Nostalgia is todays theme on the Toy Photographers Podcast. We talk about nostalgia because it is a common theme in the toy photography community. Toy photographers often play with the toys of their own childhoods. Nostalgic images are often thinly veiled reminisces of a favorite movies or a moment from our personal lives. And as Shelly put’s it: “toys as motive, lend themselves well to this emotion”. We both use nostalgia as a theme with varying results.
Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. ~ Wikipedia
We invite you to listen to the episode. If this podcast resonates with you we would love to hear how you use nostalgia in your own toy photography. Do you use it as a tool to connect to your childhood? Is nostalgia a way to relive a happy memory from your own past ? Or another way for your to connect with your viewers?
The images we discuss in the episode
“Imagination will take you everywhere.” ~ by Shelly Corbett
Efter balen- Askungen (Cinderella) Kristina Alexanderson
“Some stories are rooted in adventure…” ~ By Shelly Corbett
I’m afraid of the droids Kristina Alexanderson
Up Next
This is our final podcast in this short mini-series hosted by us, Kristina an Shelly. James will be back next week and resume his regularly scheduled programing. And next week time for a theme episode – and the theme for this month is recreate. If you would like to participate in the next challenge simply recreate one of your own favorite images. Next, upload your images to social media with the hashtag #tp_recreation. Be sure to tag both James (@thereeljames23) and Kristina (@kalexanderson) on Instagram. Or you can email James and Kristina directly at toyphotographypod@gmail.com. When you submit an image to one of the Podcast Theme Challenges you have a chance to have your work discussed on the show.
Thank you James for letting us take over the Toy Photographers podcast. We hope you’ve enjoyed our efforts as much as we’ve enjoyed creating them!
Kristina and Shelly
I loved this podcast. Well done Kristina and Shelley. Thanks for sharing your nostalgia and your witty banter.
Thanks Doug! I love chatting with Kristina, but I never thought of it as witty banter Bwahahahaha!
Thank you Doug, it so fun to hear that you like it 🙂
Thanks for a great listen y’all! Nostalgia is all about memories. It’s all about subtle feelings, sights, sounds, smells. All those things can bring back a rushing memory of the past. I love how Pixar’s Ratatouille visualized nostalgia with the critic being warped back to his memories of a happier time with a simple bite. That’s really my overall goal with this hobby is to bring folks back to the wonders of childhood while visiting it myself. I think toys in general have the ability to take folks back to a simpler time where the cares of the world, the future, and the past were lost in the moment. I get lost in the moment with toy photography – and that is why I like it so much.
Joseph thanks for listening. Your love for nostalgia and a simpler time comes through loud and clear in your images. I know I feel that way when I look at them. Thanks for commenting and joining the conversation!
I couldn’t agree more I also get lot in toy photography (when it is at it’s best). I love the feeling of just being in the moment – and thinking of the image, the toy and all the joy I have doing just this. I agree with Shelly your work shines of simpler times.
There’s so much nostalgia in photos and I do find that in toy photography too. For me, it is often associated with the memories of when the image was taken ie during a photowalk with other photographers or the figure itself which might be a gift from someone. Although, I don’t think I’ve injected nostalgia into my images much and if so, it’s usually from the perspective of the character I’m using. This reminds me of the podcast’s nostalgia theme from last year.
Thanks Shelly and Kristina for this thoughtful mini series to open up discussions and sharing around “what is toy photography?”
Thanks you Janan for your comment and joining the conversation. Im glad that you enjoyed our conversations. I think Nostalgia is a topic that is near and dear to Kristina and I and deserves frequent revisiting.
Thank you Janan, I agree photography is the art for memories – through photos we can remember old times and situations that isn’t here anymore. We tend to use photography as a toll to remember and in the context its a toll for nostalgia.