My main reason for giving a home to Yalena, was to build up a photographic relationship. Initially, you find that her movements are restricted and in some instances, can’t hold a pose (raise her arm above her head and it comes straight back down). But all other joints are fairly stiff and hold position very well. The neck joint is a little loose at the moment, so tilting her head downwards isn’t an option.
The skin is firm, but quite realistic. I was worried it might be too soft having seen some videos, but elasticated clothing sits nicely without digging in. As the name suggests, she is anatomically correct, although fingers and toes are not 100%.
At first there were a lot of problems with stray hairs from the wig sticking to the skin. She also came in a glittery printed tee shirt, so there were sparkly dots and black spots all over. An evening with the soap suds and a talc down has worked wonders. The hand travels over the skin much more easily now and the talc has matted the surface quite realistically. I think another bath session soon is in order, for mutual benefit!
The day she arrived she was very cold, but after a short while under the electric blanket, the difference was quite marked. A warm doll is a totally different experience.
So am I happy I hear you ask? At the outset it seemed a lot of money to splash out, but at the moment I think she is worth every dollar! I hadn’t met a top end silicon doll face to face before and after such a long wait for Yalena to arrive, I had plenty of preconceptions. I’m just doing trial photography at the moment, not worrying too much about lighting and backgrounds – I need to develop the human/doll relationship first. It’s also far better taking photos as and when I want, which is difficult with a real model.
So here’s a shot that’s I think is one of the best so far...... enjoy!
Watch out for the regular picture postings and update reports......