Two steps back…

This week has been filed with lost opportunities, missed connections and course corrections…or as I like to say, business as usual.

All of this made me think back to the book Steal Like and Artist and one of its more accurate diagrams.

I have had countless ideas that I have thought: "Eureka, this is going to be awesome!" And then as I start to face the difficulties of bringing my fantasies into the realm of concrete, ugly reality will hit. Yup, making art is never a pretty or an easy road.

This diagram is also a good representation for life, never quite as great as you imagined it could be, but not quite as bad as you feared.

So when you face your next creative crisis know we have all been there and it's ok, this too shall pass.

~ xxsjc

A most interesting post ...

Today Jonathon Jones wrote an interesting piece in the guardian on being stuck in plastic and why he believes being stuck in plastic is women hating nonsense and at best a blip but far from art.

I could not disagree more with Mister Jones, and I believe the work of Jason Freeny is art.

Maybe not the posh art with a capital A that only a few intellectuals understand and can write long essays about, but for sure the art that captures our attention.

Art that creates an emotion and let us wonder on our inner child.

Mister Freeny, please continue your candy colored madness and delight us with your work™and rest assured your art did its magic.

It triggered an emotion with Mister Jones who fell the need to become creative and write an article about it.

Art should just do that.

Trigger emotions and engage in discussions.

Me2


PS. What do you think of Jason Freeny creations ?

The Basics (pt 2)

I did a post for the Instagram Group Brickcentral a few months ago passing along a few tips for better outdoor macro photography. I thought it might be a good idea to go over these tips again to make sure we are all on the same page as we move forward to better photography. 

1) Pay attention to scale - the beauty is in the details. This is especially true with macro photography. You can reveal a new and fresh look at our world by getting up close. 

2) Keep your composition simple. To place maximum attention on your subject you will want to eliminate unwanted clutter. This includes small leaves, pine needles, bits of garbage, stray grass…these seemingly little things will distract from your composition. You want to emphasize what is important, minimize everything else. 

3) Take your time. Take lots of photos of the same set-up and check your view screen to make sure you got what you were looking for. Great photos can't be rushed.  

4) Keep the camera level. Ok I admit it, this is a personal pet peeve. In my opinion crooked horizon lines are only interesting once. 

5) Use the "rule of thirds"to help your composition. (Please see earlier post for a full explanation.) 

6) Use a tripod. Even though hand held is convenient, you can't always maintain good focus. You will also want to use the manual focus setting on your camera. Most cameras have a very hard time finding the correct focus point much less maintaining that focus on these small figures. If you have the money, invest in a lens with Image Stabilization.

7) Change your perspective. If you're struggling with your set up, change your point of view. Sometimes an unforeseen angle is the best one. Also try to get below your figure. When shooting these small toys, I find that shooting up at them seems to help them feel more majestic. 

8) Take advantage of the "golden hour". This is the hour right after sunrise and right before sunset. Amazing things can happen!

9) Experiment. Try different things, try things that make you uncomfortable. Don't be afraid to push yourself. 

~ xxsjc

Do you have any tips you would like to pass along?

Where is your favorite place to photograph your toy friends?

Next up I will share a few tips especially suited for macro photography. Stay tuned…

Sunday Painters

In the lands I grew up with had a saying that referred to "Sunday Painter".

Not sure what you call them in your area, but "Sunday Painters" or artists went out on Sundays to change or paint the world, yet found their home in their comfortable jobs during the week, and did not had the spine to fight the artistic battle (so the story goes).

Sometimes(*) I feel like a Sunday Painter when I abandon my daily plight in getting a post out (yet gather the blue collar inspiration that made Bruce a corporate icon).

Am I a rebel with a cause when I abandon my daily post commitment ?

Am I just another Sunday Artist who only shoots in weekends ?

A most interesting inner question(*) I am sure some of us struggle with (hard).

Me and Shelly have spent (and will most probably continue to spent) quite some time on this topic.

One of my favorite artists in this area is Scott Adams. Scott manages successfully to pour out his daily creativity,  yet I feel very connected with his main character when exploring corporate live and take a deep dive in Darth Inc. and beyond. 

I am a big believer we need to stay connected to the shopfloor called live, and so when we engage with our artistic self we should know the backdrop of reality.

I have been eaten up by my other corporate half the last month, and while some may argue I am a corporate creature and just another Sunday Painter, these corporate assignments and missions define who I am.

They define Me2.

