, Take TwoNot quite sure if you remember... but Eiar (green) and Theros (pink) are <a href="https://mydollyadventures.blogspot.com/2022/07/dragons-chess.html" target="_blank">quite keen to play chess</a>. Turns out, I found a garden with a gigantic chess! (For comparison, the "king" piece reached my hips!). Anyways, there isn't much to this post except the dragons having another go at it, and me crouching into insane angles because the bokeh was stunning.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmE2uQvwgC5J0AcKiGUAosXmzDAMuTYJYbAvnX_tqvDIz6_PcangC53PJVjOsvlYzKFVgsLMJDwb62KNWDqsdhuxl6pDJozcC5wiRayW2bOO0f30N0qXQG5AdbR59Ssxz2WXMZWR6TFWaqq40E9mqsMxAo60fLFJ9wlgsn3I0VXqo9PvPnUQ7yB227A/s1600/DSC02900_wm1.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bWei0cW1s3j1om-dl7VhGk_Sb_TkQxoAcOfEZd3X0Hy3-S06E_qZVfechE0PXFnsPqN95J5xuCefJlFNPda5GmmAn66XGRcG8VDitgxj4pq24qbgE350MyUqHErb9t17QPdLYiE2q5Uc-ngSsAw-pWIoFFosyVXXgiJBh07DTbfFMFucKI_JsKfDEg/s1600/DSC02868_wm0.jpg"/>
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1E5sgjr46LVnftwXuCOl6Br1h1G8D-emx2Y9mrEznIstgQcDnaEZ0_jkp7jLWokqlkhcczPhFR9tXp3RabIYsrI16aojmH3ftJEGutA3COxOr5qmCbhXO7GZL3NMjhgBQrua1hmWjXXb9LbZvhvtKskrnI5UOI4ZwOMdF6hfuscQPXslFKx7hVJWFA/s1600/DSC02877_wm2.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBP94CbA7H2I1htYEicSUaI_NG5h1LXqLc_lmg1of051OEU-YnNg1fM7jTqo4iPzvwdCeV7eCkn40VIgMRee2FmwEBJRTF8q_DYR1I_SvBH1YQQCCByMX-gBRNFiHN-XotLzrq55fu8rkWJdbiScr9bAONGt6f0IMjjq8ev4JxlkREm1MdB8JXm1Q8A/s1600/DSC02887_wm2.jpg"/>
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For those interested, I took these with my only "modern" lens, a Tamron 35mm f2.8 macro 1:2--hence why the angle was so wide and I managed to get so close yet capture so much of the surroundings.Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-3322103489260681382023-03-05T20:43:00.000+11:002023-03-05T20:43:10.679+11:00Merry & Cookie Have a Merry Bday Without Cookies!I'm not sorry about the title, because I <i>*had to*</i> do the pun. In any case, it's Merry's and Cookie's arrival anniversary. They came on 2014 and 2015, and Merry was actually a gift from Withdoll. Cookie is now my oldest doll, since I sold Coco before relocating. I crafted all the food you see here with airdry clay, and the bags are papercraft. The outfits are made by me, but the teacups and dish are from an tiny porcelain set. The bottles in the back were taken apart from a fridge magnet.
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Anyways! I really love the ethereal, blueish light on these photos. It was quite a cloudy day, the photos didn't end up bright, so I decided to play on the blueish hue and got this interesting, soft effect. What do you think? There are more photos under the cut!
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<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknp_svMLqD4hbtmmKWjhdqIK-7HyCGRDqXMp2NldjRVpHAyuhJN0RTkF3QFB8EUrbkxIN-dMoIvH2RLwl2h5B9E2da8Jcy0kZF3tQEqTtRbqFsEpqi0rbPuap7CzZoQtQHdpxMWy-8Regyud1izn6PX199PfQKUuHdq3pNuwpAgQl_RxjIByT-bDKWw/s1600/DSC06660_wm.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsyt10yGhW2XaRvQt6U0LF1W04f18zglRYnGC0K5fFjmZhaUs5g9KjsFOKYZorcxUBjQbWDqoHT_E3ILpB7wKX1ahDl8iLovPAFUNpIHEryXg25WRFI0XWkAlufdzKcDS_BC2xk35vwWexx5WwP-Hhs0NEmyPqOYCT5e9kW3ys4tPrX5L4me78AkRpQ/s1600/DSC07186_wm2.jpg"/>
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Here are some closeups of Merry (pink hair) and Cookie (white hair) with different meals.
