Contact sheet of test shots

To initially settle on what type of photograph I'm going to take and how I'm going to photograph it, I decided to take some test-shots so that I am able to settle down and analyze them and pick out particular parts I like and how I can develop it further.

Here is my contact sheet of test shots:

Specific images:

The two images above are more or less the same. Here, I have tried to experiment with the posing of the dolls AND the the use of natural lighting. I did this in order to help me to see which lighting I am happier with. I like the lighting in both of these images; this means that I would have to meet somewhere in the middle ... not too light, not too dark.

Although I like the posing of the dolls, I don't particularly think that it fits in with what I am trying to do. The image seems very still and there isn't a lot going on; therefore, it wouldn't make much sense to the viewers AND it won't be very interesting.

For this image, I have experimented with different dolls and poses. I wanted to see what the doll would look like in a more natural pose without having too much going on.
Here, the doll is seated looking away from the camera wearing the princes crown. Also in the background is the sword and shield.
Naturally, you would think that the sword, shield and crown would belong to the prince (who's job is to save the princess), however this isn't the case in this photograph. The princess owns all of the prince-related items giving the impression that the princess is her own hero ... she doesn't need any man, she's quite capable of dealing with situations.

Again, for this photograph I have experimented with the positioning of dolls. This is a very standard portrait image of the princess; it shows her profile.
If I were to take this photograph again, I would have to think of the scale of things ... In this case it's the Ivy in the background. 

For this photograph, I have decided to experiment with the posing of dolls and adding more props to the image. Here, I wanted to try to make more of a scenario within the photograph. To add effect to the image, I added another doll ... this doll is an "action man" doll. Action man is perceived as the tougher one, however the princess is the more dominant and powerful one. If I were to take this photo again, I would make the image more dramatic by adding special effects (like fake blood, bruises etc) and considering the background (scale of items).

For these two images, I decided to experiment with angles; this was to see how certain scenarios would look using different perspectives.

These images are probably my most favourite from the whole shoot.

Again, if I were to take these image again I would consider the scale of things in comparison to the dolls and maybe consider building more of a set to give atmosphere.

Again, here I have experimented with angles and perspectives. In this photograph, we can't necessarily see who the princess is but we know for sure that it is a princess (by using the dress). We can also tell that the princess has the upper hand over the male character; we can tell this from the positioning of the characters ... the princess is physically higher up than the male and the male is at a lower position than the princess giving the impression that the lady is the most dominant in this scenario.

This image fits in with the research that I have done because the princess is challenging the stereotype of women being the weaker sex.

Again, I need to work on my set-building and scaling.