Why?
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adverb
for what reason, purpose, or cause?:
“Tell me why are you’re here?”
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pronoun
for or because of which:
“There is no reason why he shouldn’t”.
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interjection
an introductory expression of surprise, disagreement, indignation, etc.:
“Why, don’t be so silly!”
Let me premise this by saying that I’m not a photographer. Heck, I don’t even own a real camera. I’m just a knucklehead with an iPhone!
I stumbled upon toy photography by accident. I’d been on Instagram for around a year, when I posted a shot of one of my kid’s Lego Minifigures; a slightly out of focus, poorly lit shot of the series 8 DJ, then another; I think it was the Monster Fighters Zombie Driver, and then another, and another.
A friend I’d made through Instagram pointed out a few Lego accounts to me, and a whole new world opened up to me.
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adverb
“We can conquer anything together
All of us are bonded forever”
Pennywise – Bro Hymn
As I’ve mentioned, I’m no photographer, so I’m going to try and avoid the ‘A’ word. What I do ain’t art. I look at some of the amazing toy photographers that are out there and wouldn’t dream to compare what I do, to their brilliance. Every now and then I do get lucky.
So if I don’t consider what I do art, why do I do it? Well, let me try to explain it.
Over the years I’ve been involved in the toy photography (yes, I take photos but I’m not a photographer) community and I’ve made many friends. I’m proud to call three in particular best friends, one from the other end of my country, 2000 kilometres away, and the other two on the other side of the world, 17000 kilometres away.
We all have those friends in our lives that when we’re asked, “How did you guys meet?” we can never really remember an exact moment. We remember times before that friendship, and times since that friendship began, but not that precise moment in time when the friendship was formed. It’s almost as if the friendship is that strong, the understanding so solid, that times and dates are insignificant. It doesn’t really matter when; all that matters is that it is. This one is one of those.
Since these friendships were formed (some time between now and the past) we have shared ideas, encouraged each other in what we do, asked for advice, pushed each other to better ourselves, critiqued each others work and had a bloody good time while at it.
So, these three friends that I have made through plastic are why I do what I do. Don’t get me wrong, I truly appreciate every single like and comment I receive on my shots, but if I can impress these three friends, make them smile, give them a chuckle, then it makes me happy. And if what I’m doing is ultimately making me happy, then that’s as good a reason as any.
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pronoun
“If it makes you feel better
Then I guess it’s just as good”
Minor Threat – No Reason
I know it’s cliché, but whenever I hear the question “why?” I always wonder “why not?” What I do is intended to be innocent. For the most part, my shots are simply toys with silly little captions. I wouldn’t dream of intentionally offending or insulting anyone through what I do. And with that in mind, I respond to the question of “why?” with a resounding “why not?”
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interjection
“I don’t want to grow up
I don’t want to grow up”
Descendents – I Don’t Want To Grow Up
Why, it’s just a bit of fun after all. And if having fun is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.
– Brett
Brett
Thanks for the reminder of what really makes this hobby and community special…the friendships we make.
Cheers my friend!
Shelly
Thanks Shelly. Not only for you kind words but also for the opportunity. It was amazing how such a seemingly simple question sent me into a tailspin, actually questioning “why do I do this?” for the first time. And ultimately, every time I gave it thought, I always ended up at the same answer. Because of those guys!