My 2019 travelling toy box
Like so many toy photographers, I carry a pretty much permanent selection of toys in a toy box in my bag for quick photo sessions.
Category: …of Interest
All the World’s a Stage – Part 3
”Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” (George Eastman) In parts 1 and 2 of this series I covered the design and building of a lighting stage and its associated lighting …
The Toying with bright ideas series: Using the Sun as your main light source
So over the last little while, I have been watching a lot of Teletubbies, I find it rather relaxing… No, actually my youngest has become addicted. Now whether you have kids or not, you are all familiar with Teletubbies. So after watching a few episodes, I noticed something had changed …
What It Is
Today I wanted to talking about a cool book I read by the amazing cartoonist, writer and teacher, Lynda Barry. Its called : What It Is; Don’t you wish you could write? I know what you’re thinking: this is a photo blog not a writing blog. But bear with me…this book was …
All the World’s a Stage – Part 2
“If all the world’s a stage then I want better lighting” (Rob Coles) If you have not yet read part 1 then this post may not make a lot of sense. Feel free to pop on over to part 1 then return here. I’ll wait, I promise. If the skeleton …
One person’s trash, is another person’s (wabi-sabi) treasure
So often I find myself scouring a beach for pristine, unspoilt sand. Or I’ll spend countless hours on all fours looking for that perfectly scaled moss. More often than not, I’m quick to disregard an imperfect location for toy photography. But some rats and a dog have taught me to …
All the World’s a Stage – Part 1
“All the World’s a Stage, and all the toys and figures merely players” (William Shakespeare if he was a toy photographer) Some time ago I was lucky enough to be able to visit an Aardman exhibition Wallace and Gromit and Friends, which introduced me to the behind the scenes world …
Model kits: the new adventure of a toy photographer
First of all let me tell you that I am not an expert on model kits, in fact it is exactly the opposite: I am a newbie. As you may know, my main subjects for photography are LEGO. However, I would like to experiment more with action figures. At the …
In the Style of – David Levinthal
One of my favorite books featuring toy photography is Hitler Moves East: A Graphic Chronicle, 1941-43 by David Levinthal and Garry Trudeau (yes, that Garry Trudeau). With a cheap toy challenge going on in our MeWe community plus an In the Style of Challenge presented by James and Kristina on …
Travel Photography
I have never been super comfortable taking toy photos out in public, especially when I travel. I have done so from time to time, but normally when I felt I could do it and escape notice. Its not that I am ashamed of taking photos of toys, I just dislike …
The “Toying with Bright ideas” series: Barn doors, laptops and snoots
Ask anyone who has ever picked up a camera, whether they are a professional or just snapping on their smartphone, what is the most important thing in photography? I’m hoping that 99% of the responses say light… Without light, there is no photo… period… Now for those of you who …
Out of town, out of focus
I headed out on the Cambridge toy safari last week.
Fake it until you make it
We’ve all heard the phrase “fake it until you make it”. It’s a very useful skill and one I’ve been using for a while now. But what if you don’t know what “make it” means to you? If you haven’t defined success, how will you know if your achieve it? …
Sunrise rules: a counterargument
In rebuttal to Shelly’s argument for sunset over sunrise, let me counter her arguments. With logic. With facts. And with the following words. Thus, proving conclusively, that sunrises are much cooler than sunsets.
Borrowed fun (or, what does this button do?)
As a toy photographer, I’ve borrowed a lot of things before in the name of photography. One thing I hadn’t borrowed before was a camera.
Grub Street: a toy photography project
Grub Street emerged from the photocopied pages of a zine. At the risk of showing my age, back in the early 90s I was into the zine culture. Now the memory of that zine has become my latest inspiration.
The JJ Abrams Effect
As a photographer I’ve always been seeking a kind of cinematic style that’s hard to describe. I just want my photos to have that “movie look” to them. Over the years I’ve come close but never felt like I really figured out the formula. Until now.
Sunrise is for suckers
If you’re an outdoor photographer like me, you use the sun as your primary light source. And the quality of that light can make or break your photo. Traditionally the two best times to photograph outdoors is sunrise and sunset; otherwise know as The Golden Hour. I’m here to tell …
#jantmanuary_2019 Recap and Contest Winners
This was the first year I really paid attention and participated in the #Jantmanuary fun, and it was a great experience. There were 1,244 posts in #jantmanuary_2019 as I write this blog. The variety of photos is fantastic, and it’s a subject that really lets the photographer’s imagination shine. Between the …
Thank you for loving a toy photographer
Happy Valentine’s Day fellow toy photographers!