Gone

Gone

After 11 months and 2014 posts here on blogger it was time to move on and spread our wings.

Blogger has been a great home to us but we want to take you places and do more as what we can do here.

We have moved on and you can still find us at stuckinplastic.com

We hope you follow along !


This is the last post here on blogger, and we keep this place as a legacy for search engines and others alike (and a plan B if we need to move back).

All posts have been moved to our new home.

Under Construction

Achtung Baby

We are moving our fantastic little spot here on the web to our new home this weekend and that will include some high tech geeky wizardry with changing name servers and other web related stuff.

It may be a little bit bumpy and some elements may cause some disruption in our quality of service but I am sure you will support us in these times of change.

Off course we will keep you posted and up to speed, both here and on all our social platforms we tend to hang out.

Me2

PS. Maybe good to bookmark all of them, just in case :)

The one and only www.stuckinplastic.com

Our new home.
Our old home (thank you blogger for the good times)
Our Facebook Page
Our G+ spot on the Web
Our official Twitter account

And last but not least, our IG feeds: Me2 xxSJC Avanaut ...

Change is Constant

It was a good week for photo books, +Me2 was not the only one getting his book ready. I sent all three of the books I am working on out for their first pressings. In addition the Lego book has been through its final edits and the final copies have been ordered. It looks like I will meet my self imposed deadline.

Putting this Lego book together was so much fun. It really helped me look at my work critically, evaluate what worked and what didn't. I have already begun to make plans for the new year and I realize I need to clear my plate to make room for bigger projects.

The biggest change to come is that the current mods of Brickcentral (including myself) are stepping down as of January 1st. It's been a great ride moderating Brickcentral for much of the past two years, but one I feel is coming to its natural end. The landscape of Instagram has changed dramatically since I began posting nearly three years ago. Many of the people who where active Lego photographers have moved on. There are lots of new people to fill those shoes, but their needs are different.

The concept of a photo group to celebrate and support Lego photography appears to have lost it's meaning as our group has grown. Many other Lego groups have grown up to fill those needs; some offering weekly challenges, some offering set reviews and others offering thematic gatherings. When we first started Lego photography was getting very little respect from the larger toy photography groups, that has changed dramatically over the years and I often see Lego photos featured.

I have been running Brickcentral on auto-pilot for the last few months and I am grateful to the other moderators who have helped to keep it going: especially dear Brickandmordor who makes everything better. I also know that to truly serve this Lego toy photography community I would need to step up my game and I don't have the time or energy to do that right now.

One of the original founders of Brickcentral will take the site over. I am not privy to his plans but I will be on the sidelines cheering him on and supporting him as I can.

In the mean time I am making plans for an awesome 2015 that includes meeting up with friends in Las Vegas in January and welcoming Avanaut and +Me2 to my city in March for our first exhibition.
Trust me it is bitter sweet to say good by to an organization that has shaped my photography in so many ways. But as we all know...

Change is inevitable. Change is constant. ~ Benjamin Disraeli

~ xxsjc

If you are a fan of Brickcentral, what is your favorite memory?
In the last few weeks of operation, is there anything you would like to see us do?
Will you participate in our final contest, Ninja Christmas?

"If you love something, set it free." 

Mug in Plastic

According to SiP tradition (if there is one), I'd need make a Lego version of me. Having a mini-me is not really a rule but rather a handy little something that can be used as a tool or, let's say, a stuntman in certain occasions. I find the idea amusing.

I sat down to think whether I'd make one from the bits and pieces we have in our home but didn't come up with anything. I didn't really see myself in Lego.

Then I realized I already had a Lego me. I have used a picture of a snowtrooper minifigure as my avatar with pretty much every platform I'm on for a long time. Thinking about it, it actually suits me quite well, bar the military aspects of it, of course. The troopers operate in cold and are used to snow, they are completely covered in protective gear and, you know, I bet it's comfy underneath. Sounds good to me, I've always liked helmets anyway.

The snowtrooper is also symbolic to the subject of my photography, my favourite environment to go to with a camera is tabletop snow. I like the minuscule snow particles I can see with a macro lens. The snowy photographs are my most popular ones as well, so, it's only natural the snowtrooper gets to represent me.

How about the name? I have used the callsign TK-24/7 to single out the trooper in my Flickr photos many times, the name has been the same whether it's been a snowtrooper, stormtrooper or a scout. The joke in the callsign TK-24/7 is, of course, the idea of a plastic trooper being always available for duty.

Now, you may see a generic snowtrooper when you look at the photo below, a minifigure that is not customized or personalized at all. But it's really TK-24/7, always up and ready to go. My guy.