So, I will call defeat on my daily challenge and continue to drop out at times (sorry Shelly, I aim daily posts), yet I will continue to take the F word serious and not only take the Fun serious but also Focus on what matters, including make our art work ... 

Focus on getting the balance right, and if that means dropping oFF the grid for a week, so be it.

After all, we are stuck in plastic,

Me2

(*) Footnotes to self: 

I failed in my personal challenge here.

Yet I believe I grew stronger in my own artistic self.

As always, stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below or on your social platform of choice...

The Basics (pt 1)

Sometimes when I am on Instagram and I see people use certain photo terms I am occasionally left scratching my head and going "Huh?" I never know if it is a case of ignorance or if something is simply lost in translation. So in the interest of clarity I thought I should do a quick explanation of a few basic photo terms so we are all on the same page.

Rule of Thirds: Is simply a guideline to help you compose your photograph. If you view each frame as if is divided into nine section (almost all cameras and phones come with these guidelines that can be easily turned on or off) composing a photo is easier. There is a top, middle and bottom third as well as a left, middle and right third to each phot. The points were these lines intersect are referred to as "power points". When you are composing an image you want to align your horizon line along the top or bottom third line as well as place your subject near one of the power point intersections. This is simply a guideline and a nice place to start when learning to compose a photograph.

Depth of Field (often refered to as DOF): DOF refers to how much of your image is in focus. If you are using a small aperture (think Ansel Adams and Group f/64) the entire image from front to back will be in focus. This is referred to as a large depth of field. If you are shooting with the lens aperture wide open, like f2.8 - f4 you will have a short depth of field. Blurring the background by using a short DOF is a great way to draw attention to the subject and minimize distractions. (If you are taking photos on your phone check out the app BigLens to achieve a short DOF.)

Leading Lines: Is a strong line within the photograph that leads the viewers eye from an outside edge to the subject matter. You will often see railroad tracks, roads, tree branches used as leading lines. When you are shooting macro photos outdoors there are many interesting options.

Bokeh: Is an effect most often caused by reflected light in out of focus areas of a photograph. Bokeh is common when using a short depth of field. Bokeh can appear circular or hexagonal depending on the type of lens aperture your camera has. (If you are taking photos on your phone there are several apps that you can use to fake this effect like Lenslight.)

Macro: This simply means taking photos of small things close up. A macro lens is a lens that lets you get really close to your subject.

I am sure for most of you this information is not new and I appreciate your patience as I review some basic terminology. Toy photography is a wonderful hobby and for many kids and teens it is a great introduction to a lifetime love affair with photography. I hope that we each can pass on our passion as well as some basic tips and tricks to those new to the hobby so that the internet will be filled with even more great toy photography! 

~ xxsjc

How did you learn photography: trial and err or take a beginning photo class?

Have you ever shared your passion with a beginning photographer? 

Can you recommend any specialty phone apps that emulate the effects of a full size camera?

My next post will be an expanded version of a post I did for Brickcentral on the basics of outdoor photography. Stay tuned!! 

Creating a photo through intention

You don’t take a photograph, you make it. - Ansel Adams  

This quote applies to the entire photographic process; from clicking the shutter, to editing the photo, to printing it out. The simple act of choosing an image to work on is part of the process. Each conscious choice you make determines the final outcome. 

I prefer to do this the hard way. I tend to edit my photos twice, once using Snapseed for future  Instagram posts and once using Photoshop for printing. I really enjoy using Instagram as a photo sketchpad. I like to test photo concepts and play with editing techniques all the while trying not to get too caught up in my head. When I want to print an image out on paper, I turn to Photoshop for more traditional photo editing. 

When I am editing in Photoshop I want to try to capture what I created with my quick Snapseed edits. Of course when I write this out, this process seems totally ass backwards to me. Here I am with my big fancy camera and my big fancy printer and I'm trying to capture the quick, grungy spontaneity of an iPhone picture edited with Snapseed.  

Needless to say this has been a challenge. This past weekend I had the most fun with my experimentations, but for all the wrong reasons. The filters I downloaded to play with are designed to emulate film stock. After applying them to my images I discovered something I have not seen in years…film grain! I forgot how much I missed film grain. In this age of digital images and pixillation, film grain is a thing of the past. But for me it was always an important part of my final images. When I enlarged my underwater images to 40" x 30" (that's really, really large) the grain was so pronounced the photos became similar to a pointillism painting. I was so happy to make this discovery, it was like coming home again. 

So needless to say I can't wait to re-edit a few classic images with these new filters, add some grain and blow the best images up really, really large. 

What was your happiest accident?
What is your editing workflow?

