Interview with Turbow

Thanida, better known as Turbow, is one of the toy photographers I admire the most. I first discovered her work through her photos of Danbo, but what made me a fan of hers was her BJD photography. In fact, her girls are part of the reason why I wanted a BJD of my own!

Hi Thanida! To start off, tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
I may not be that interesting. I'm a Thai girl who lives in Bangkok, Thailand. I love shopping, photography, dolls, and creative arts.

What got you into the ball-jointed doll hobby?
It all started when I saw an interesting BJD of a friend. She was a DollnDoll Bubble. Before I started collecting BJDs, I collected Blythe dolls only. I wasn't interested in BJDs at all even when friends brought many of their Latis and PukiFees to show me. But that Bubble girl caught my attention and then I started researching about BJDs and happened to fall badly for Carla's Joana (Luts KDF Ani) but back then, no friends of mine had MSD sized dolls to give me some advice, so I was very confused whether to start off with MSD size or Yo-SD size like Bubble. But at the end, I came to conclusion that I should go for the one I really love no matter what size she was. So I ordered Ani! And I'm SO happy for my decision.

Black Rose

You currently have quite a large collection. What do you find irresistible about a doll that makes you want to have it?
Each of them have their own irresistible charms. I love how they can develop their own characters by just changing eyes or wigs.

How did you start as a photographer? Were you already fond of photography before entering the BJD hobby?
Photography has always been one of my favorite hobbies since I was a kid. I won't call myself a professional photographer. I'm only a self-taught photographer who loves to photograph objects that I love.

Your photos have a dream-like quality to them. How would you describe your photography style?
Spontaneity is my style, I guess. And I love to make lifeless things look alive in my photos.

Who or what influences your photography?
Just everything!

What's your favorite doll photo to date? Why is it your favorite?
Hmm, tough one. My favorite doll photo to date would be a photo of Fleur de lis, a Bluefairy Tiny Fairy Limited B Jasmine (pictured below). It's my favorite because it's one of few photos that actually came out exactly like I imagined it to be.

Fairy in Black

I love how you style your dolls! What are your favorite shops to buy from?
I don't really have favorite shops. I just love to seek for new ones LOL. But for shoes, my favorite is Bluefairy.

You're the photographer for Little Moda clothing and your dolls are the models. How did that partnership come about?
Not all of the models are my dolls. Most are Little Moda's own models. I know her from the Blythethailand forum. I bought some of her doll dresses for my dolls. Later, I opened a commission thread for doll photography service, and she contacted me to photograph for her. It's very fun and challenging to style and photograph for Little Moda.

Among your dolls, who are your favorites?
My favorites are Aizome (Luts Kid Delf Ani), who's my first BJD doll, Poem (Bluefairy Shiny Fairy Bon Voyage May), and Dion (Volks SD Tae 2nd). Aizome is my special girl since she's my first BJD  and is the first mold I really fell for. Little Poem is just the cutest doll I can imagine. I've never ever found any doll cuter than her, never. Dion is my other special girl. She's my dream BJD and the reason I decided to move on to SD size.

Miu

Other than dolls, what other subjects are you fond of photographing?
Foods, drinks, toys....just anything that I love.

What frustrates you the most when you take photos? Are there some things you still wish to improve on?
I would say myself. I always get frustrated at myself when I can't capture the beauty of the objects as beautiful as my eyes saw them, especially landscape. I wish to be able take better human portraits and landscape photos.

Lastly, what tips can you share to help us take breath-taking pictures like you do?
For doll photography, their eyes are the window to their souls, and their gestures speak louder than words. Light and shadow brings them to life.

To learn more about Thanida and her work, check out her deviantART, Tumblr, and Flickr.