Picture an apple. Now make the apple blue. Hold that apple in your hand. Picture it in your kitchen. How about on the beach? Now picture a family member. Can you see their face, the distance between their eyes, the texture of their hair, the shape of their body? Can …
Lego isn’t the only plastic toy with a gender problem. The economic uncertainty of the Great Depression created the need in the model hobbyist arena for less expensive, space saving train layouts. Through this HO scale/H0/1:87 – ‘half O’ scale was born. This scale, in which the people are roughly …
“Like a pair of binoculars with no right or wrong end, the camera makes exotic things near, intimate; and familiar things small, abstract, strange, much farther away.” -On Photography by Susan Sontag Toy photography spans genres. This, I’ve already said. Petite products, abridged architecture, pint-sized portraits, small surrealism…but what about …
Kristina’s most recent post made me think about myself and how I respond to strangers asking me about my work. And I respond quite similarly to how she does, although maybe for slightly different reasons. I too prefer to photograph alone. Sometimes with my boyfriend in tow, but he’s often …
“A photograph passes for incontrovertible proof that a given thing happened. The picture may distort; but there is always a presumption that something exists, or did exist, which is like what’s in the picture.” – On Photography by Susan Sontag Toy Photography Movement When photography first came about it was …
“There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” -Brene Brown Our fears of rejection within the realm of photography vary by person – whether with putting an image on a social media platform and not getting any likes, or maybe getting negative comments, to submitting something to a publication …
A Short Introduction Toy photography, while in itself a form of fabricated or tableau photography, has a way of spanning across all genres of the medium. This is one of the many many things I love about toy photos. Through toys we can tell stories, document places, record our travels, …
Silly question, everytime is a great time to be a toy photographer! But read on, you’ll see what I mean. Mini Madness The Cut recently released an article titled ‘The Big World of Teeny-Tiny Things’ of which they claim is an ‘everything guide to the miniature market.’ This article also …
“The world opens up…as a grand and glorious adventure in feeling and in understanding. Nothing human is unimportant to him. Everything he sees is germane to his purpose. Every word that he hears uttered is of potential use to him. Every mood, every passing fancy, every trivial thought can have …
Okay, so we’ve had posts about the magic of 3 and the power of 2, so now I feel I must advocate for 1 (or maybe just ramble about number symbolism). One Sure I’ve used various numbers of toys and figures in my photos, but I have a soft spot …
**Just a disclaimer, this is not a critique on Kristina’s recent post. I completely understand her point, and relate. If you read between the lines, this post even reiterates a few of her points. This is instead a response to comments I’ve read and heard in the toy photography realm at …
What if there were no social media sites? What if there were no online ways to share images at all? You could show your images to friends and family. Find a like-minded community. Post them on the walls of abandoned buildings. Drag them from gallery to gallery hoping for interest. …
“For me the printing process is part of the magic of photography. It’s that magic that can be exciting, disappointing, rewarding and frustrating all in the same few moments in the darkroom.” – John Sexton I’ll be honest, I don’t typically print my work. When I do, most times, it’s …
Each photo we make tells a story, and for many of us, we aim to bring toys to life through our images. Generally, this is done in one of two ways – showing the life of a toy, or showing life through a toy. The latter aims to blur the …
The very first play in The Photographer’s Playbook asks the reader to figure out what game they’re playing. So, I say to myself, “I’m creating because I have a creative drive.” But this needs to go deeper. What are my goals, how do I intend to achieve them, and what …
Art as Emotion “Art is the expression of those beauties and emotions that stir the human soul.” – Howard Pyle Art is an extension of the way we each feel about the world. Emotions are what make us human. The fact that no matter how different our backgrounds, we all …
In my post a couple weeks ago I declared – that in my upcoming travel toy photos I wanted to have “a reason for the location and [to] find a way to interact with [my] new environment.” During my 2 weeks out of state, I took a ton of pictures …
There are various way to approach the creation of new photos. Personally, I like to think of an idea then figure out what toys and other props would be best to make that vision a reality. Sometimes I look through my collection, other times I’ll browse online or in shops, …
I’ll readily admit I have a lot of supplies for my toy photography – various toys, camera equipment and other gear. I don’t have the latest and greatest anything, but I make what I have, and what I can further source, work for me. This concept can be true at …
In the next few days I’ll be flying out of state for some on the job training for my new position. I won’t have a ton of free time, but I’d like to be prepared for when or if I do. So here I am as a not-travel/outdoor toy photographer …