~ xxsjc

A detail of an old image re-edited and now sporting some very sexy looking film grain.

The Fallacy of Validation

"Validation is for parking" ~ from Steal Like an Artist

This made me laugh, because it's so true! I often see people grousing that their posted photos aren't getting enough likes or comments on Instagram. Another popular complaint is that their photos never get featured by any of the toy groups.  All I can think to say to this is that you shouldn't look to Instagram, Flickr, Google, Tumblr or anything else for validation. Because you aren't going to get it.

What people like or don't like is a very fickly enterprise. It is based on their own tastes coupled with their own experiences and occasionally these will intersect with what you are creating. Think of it like a vin diagram with a very small sliver of overlap. Whether or not what you are creating is good enough, has nothing to do with it. Being good is only half of the equation.

Oh did I mention luck is the other half? It's that weird intangible that separates those that get recognized and those that toil away in obscurity. Life is fickle and art is a temperamental task master. So don't get frustrated, roll with it, and make some art. Trust me, you will feel better.

So get out your toys, have some fun, take some pictures and look for your validation inside yourself. If it makes YOU happy, then it is good enough.

Did you take any toy photography pictures this weekend like Me2 did?
When was the last time you got a parking ticket?

~ xxsjc

I've bored you all enough with my philosophical ramblings. The rest of this week I will be posting on technique. I didm't play with my camera this weekend, but I did play with my printer. This was almost as good!

F as in ...

Being stuck in corporate meeting rooms for 5 days is a ... challenge (and I have another 5 days lined up)

Most probably it strikes a few of the disambiguation interpretations of the F word, but for me there are just a few that stuck out to me the last few days ... and these are two of my Favorites when discussing the topic with Maya, my Friendly buzzy Bee (and both Friendly and Favorite does start with an F.)

F as in Failure.
I failed my daily posting. Big times ...
I knew upfront it was coming up and I basically tried to challenge myself to get this done.
I failed, yet I grew.
Sometimes failure bleeds to a bigger thing.
I will come back to why I believe my failure made me stronger in a later post, but don't feel bad if you fail on your personal journey, I am sure it will help to grow you stronger ...

F as in Fun.
Shelly has been hammering this one hard and sound and if you are unclear what I am talking about, just do a quick read up of her last five posts.
I was so happy to collect my body and experience some Fun.
Remember, shooting should be Fun.
If it is not, look for the Fun.

Me2

Sometimes a "like" is more than just a "like".

I know there is some controversy on Instagram about "likes" and when to give them. I have plenty of friends among my followers who never like any photos and are quite proud of this fact. When they tell me this I just look at them quizzically and wonder "Why?" Why do you even bother participating in this community?

I will freely admit I like almost every photo I run across. Maybe this means my "likes" are meaningless, but they aren't to me. I am not liking them for there stellar quality or there creativity (even though that is often the case), I am also liking them for the effort. I know how hard it is to get up each morning and be creative. Some days you are more successful than others; and to me it's the effort that matters most.

I have a friend who works in public relations and one of her duties for her clients is to tell them they are wonderful…every day. Artists are often in a crisis of self confidence, self doubt comes with the territory. Putting your work in the public to be judged is hard on the psyche. Sometimes I want to add her to my payroll so I can have her do this same service for me on a daily basis. I guess I will settle for our occasional beer and pep talks.

So to everyone who shares their images publicly, I applaud you. You are doing the work and it isn't easy. Know I will always be there to like your photo and cheer you on because we all need a cheering section.

Are you a "happy liker" like me?
Do you have a cheering section to help you get over the rough patches?

My best friend Kitty with her dogs Kipper and Minty. 

For the pure joy of the photograph.

Sometimes I want to just pull a Vivian Maier and take a million photographs and never do anything with them. Just take the photos, nothing more. There is nothing so satisfying or glorious as the physical act of taking a photo.

For me the processing, editing and printing is a one long down hill slide.

My husband is always telling me I take too many photos. Or maybe I just post too many? He says I am too prolific and so will never be able to sell my work because there is no scarcity. Maybe this is true? I don't really know.

But I do know that taking them is were all the fun is, everything else after that is just work.

I think Vivian Maier was on to something.
While I continue to mull this over, I have some pictures I want to post to the internet.

When was the last time you actually enjoyed taking a photograph?
How much effort do you put into promoting your work?

If you have not checked out the story of Vivian Maier I urge you to do so. It is an amazing story of a nanny living in Chicago around 1950 who shot 1,000's of photographs and never developed them. They were essentially discovered by accident in 2007 after she died.    