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<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsk-ZbZgdppvd5If7_hsaD61d0eJW1po0nnrzpLT9wpUzKb29j8NAfLOUZL5j7hQ6N3lXGFzuKgG7cysBfj78fvW3UrtWmXkIJkxRjcDXWWBh0cq3cu-FsSeVqXX-5BpB4FhG3gIOROld6sdPyWyjGZ3GGITns3yS5OPBUxNzx-rQyHAtPU1iu0R6fNw/s1600/DSC06969_wm.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtysegnK4xjYXJrLD9i-ySmGTgsNh2xg7YIooUcv7STl7MBD7qj_eXm2tzPE0WTnWzj91UL9kJHvR0qd-h7k33rALn5cfU-GFbwrdHzEUSuA6I4_AmZaRyIjXeX2gv_sh3kdD6-2wz0xbXNMsbJr71vmc72LDHVSQAR30CvPNGiSVUGKjcxTxxl2babg/s1600/DSC06753_wm.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHrTJ1Zb8Mvznr0T3Q8WXuGwiOl-VKVTfbqgTxHmyi7KDlXVBG2t2YQ7FBcTXk4x_mMpIZ1oEfNhKAGU45NZebF7XB_mlaVeSgkHvYVhZNkM7J0h-wL9iBYk032plh_1jzXPbaB08SLGorVGroRcBu7B6OAq2-nH-MDbbS4HUm7sdNdbfb9dVBmeInQ/s1600/DSC06927_wm1.jpg"/>
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Then, some close-ups on the items that I had on the setup:
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpk-0MDgj-WNLdXooYsCtTc4k4DtEB9QBth5OVdrKQKiCH1F8HkUFU79Q1jdCO3NZpIIy_N4dH70ThFldX4R3FOp4-WweZpa7A7GAQU9ZlW61tv1YyrkBD3R7b9UbKyax_5E259F0G7QTdomuwPkuPDqYeVrSgWeAboC2OX0842sqFDoJ0hMU2pTAEw/s1600/DSC06786_wm.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LyFDsvU8ox83BkGf9cLjWG4ffFQJlHm-fnam3lD2nYl5UwbfFaecJEZjzNjIkE3GWfQF_ADRME7o3YCOKCw2bLSVbY0LaFfJ-nCfJMxUe5GdyebEy2LnVluyZEedG30J-bsgLNngV6uZjuPabNDwbbnR0NaI1OxiixO1K94aXX3PtxqoKkS9gB5xxg/s1600/DSC07194_wm.jpg"/>
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This is all for today! I'm sorry I don't have much more to share, but I really loved this setup!
Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-78792620951626000792023-02-26T07:28:00.000+11:002023-02-26T07:28:40.175+11:00A Flower for SummerWell, when I created the dragons, I "assigned" them seasons and meanings. So Theros (pink one) is Summer, and Eiar (green) is Spring. Since St Valentin's was nearby, here is a set of Eiar consistently offering flowers until he finally, <i>finally (!)</i>, steps up his game, and gets some nice flowers for Theros.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWEUhtQIhy8D5lXYgAj4pYcGVQRQ9Rl2iQHeLpGqcb0Hb3XDAze45FW8FD1957GEMzKJRhJFCoKBNvjZbRHZqkMoDMrV8StdP3Cd428ymvuhiYD8_NRSpCFaPhzxW3AAKplXXjTMBI9tBdSCyssq7Fv1c1L-NvDNplW34rnMmc_x4iwTXbk0zftEqsA/s1600/DSC03537_wm0.jpg"/>
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Let's just say that at first (above), Eiar was not quite sure of what Theros wanted, and thought that "red" meant "Summer" and went ahead with the first thing he found... poor guy. Offended, Theros decided to wander about into prettier, matching flowers... and finally forgave Eiar.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQtEMKfSJMO7_svHgKsKU9Fo_4CfqjoQEGLXLS-wlyr-hr9fuG4l84F9TMXACB3JsERjNcucs43axeeeMr-_UGT9RYj-R55hLIV5hlFfaMbRc2OwA-jNzS98-vLx7hPQSBs3epgrggC11lW8Y9SscwcYWP47DjSfKrb9SsuNX2LjlnUeU4ccYEMFvgXA/s1600/DSC03858_wm1.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnTH0iAQbHkmMr32XBlH0jnjSPW2Hzmm1HYxYtYgTwNY9pjiBQ_3VXGDz_mhgBETrQ6Tf_HEdPiJpEsjxs7UrMe255hmTPm-io5WAXtEDHsoIMKI2fAzmkhQxh-NAH86zhqyEUfR0i-L-owOLleL5PeHszoYgKA3pDj71Hrd60_e3ENidEMJbDQlskQ/s1600/DSC03865_wm1.jpg"/>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-3s4bSW4CeFYekOHHeYXgnemcZJRgzjKMiW9tupgRpAFMqUGuAPndb9YoxYOCTRNZB_l9bpPyL516qZaKOv-H6_cRwG2Zz_QeUb-OhKEPZtYD5yXjGrEsrCCvEh5QaYeoi8-dH1Ku1whbPeZgRQ6aPvrIp5uQOvPAUWFC7y4t5L00yjBgjpE1IGNgg/s1600/DSC03901_wm1.jpg"/>
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Undeterred, Eiar tried again, and finally got it right!
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKaNu41WCUAtOUWt3A0HoO0zWWKeG1bI_nqUEw3p-Q8KG2vvxAxeS80mbqBDhnr2OFvRVHzfA3zbWKNBXmjk7wO3nyYDWhrpANLxvWq-GBHxt867oEwiAIdJ85Q_fB1tvJ7j-HfHziC9UHv41WsAFC6EbgeXFhkLKLDQJQsAAack43wSYAQLpsnoFvQ/s1600/DSC03790_wm2.jpg"/>
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The true story is that I was running around this pretty garden with my partner on tow (he was catching the dragons and lenses as I changed them), and the gardener saw us. He was so happy I was taking so many photos, and gifted me those roses. Goodness, I never, <i>ever</i>, smelled roses that were so pretty! The scent was really *strong* and sweet, and none of the cultivated, florist-purchased flowers I've gotten were as adorable as those.
Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-32560903739467209922023-02-19T07:21:00.000+11:002023-02-19T07:21:01.278+11:00New Dragon Crew! Project + WIPsHello all! Well, it turns out that xmas got me me a new trio of dragons! It all started when I saw a white Ashes on Aileendoll EU website, and had an idea for a wild mod. Then, the shipping was twice the cost of the dragon, so I added a white Violet, to compasate--after all, I had another idea for another wild mod. Then, it turns out that Judit, from Aileendoll EU, decided to play Santa and gifted me a white Rot. I didn't knew about the last one, as my partner not-so-subtly confiscated the box upon arrival, and held it captive until Xmas day.
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In any case, you are set for several posts about the dragons, since I'm having some (as aforementioned) wild plans. More under the cut (alogside phone-wips).
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<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZH-wMnXlImOvs1APY5_VgIYWNTO-yZO6W9idH8eiAOzZxPMBz0syHTcTc-61jSKXSY2-EWIb1NLAtMBwDFIS17XGk_xcGG3dqrXeN2hwAaOso7l6FnBuH88KzQiyluljvdFGXyiMIG8ClNrUa6Kx3p6SQGUGp6O6UtABH468rnm1gWfnbLoySHZ4GbA/s1600/PXL_20221224_235042603.jpg"/>
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<h3>The Idea</h3>
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I knew I wanted to do runes on the dragons, but I didn't want to do 3-rune casts either, so I decided for pairs. This way, each dragon has a meaning given the pair of runes. I wanted to do heavy modding, and had considered doing branch-styled horns, so I picked up three flower-themes, one for each dragon. Additionally, I had some spare parts <a href="https://mydollyadventures.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-dragon-army-finished.html" target="_blank">from my crusade gifting 10 dragons to those that helped my cat's fundraising in 2019</a>, so I threw them in the mix here as well.
