Bringing dolls to life

Myriam Boyd is getting used to the strange looks she receives when she explains what she does for a living.  The 22-year-old West Islander is a doll photographer.  It’s something she describes as a hobby for the soul.

Boyd spends her days travelling Montreal’s alleyways, greenspaces and tourist attractions looking for the perfect backdrop for her American Girl dolls.  Her unique brand of still life photographs has caught the attention of doll lovers around the world.  Her Instagram account which showcases her work has topped more than five thousand followers.

« My biggest following is in New York. Last summer, I was there for a trip, and I decided to take my dolls with me.  We went to Times Square and they came out great.  I even met another doll photographer when I was there, » Boyd says.

Besides the Big Apple, Boyd has snapped pictures of her dolls in many other parts of North America including Ottawa, Vancouver and Chiliwack, British Columbia.  She also set up a mini photo studio in the basement of her parents’ home.

« I have always been someone who has had a big heart for stuffed animals and toys in general.  The camera just does a great job of bringing them to life, » Boyd adds.

Community

While this may sound like a bizarre pastime, Boyd is not alone in her hobby. There are many online communities of doll photographers.  Boyd is considered one of the more popular in Canada.

For now, the young women says it is a hobby.  She studied photography at Dawson College.  She also took courses at John Abbott College in Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Boyd earns some money selling some of her photographs at coffee shops across Montreal.  She also offers doll photography classes.

« I would like to make it into a career one day.  To get paid for doing something like this would be great.  Dolls and photography are my two passions, » she says.

One day, she hopes to land a job at a major toy manufacturer like Mattel.  Her social media fame may help her get that interview.