3 Tips from Pat Henry, FDQ
Here are 3 quick fixes for hiding doll stands when you do your photos.
Method One
One is to use a Styrofoam base under your set that you can push the metal pole of your saddle stand into so you won’t see the stand base. Then you angle the doll so that the stand is hidden behind clothing or a leg. This can work well on many photos especially when the doll is wearing a dress, but it can be a bit tricky to hide sometimes.
Method Two
The second is to use the same Styrofoam base, but instead of a saddle stand use a piece of armature wire from the arts supply store. Armature wire is an easy to bend but strong wire that you can easily slide up the leg of a pair of pants to hide. Pat also uses it as a third leg to make the doll act as a sort of tripod. When doing that you make a u shape at the top that will rest against the doll and the other end goes into the Styrofoam. When I did this I used the Styrofoam under a backdrop of felt and it was easy to push the wire or saddle stand pole through the felt into the foam. With this second method you still have to angle the wire so that it is hidden from the camera.
Method Three
The third method is to use a very thin monofilament wire such as a fishing line. You need to have two vertical posts to tie the fishing line between, and the line needs to be pulled taut. The doll can then easily lean against the wire and stand in position. I did this most often before I used my light tent and I use two heavy old desk lamps with a heavy base to tie my line and hold the weight of the doll. You can do it with dowel rods in a wooden block but the weight of the blocks have to be enough to balance the weight of the doll leaning against the wire or the doll will fall over and pull the wire and supports down on top of her. The fishing line is the easiest to hide from the camera normally. I have also gotten really good at finding a doll's central balance and getting them to stand on their own for pictures. You have to be steady, not shake the table, and fast to get the photo, but that can be the easiest way if the doll can be made to stand on its own.
Method One
One is to use a Styrofoam base under your set that you can push the metal pole of your saddle stand into so you won’t see the stand base. Then you angle the doll so that the stand is hidden behind clothing or a leg. This can work well on many photos especially when the doll is wearing a dress, but it can be a bit tricky to hide sometimes.
Method Two
The second is to use the same Styrofoam base, but instead of a saddle stand use a piece of armature wire from the arts supply store. Armature wire is an easy to bend but strong wire that you can easily slide up the leg of a pair of pants to hide. Pat also uses it as a third leg to make the doll act as a sort of tripod. When doing that you make a u shape at the top that will rest against the doll and the other end goes into the Styrofoam. When I did this I used the Styrofoam under a backdrop of felt and it was easy to push the wire or saddle stand pole through the felt into the foam. With this second method you still have to angle the wire so that it is hidden from the camera.
Method Three
The third method is to use a very thin monofilament wire such as a fishing line. You need to have two vertical posts to tie the fishing line between, and the line needs to be pulled taut. The doll can then easily lean against the wire and stand in position. I did this most often before I used my light tent and I use two heavy old desk lamps with a heavy base to tie my line and hold the weight of the doll. You can do it with dowel rods in a wooden block but the weight of the blocks have to be enough to balance the weight of the doll leaning against the wire or the doll will fall over and pull the wire and supports down on top of her. The fishing line is the easiest to hide from the camera normally. I have also gotten really good at finding a doll's central balance and getting them to stand on their own for pictures. You have to be steady, not shake the table, and fast to get the photo, but that can be the easiest way if the doll can be made to stand on its own.