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This is what I came up with:
<ul>
<li><b>Dawn:</b> <i>White Rot, painted with epidendrum orchids</i>. With angel wings, and solid white jaw (this dragon is a pearlescent white). The runes are Raidho (meaning travel, evolution, focusing energy towards accomplishing goals), and Dagaz (awakening, completion, meaning healthy growth, prosperity and hope). Besides changing the parts, I decided to sculpt full horns (down towards the front) for this one.</li>
<li><b>Joy:</b> <i>White Violet, painted with dandelions. </i>I added a clear jaw, and a broken wing (so it would be one-winged), and I opened its eyes a bit. I also decided to do branch-styled horns, but towards the back.</li> The runes are Wunjo (meaning joy, armony, balance even amidst chaos) and Ehwaz (movement, progress, change, symbolising a change for the better).
<li><b>Light:</b> <i>White Ashes, painted with blue salvia flowers</i>. I added a clear jaw, opalescent wings, and a leaf. The horns are straight up with branches, added branches to the wings, and opened the eyes considerably. The runes are Kennaz (vision, inspiration, vitality, meaning knowledge and understanding), and Sowilo (representing wholeness, cleansing, light shining on dark times).</li>
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Now, I'm going to show you what I have so far. This is likely going to be a months-long project, so I'm in no hurry to do everything quick.
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<h3>Substractive Mods</h3>
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So, the first thing I did was opening the eyes, and breaking the wing. The eyes were mostly straightforward--I marked it with a pencil after testing the eye, cut it with a cutter, sanded, tested the eye, repeat until satisfied. The plastic here was thin, so it was quite easy.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWYvhHo4W42uHsLsRzhSE_D_a7YNXVu6TmpAC6cHPByh0LPNZEPp0tV33jzR5I_ATKWGDoKsi9vyDBvVD-7G9xj085eG2Rc74MFyPNnuU4y8gfZhdGj4jPWfmEXH-eWMmTQvY-YtDmmd-zaP9GX8dtLmiT5lNSvf1XGSU4jeLSiN_zc0YKUAghboPLQ/s1600/eyes_ashes.jpg"/>
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd56JaiZfvn4yLQCfCPiPMWtWmz9XUSc53mdm4ClccxrTJ-hS3HcM8GSW7jPf1aV_KqJBZw3q2nPVwBqiw4NBSjKnEvLqli6o2l4zz1Aqyg_xjUNN8W4KEgxHwOsVTOSRd_ymZK9uH-S9X_1oIkeBt_vPPjp9d4wggVqO7qmHsIq4ThYLDPEYa418_A/s1600/eyes_violet.jpg"/>
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Now, the wing was the problem. The plastic was very thick here, and I needed to keep kind of like a "bone" to use to prepare an armature. I couldn't rely on the polymer clay alone, because it would make it too heavy. The armature would take space, and make it lighter. So after marking it with a pencil, I started slicing off pieces, and then sanded the "bone" to make it softer. The last step was to use wire to make an armature that coiled on that bone-wing.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPSSmYljMfDOziXIWJLpYz5YGtjHiulOCbFAjOq1DMLPa6nXHp-xxO1d2v8xk0DUJA6AiQ5laLPMl3Ko79chnHo7U-x-mf0Cq9SE1BEihXZkbydlMjjp0nvoPDBDJYjHc6zsz8kUKXKzMnkCD83frBuhoMcFvyuXpAjYzDSZ3lRZLKwlKTw2RY0KJXA/s1600/wings_violet.jpg"/>
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<h3>Horns' Armatures and Branches</h3>
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Now, the horns posed more or less the same issue than the wings--especially Rot's (Dawn) because those are thicker than the other dragons. So I decided against working with the original horns, and simply began crafting armatures for each. The process was simple--use some wire to do the basic shape and the largest branches, the wrap in aluminum foil to give it more "body".
