TOY

CREATE LIFESIZE SCENES USING TOYS AND A DIGITAL , CELL PHONE OR IPAD WHAT IS TOY PHOTOGRAPHY?

• TOY PHOTOGRAPHY IS USING INANIMATE OBJECTS TO CREATE THE FEELINGS OF MOVEMENT AND EMOTION. • TOYS CAN BE USED TO CREATE IMAGES THAT TELL A STORY. • IT OFTEN INVOLVES TAKING CLOSE-UP SHOTS AND MOVING AROUND YOUR SETTING TO GAIN BETTER VIEWPOINTS AND CHANGE PERSPECTIVES. SOME FAMOUS TOY PHOTOGRAPHERS MITCHEL WU ARTIST: JOHN PHILLIPPE DELBERGHE ARTIST: DANIEL CHEUNG ARTIST: JOHNNY WU SHALLOW

 a photographic technique that you can use to make your toy ‘SUBJECTS’ stand out.  A SMALL AREA IN THE FOREGROUND IS IN FOCUS, WHILE THE BACKGROUND IS BLURRED.  THIS HELPS keep the background from distracting the viewer. HOW CAN I USE THE CAMERA ON MY DEVICE TO CREATE A SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD?

 YOU CAN ACHIEVE THIS ON YOUR PHONES/IPADS CAMERA BY PLACING YOUR DEVICE VERY CLOSE TO THE TOY(S) AND MAKE SURE YOUR SUBJECT IS IN FOCUS.  IF YOUR DEVICE HAS A ‘PORTRAIT MODE’ TO SWITCH OVER. (SOME PHONES HAVE ‘PORTRAIT MODE’, WHICH IS A BUILT IN FEATURE OF THE CAMERA THAT CREATES A SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD.) “LEFT BEHIND” BY ARTIST: KRISTINA ALEXANDERSON FORCED

 Forced perspective is a technique you can use to create an  Can make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is.  You can make a toy look huge by putting it very close to the camera.  Artist: Wire Hon FORCED PERSPECTIVE ARTIST: BRIAN MCCARTY

PHOTOGRAPHED THIS GIRL ON A BIKE SO IT APPEARS AS LARGE AS THE CAR IN THE BACKGROUND. FORCED PERSPECTIVE USING TOY CARS ARTIST: KIM LEUENBERGER ARTIST MITCHEL WU ARTIST: IVAN DIAZ TOY PHOTOGRAPHY USING LEGOS BACKDROPS HAVE A NEUTRAL BACKGROUND ON HAND THAT CAN BE USED BEHIND AND UNDER YOUR TOYS. YOU CAN USE PAPER, SHEETS OR TOWELS. USE WHAT YOU HAVE AROUND THE HOUSE. MORE IMPORTANT POINTS IN TAKING YOUR PHOTOS

Lighting Tools

 Set up the right lighting for your toy  Toys can be difficult to photograph. Have a few photography can take a bit of practice. items like small scissors, tweezers, sticky tac, and wooden skewers or toothpicks to help It is worth the effort. make adjustments.  Sometimes you may want to use a lamp  Keep a Q-Tip or a cloth handy. With the close- and/or a flash. I think you will prefer to up nature of the photos, every speck of dust use natural light through a window will be seen. TAKE YOUR TOY PHOTOGRAPHY OUTSIDE

 Try some of these suggestions to demonstrate  For hassle-free toy photography, take your adventure with your toys: photos outside in natural light. It’s best to avoid bright sunlight. A slightly cloudy day with even  puddles light is perfect.  pieces of bark or branches  You might want to try a small reflector. This  leaves of grass can be made with a small square of tin foil. You won’t need a flash or artificial lighting.  small gravel stones  Explore your environment, and look at how it  concrete can contributes to the background of your toys  beach story and your photograph.  flowers and petals INCLUDE EMOTION TO TELL YOUR TOY’S STORY

 The fun part of toy photography is telling a story. By using (small) props, or an interesting background your photos will show you are storytelling in your toy photography. Remember “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  The viewer will not only see your story, but can also attach their own feelings to the toy.  Posing is important to convey the story – try using ideas from human poses.  If you’re photographing more than one toy in the scene, consider how they relate to each other, and where their eye lines are  Keep the story simple and clear – less is always more. MIX UP YOUR POINTS OF VIEW TO MAKE MORE INTERESTING TOY PHOTOS

 Even though you might be set to photograph at eye level, think outside of the box!  Explore different angles to shoot from.  Sometimes you can change the view by holding the camera at odd angles and looking a little silly trying to get the picture just right.  It’s will be worth it! TIPS FOR TAKING ACTION FIGURE PHOTOGRAPHY

 Pictures of action figures provide opportunities for a bit of humor.  Many action figures stand easily, and are flexible or have good joint movement.  Try posing them around your house in either typical or unexpected positions.  Show toy soldiers hiding in a house plant so they look like soldiers in the jungle.  Get your favorite comic hero or action movies hero to do some housework with a paintbrush as a broom.  Grab those Avengers or GI Joe action figures you’ve got lying around and turn into a digital artist with toy photography.  Don’t be afraid to experiment and use your imagination! MOST OF ALL HAVE FUN!