It's not all about the art.

Sometimes I think the goal is to make a great emotionally packed image and sometimes I don't. If it was all about the perfect photo then why are we sharing on Instagram, Facebook, Flickr and Google+? These are all social media sites aimed at connecting people with like interests. People you know and people you don't know…yet.

I recently received in the mail a very special print from +Me2. It is my favorite image of his (amongst many) and I will cherish it for many years. He is someone I wouldn't even know existed if it wasn't for this amazing thing we call the internet. This past weekend I went out photographing with good friends, all of whom I have met through the power of social media. A few weekends ago I met a couple of lovely Instagramers from a town three hours away and because of mutual interests became fast friends.

Suffice it to say, my life is filled with new, old and future friends met through my interactions on multiple social media platforms.

I may not be able to sell a photograph to save my soul, but I know my life is all the richer for the friends and connections I have made all over this planet. My only goal now is to make enough money so I can take a world tour and meet everyone in person.

Now that would be a gift of inconceivable value.

What is most important to you as you play on your various social media sites? 
Why are you participating? 
What does it mean to you?

~ xxsjc

Now if only Me2 would drop by the blog soon, I am starting to get maudlin. I dread how far I might sink tomorrow.   

Out of the mouths of babes…

I was editing photos from this weekend's photo shoots and I showed this image to my daughter. Her response caught me off guard. She said: "I like it, but why?" I looked at her blankly and she continued… "You have aliens on bikes and swamp monsters in swamps, why is the swamp monster on a bike?"

Personally I really liked the image but I understood what she was saying. What was the story? What was I trying to say?

I am continually torn between a good image and a good image that also tells a story. To me that is where the magic happens. If only I could figure out how to take photographs with more intention, rather than photographing like a blind folded darts player.

Do you think about the story you are trying to tell? Or are you like me, and just surprised and happy when it all works out?

~ xxsjc

It is a trap ...

I managed today to end up in the wrong hotel (they had me on file, just not for today :).

Luckily I did not take the wrong plane and was still in the correct city so a I managed to get myself rescued out of the trap.

Let us know your craziest trap when traveling this planet or beyond ...

Me2


Footnotes to self:
Day XXII in my personal challenge (make sure you don't step in the trap).
As always, stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below or on your social platform of choice ...   

In Flight

This month is one of those crazy ones where everything is awesome, yet running from one place to the other does mix up some routines ...

First, I failed to connect to the internet of things the last two days when on the road (using trains not planes) so when I finally hit The Studio™ last night to get some clean stuff for the next trip kicking in tomorrow I felt too tired to do a quick post. My respect goes to all those 365 days heroes that manage to produce a steady quality and grow in their personal journey day after day.
I managed to get my first glitch on day XVII instead of CCCLXV.

That said, it was a glitch and I will not give up and continue ...

Second, Shelly is doing a great job with asking all the right questions and pulling some legs.

What are we doing this weekend, why are we taking pictures of ourselves and our fellow plastic friends and foes, and happily touches upon the printing topic (the first prints have arrived with Wibeke and Lynn) which actually touches upon a lot of deep philosophical topics.

Right now I am just on a roller coaster of mash ups, hangouts and formal board room meetings with friends and foes alike around the Universe™  (and I got another special invite which I will come back later on) with my favorite body still in repair (so limited pictures) so I don't really have the time to sit back and reflect and just have to enjoy the ride.

Now, while traveling on intergalactic trains with limited internet connections, I am trying to pick up on a different topic me and Shelly have been discussing.

The one of mastering the art.

Stay tuned, and discover if it was Scott, Trey or Lynda who finally beamed me up ...

Me2

Footnotes to self:
Day XXI in my personal challenge (I skipped a threesome).
As always, stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below or on your social platform of choice ...    
  

What are you doing this weekend?

My husband is constantly telling me that "If you want to know what someone wants to do, then just look at what they are doing. " Normally he isn't very perceptive…in this case he is.

I have a wonderful weekend planned that involves a trip to the toy store for photo props, a "photo safari"with three awesome fellow toy photographers, videoing Rodrigo y Gabriela for KEXP and a wonderful dinner with my family for that dreaded US Hallmark holiday, "mother's day".

Yup, this weekend is filled with so much awesome, just thinking about it puts a stupid grin on my face.

I haven't always been this blessed, for much of my life I didn't even know what happiness was. When you are completely miserable there really isn't any where to go but up or out.