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijf33Y6tPl3IikINsJRgN1dLSoY75UB9e2YDBOJnpb9wGS3yy063M9I_rKophrBhJCuDnNdFTq3AcFHr7nlFKzdEXZnqBm2Yawa-sbY1bp1erTU5ZSL4tWRDzZTpfEJP4hgSCIjTWvGvtGClAQtPAeN8ymIt3jwC4vY_fKQ5OLqXL1NI7Sk4cQzJVUFA/s1600/horns_armature.jpg"/>
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After that, It wwas a matter of simply addinng the polymer clay, bit by bit. I prepped the base, smoothed it, then added branches. So far, I have the armatures for the three dragons, but I only managed to do Rot's (named Dawn) and Violet's (named Joy) into polymer clay.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0myqOK5a1ta60l96YmwwPvjkQuZ8TMgpJLud95N9V1w79IumAS-WPYWtEoJrlVuSZFxL7UQwy06hDRvbzfk-pluRSkpcv9xzZXpTM5godgT1YPuNGHt0nMMSu6eCG1iZDYIhTMcEQUI2EaPzEfQlzKbmUyQl81uOsmxs6wLXt2S6TwwzpoB2uRfJMvQ/s1600/horns_clay.jpg"/>
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Before baking these, I decided to make the flowers for both, and also some leaves.
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<h3>Flowers, and Ants' Work</h3>
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This was the most back-breaking endeavour of the project so far. The dandelions were literally an ant's work, adding each dang thing into the base circle. But what can I say, dandelions are adorable. The orchids are very basic approximations, but I thought they looked decent enough.
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<div align="center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyyGxGiYIGNmY4m9qu-J9v9jSW7XkInwkCsSnzAwERIrAZYi6rSv6HGRO1UkyLj-gQX6nq5HMQ5DSwLi6jHq2_MAPBq5TLRwPrGcep126RDA9-p28qOakxB3p86up3qKZCuQvyKTCQNSof4cJQc8LeXawUuV3rcfXekba-FUncqtCmpC1b3JsCEYafQ/s1600/horns_flowers.jpg"/>
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I could've placed the flowers on the un-baked horns now, but decided against it, because it was impossible to manupulate the things without breaking them. Thus, after having all of this, I went into baking (105*C, for those wondering, 30 mins straight). They ended up looking quite well, I may add! Overall, doing the horns and flowers was about ~14 hours of work.
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Note: I'm still missing Ashes' horns and flowers. I haven't done those yet.
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<h3>Painting Dawn</h3>
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Dawn (Rot) is the only one I have painted so far. It took me about ~20-24 hours of work painting her, without counting the time to assemble the rest (glueing the flowers). I used mostly: watercolour pencils to establish the shape, watercolours to paint her, acrylic for the gold. The main brushes were Army Painter's Insane Detail, and Hobby Basics Kolinsky Sable (completely forgot the number, sorry).
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKCwoJsTnWXbeTR8aKYqVOnROtt-zFw0T6EJP_VFZXs9C_19__38aDGgib0NlQXCrSiGRozJeueEWbZ1X0RCDM-BbAgLa-A39ucjg5_SYaBJyfBZAEfwCMvapCy8dUA99pD7LZAQw3gVicv0ax8QEIwDzz35lDZaLKV9RwKdIp_fzjOintugxE31MwQ/s1600/faceup_1.jpg"/>
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I must confess that the eyeliner didn't end up as pretty as I wanted, so I won't really take many closeups for it, but the overall shape and colours are quite lovely in my opinion.
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Also, I know she's quite heavily painted. Most dragons out there have the basic blushing and that's it, or some painting in the forehead and that's it. However, these orchids grow in groups of many flowers, and I wanted to try to convey that. Also, she's the dawn of opportunities--better to have many of those, right?
