Sparkle and grace

I’ve had this porcelain doll for… more years than I can accurately remember. It was a gift when I was young.

I received a lot of porcelain dolls over the years, actually, but this one still sits on top of on one of my bookshelves. It’s always been a bit of a favourite, though I can’t put my finger on why. I think it’s because, out of all of them, it reminded me most of myself.

Sure, I wasn’t a ballerina, but I was a dancer: Jazz and baton. Apparently, that was just close enough for my young mind to form a bond with the doll.

I admit, it usually sits on my shelf and doesn’t get a whole lot of attention. Last week, however, it was the perfect solution to a problem I was having.

My 52Frames challenge was “Dancing.” My first attempt to fulfill it… failed miserably. And I couldn’t figure out any other action shots.

So I set up this still life. It may not be my favourite recent shot, but I am happy with the lighting. It makes the ballerina look poised for her solo and brings out the sparkle in her dress exactly how I hoped it would.