Behind the Scenes Archives - Toy Photographers

Can Tim Picture That: Learning the Basics

Tim PopKid February 10, 2020 One Comment

I have dabbled in toy photography over the years and, in some instances, I’ve been reasonably happy with how things turned out. At other times I feel like my photo just looks like a toy placed in front of something. I’ve discussed this topic with Alan Rappaport on several occasions. …

Lensbaby Lenses Take On the Melbourne Meet-Up: Part 1

Shelly Corbett January 17, 2020 One Comment

Last year I traveled to Melbourne, Australia for a toy photographers meet-up and, with the help of the Lensbaby marketing department, I was able to take a few loaner lenses with me. I’ve done this before, so I had a better handle on what I needed to do to support …

Some Meet-Up Winners and Found Art Found

brett_wilson November 6, 2019 5 Comments

The dust is still settling on the 2019 Melbourne Toy Photographers Meet-Up. Today we celebrate some amazing photographs captured on the day and announce the winners of the three contests. Meetup BTS photo winners We asked attendees to share their ‘behind the scenes’ photographs on the day using the #meltoyphotomeetup2019_bts …

Making things with Light Stenciling

Alan Rappaport July 26, 2019 13 Comments

I’m super excited to share this technique with everyone. Dubbed ‘Light Stenciling’, it’s a trick I’ve used in multiple shots, and I’m always floored by the results. It’s easy to pull off, doesn’t require a ton of gear and can add a really cool effect to your toy photography. What …

Stranger Scenes: LEGO Particulates of Evil

Four Bricks Tall June 1, 2019 One Comment

Four Bricks Tall takes us behind the scenes of this photo of the Byers house in the Upside Down with floating LEGO particulates of evil.

Playing with Fire – Making Fake Flames

Alan Rappaport May 31, 2019 5 Comments

Inspired by James Gibbs‘ “Toying with Bright Ideas – Playing with FIRE!“, I wanted to put together a post for those, like myself, who are a bit more timid when it comes to mixing fire and toys. Real fire is extremely dangerous to work with, not to mention the hazard it …

Road Trip – or how to travel with toys and family

zekezachzoom May 12, 2019 5 Comments

Like most toy photographers and also amidst a growing trend, I like to bring along some toys to shoot while holidaying.

Colla-BEER-ating

brett_wilson May 8, 2019 3 Comments

It’s no secret that I like beer. And I like toy photography. So, when a chance meeting at my local bar led to the offer to collaborate with a craft beer reviewer and photographer, of course I jumped at the opportunity!

Toying with bright ideas-Playing with FIRE!

James Gibbs May 7, 2019 6 Comments

So many of you know me as the photographer who likes to composite toys into my shots.

Making a Splash

brett_wilson April 23, 2019 8 Comments

Sitting at the bar down by our lake, drowning my sorrows, lamenting not making it to Utah this year, it dawned on me that I’ve never really taken many toy photos in the lake’s water.

Endor: Behind The Scenes of a Six Image Narrative

Dimitri Nicomanis April 9, 2019 8 Comments

I created my recent Endor series as a challenge to push myself and see if I could create scenes that were based in a more real-world setting compared to my usual brick-built backdrops.

The Toying with bright ideas series: Using the Sun as your main light source

James Gibbs April 5, 2019 One Comment

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 …

The “Toying with Bright ideas” series: Barn doors, laptops and snoots

James Gibbs March 15, 2019 3 Comments

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 …

The JJ Abrams Effect

James Garcia February 23, 2019 12 Comments

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.

The “Toying with Bright ideas” series: Painting with light

James Gibbs February 8, 2019 6 Comments

Lighting, in photography, is one of those things that looks simple to do, right? Shine a light, pop a flash and WALA! You have a great picture. But being able to understand what the light is doing and being able to control it is a skill and can make or …

Behind the scenes: after the snap

Dave DeBaeremaeker February 5, 2019 4 Comments

Recently I created an image based off of Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet story (as featured in Avengers: Infinity War, and the Marvel comic books).

Getting Deep – Creating depth in your photos

Alan Rappaport February 1, 2019 9 Comments

As I alluded to in my introductory post, Starting Small, my first foray into toy photography didn’t register high on the ‘interesting scale’. My best efforts consisted of planting toys in front of a bright background, pressing the shutter and slathering the results all over Instagram. The photos were what …

Toy Photography Jazz

James Garcia January 26, 2019 4 Comments

Earlier this month, Shelly wrote about singing the toy photography blues as she steps out of her comfort zone. I truly feel fo her when it comes to leaving photography sessions with more frustration than photos. Yet I couldn’t help but notice that despite having a few similar things on …

Creating Christmas Magic

Yuri Badiner December 23, 2018 8 Comments

Creating Christmas Magic by Yuri Badiner

Toy Photographers: The Seattle Interviews

Shelly Corbett November 16, 2018 30 Comments

In May 2016, a handful of toy photographers met up in Seattle, Washington, USA, to take toy photographs together. Over four days we played, laughed, huddled in the rain, swapped toys and shared meals together. And we made a movie to document the event.Continue reading