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<h3>Assembling Dawn (Partially)</h3>
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I haven't finished assembling her because I commissioned some eyes and those aren't here yet, so please excuse the lack of eyes on the photos below. Overall, I do think Dawn is looking prettier than I imagined--and this is the least modded dragon! Also, It wasn't noticeable in the faceup photos, but the runes are painted into the head "fins" rather than in the forehead!!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh6eqETNax5tzy6aUJydaElB5DDTZe8RsPNfXFPnoQI7-AQWhI_YRWhkU5fli4lWytSXG-gtrpSVsQBH1jBRy3sxHuX57o1h3qPSSDeUyIDOLYyVhIH2hy7OWJXNLC6MDkwb5Mnwx-ehJtfD_NXVMs0se-Q5rmZr19muxlWecoCesKJfgWNhtEMgaNA/s1600/assembly_1.jpg"/>
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I didn't take any complete photos, but I promise to do that once she's ready, with eyes and all. It is definitely going to be a very long project, but a rewarding one! I was a bit blue with the hobby, but this is really adding up to my engagement again!
Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396354513462555911.post-28398715925526653302023-02-11T21:24:00.000+11:002023-02-11T21:24:04.727+11:00Lovely Kanon!This was meant to be a Valentine's Day outfit, but the coat didn't look nice at all, and the dress wasn't reddish/love-related enough. However, the photos are very nice and I refuse to waste them. I did try to enhance the red on the photos and give her this golden glow, but oh well... sometimes, it just doesn't work.
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In any case, I took these photos with the Jupiter 85mm lens from 1962. I love that not-haze that it has (it's not haze per se, but a "characteristic" of this lens' construction). In any case, Kanon always looks adorable!
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HsosBbBhxqKtX-XYCI8lFphAHZ1mYgmITXLJZYW8sb0UiCoXMKMKVtaVXFrmFWc6dzoFoHNhVkutwBhGjZptZEPnMuO9zPV89N5xkiqLGLLfb4HQsM6yz21OUD_Uh221BYVDUFpM3df5YKGkMJ76AnBMsz8jph3BjGqbVtrXktHrBne0MEMdpC1RBA/s1600/DSC07329_wm0.jpg"/>
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There are some more here. The trees were weird--thin, and very close to each other, and they had these leaves near the ground that were perfect for effects.
G:\BJD\08 - Kanon\2023\01 - Kanon
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxxsvNutpLCdg0OhuD2p7Jq6Xy8UnoeVluXmHTUET_EZm2Ge7SBzOmVO7ZWFzHdyXzLJBOnDgIiDkFTIaniEn0l2tMi0p7lyIq9ApYWiJjISJqg4_ek8UUNkv5v2tm0-nDiv3MSKcXAO5zmzQuyfj0l-7XKIw8GO9vdZVMJuIxQU5vSff95xDP9nH3Q/s1600/DSC07609_wm1.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh82umnN-mA9_TWVBXR5GQAT60u1HrleROyr1RD55eGpbIYPnBrVb0Cp_-gKPBaut2BL99WFF-fT9CPYukytyKuRbxhpgNTcrI50rb-_YSOlwaWvSMIvGR7Px10DwhvE5rdSc6PFQFhBYd84AINMxL4NDrWm8rpqKl1y5QQYKnpcBtGB_CSzENnwOyhw/s1600/DSC07520_wm1.jpg"/>
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Here are others that I also liked, all landscape-oriented.
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PRJSYAq8FtNjKa3ijWlBxhvGZiYcI0bgoDn3_QX8vCRYuFoWqV9l2mMOmD67CR9PgXcBkLkpdhhl0N6Lfw0ulrM0gac2_T1GJss5nSzTzq5d006ayfaXbjx8ekxa371a5ZeUvoZOz2BDH-y7OisOfz6d9Z5HHZ1ndaOWwBErKJlY0Xj_ZEPyl6G7iQ/s1600/DSC07395_wm2.jpg"/>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4eM9K7d81Rup0gFPmNHj44rv_6kcVxl7b6I8eyyACzGPSFKnKrFmn044Y8HRzDsiXhp3z7GzVatCZwSUmuVWl5Y8dlE9erddhK6W-veF95iCgyXx6cWRF1Qq38kf4xBkfZkDs0y-PMMVuTfDEPhAZ1FO2MHDhg2JpK9ReiVgM6Va5z0Nk-iPMaYKog/s1600/DSC07647_wm2.jpg"/>
</div>Musumehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618279915398182364noreply@blogger.com5