Using photos

[animeangel09189]

So I want to start getting my portfolio together for college or perhaps future job opportunities my question is are we allowed to use photos of our dolls (pullip, pinky, BJD ect) for this kind of thing? or is there copyright issues?

[DollyKim]

If it's your doll and you took the picture you can use it, basically it falls under fair use. Put a tag at the bottom saying what company the doll is from if you want. If you want to publish the pictures in something you want to sell then I'd say contact the company and ask for permission.

In the past I contacted a bunch of companies asking if I could publish pictures I took of my dolls for my pattern books, one said I had to say the doll was modified (I took off his hat and redid his hair), another said as long as the dolls weren't doing anything illegal or shown using drugs etc. In the two years I've been publishing not a single company has said anything. I include info on which company made the doll and what sculpt it is so people can find their own.

[Siead]

if you're talking a photographer's portfolio, and not a portfolio for modification and sculpting, traditionally you don't have to give credit of what you are taking a photo of. you can in the back of the portfolio keep a list of references, or with a web portfolio put in a links page if you want. in a printed portfolio, usually a simple one 8x10 per page is preferred, with title if there is one, although each school is different. especially when shooting objects. most people don't bother putting that the chair is from Ikea. similarly you don't have to put where the doll is manufactured.
although things might have changed since i applied for college.