Bridging the Gap

So as you've surmised +Me2, Avanaut and I are excited about our upcoming #stuckinplastic exhibition. For a variety of reasons this is a big deal for each of us. Of course it is always risky when you put yourself forward artistically, and this situation is no different. 

On IG the other day I came across a comment that touched a nerve:

"I feel like a jerk posting images of awesome things with the shiddyest (sic) camera. I love those high quality shots just as much as any other Lego fan. But at the end of the day, it's just a bunch of minifigure pictures. I'm not trying to get the most expensive camera award."  

This comment comes from a person who identifies themselves as a "Master Builder" and while I don't agree with their point of view, there is a kernel of truth in his statement. It directly addresses that little voice in the back of my head that holds all my doubts. 

I know I will have to answer this question directly to the patrons of the Bryan Ohno Gallery and to any potential collectors.  What makes this work worthy of purchase? Since the subject is a common household object, can't anyone do this?

I'll be very clear that I never set out to take the art world by storm and make "whimsical, powerful, iconoclastic and often unconventional art which speaks to, challenges, and provokes discussion about cultural, political, and social issues and the role art plays in our evolving global community." (This is actual language taken from a gallery invite I received.) This is not me and it never has been. 

What I do strive to create is art for Lego fans. I want to make art that any fan would be proud to display on their wall and so they can tastefully let their freak flag fly. I want to bridge the gap between the casual fan and those incredibly creative master builders. And if my images touch a deeper emotional truth along the way, then I couldn't be happier. 

I think the Lego universe is big enough for all of us to play in; each in their own way be true. 

~ xxsjc

Does this fellow Instagram user have a point, is it just a mini figure picture?
If you don't think it is just a pretty picture, how would you describe the photos taken by the members of #stuckinplastic?
If you missed out on signing up for the book exchange and would like to still participate, please contact us immediately.  

This little guy was created from Lego Space: Building the Future by Peter Reid. He has proven to be very popular. 

Getting Ready

Uploading my significant twelve ...

This weekend I spent most of the time in my digital light room doing some fun post processing, taking a trip down to memory lane and not being behind the viewfinder shooting new existing stuff. 

I was working on my significant twelve for our Stuck In Plastic book exchange and getting my booklet out to Blurb (yes, I managed).

While I was planning to write a longer post on using Lightroom to create booklets (pretty impressed), and adding some of my findings and musings on creating my significant twelve (yes, I managed to upload and order last night my booklet), Big Inc. has been calling in some favors today and my deep dive into Lightroom books will have to wait a little.

One thing I did want to share with all of you now, is that you still have time to make your own photo book as a perfect Xmas gift for your friends and family (you don't have to share it with us).

In the below calendar (special kudos to Blurb for the screenshot) you can see your average photo book provider will need your book by mid next week in order to get it delivered under your Xmas tree.

Blurb delivery dates, check your local provider for details ...

So, you still have time to create that very personal gift for your loved ones, collect some of your twelve significant moments from your iPhone or DSLR collection, and get them printed in a little (or larger) booklet and surprise the ones you care about with a look back at last years memories.

Use the power of now, and get that booklet created.

Me2

This post is not sponsored by Blurb, nor are we affiliated with them. I just like them and had a very good experience with them. Shelly highligted some other alternatives in this post here.

Did you know that I revealed my camera of choice in the above image ? I didn't, but dornyika pointed it out on my last post on IG.  

Did you know that you can have a sneak in the dungeons of Stuck In Plastic and have a peak at the new look and feel ?

Dungeons

Curious what one may find in the dungeons of Stuck In Plastic

Busy days here on Stuck In Plastic.

While Shelly shared the big news with you all on Friday about the very first Stuck In Plastic exhibition in March in Seattle (yes, I am even more stoked as her and very proud to be showing our work in her hometown) some of us have been working in the dungeons of Stuck In Plastic to make this little spot on the web that little bit more interactive and interesting for you.

A better blog with nicer visuals, more interaction and the possibility for you to interact with your own facebook or google account.

A spot where we can continue our blog, and explore the ins and outs of toy photography as an art. Explore what drives us in the why we shoot what shoot.

Continue to engage with artists, toy enthusiasts, collectors and connoisseurs of the fine art of shooting all things stuck in plastic.

Taking Stuck In Plastic to the next level.

Are you interested in taking a sneak peak at the next release of our blog and give some good feedback and poke some holes in the design ?

Go ahead and head over to our beta site at stuckinplastic.net and let us know what you think ?

Me2


This is a beta site, so we are still testing a lot of the features, and may have to do a clean install before we move officially next weekend to our new home.