So I urge you to hang with your friends and whoever you choose to call your family this weekend. Play with your toys, take a few photographs and think about what makes you happy and then go and do it.

~ xxsjc

If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased." - Katharine Hepburn

What Is Your Inspiration?

Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information. – Man Ray

I could spend my time explaining photography technique, talking camera gear or trading tips on editing apps…but I think a more interesting question is why do we (all of us toy photographers) take photographs of Lego mini figures.

I did not grow up with the toy, it is not a part of my history, it is not a big part of my cultural heritage. In fact I am probably one of the most inept brick builders on the planet. Think Emmet at the beginning of the Lego movie. My greatest skill I bring to my family's Lego obsession (their's not mine) is my impeccable sorting skills.

So what is so attractive about these little plastic friends? Is it our ability to project our own thoughts and dreams on the many different characters created? Is it a need to revisit our child hood and rediscover the joy of play? Is it sheer boredom? Is it a release from the stresses and pressures of life? Is it simply proximity and easy access?

What is your inspiration? What keeps you motivated and moving forward photographically?

Once you know this, life will not be able to side track you, no matter how hard it tries.

~ xxsjc

Ansel Adams, the WSJ and a bowl full of mush.

This morning while I was enjoying my morning bowl of mush and reading the Wall Street Journal I came across a wonderful article on photography. It had me on the first paragraph:

Ansel Adams, a piano prodigy before he picked up a camera, once declared that the photographic negative was like a musical "score," while the final print was akin to the concert "performance". - except from What does Art Look Like by Richard B. Woodward

This brought me right back to the conversations that +Me2 and I have been having about the pros and cons of printing your own work. Yes, printers are a pain in the ass and the ink expensive. Yes, you can send your files out and get a perfectly serviceable image back. But if you want to take your game to the next level there is nothing to compare to making minor and major edits to a print based on seeing a proof come directly out of your own printer.

When the world was only shooting in black and white it was not uncommon to have a dark room in your own house. With the advent of color printing this became unfeasible and most photographers where content to send their film to a lab for printing. Now with excellent inexpensive printers (a relative statement I know) plentiful, it seems a shame to send out what can be done easily in the comfort of your own home.

I'm not usually a control freak, but I find it indispensable to see what my images look like off the screen before I deem them worthy of showing and selling. Light, color, shadows, highlights all look different and once the image is on paper. I will often see corrections that need to be made that I could never have foreseen by looking at a screen.

So call me old school, but I agree with Ansel Adams and feel that to fulfill your potential as an artist you need to print your own work.

~ xxsjc

Go ahead and read the WSJ article I mention earlier, it refutes everything I just said. 

In further defense of printing, if I had not enlarged this image myself, I would never have seen the spider climbing on the rock. This is a detail that can only be seen at A2 or larger, but in my opinion it makes the image. 

Stuck in the dungeons ...

The coming weeks will be silent from my end.

From secret meetings rooms without smartphones to underground sessions in non disclosed locations will make it a challenge to post long and deep posts here.

I will however try to get out a daily #selfie out.

Footnotes to self:
Day XVII in my personal challenge.
As always, stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below or on your social platform of choice ...    
  

It's a small world after all…

I love chapter eight of Steal Like An Artist! The title is: "Be Nice. (The world is a small town.)" If you've hung out in the world wide toy community of Instagram for any length of time, you know how very true this statement is.  

It is easy to be influenced by all the great toy photography being posted on Instagram, Flickr, G+, Facebook and misc blogs. I myself have borrowed an idea or two over the past few months; no one is above being influenced by their peers.

So lets review how to steal like an artist. (This handy little chart, from the book by the same name, is a great guide.) When you "steal" it is about incorporating, not recreating verbatum. If you take a great idea and put it through your own internal filters, it is bound to come out completely different. If you transform and remix your inspiration, especially if your inspiration comes from several sources, you will no doubt end up in a completely different place from where you thought you were going. In my experience it will be a better, truer place, which really is the whole point. Right?

Remember, it's a small world and social media sites like Flickr and Instagram have shrunk it just a little bit further. So follow this guide and your work will flourish and no one will be accusing you of being that guy or gal.

~ xxsjc

Monsieur Croissant

Today Shelly and me had an interesting discussion about influences, copyrights, inspirations and bluntly stealing (I should not have taken that donut from her).

I am sure we have not said the last here on this topic, and while I want to stay far away from big ticket items like copyright infringement and big Inc. owning the worlds of our dreams, there is a big difference between stealing and stealing.

Like Shelly wrote in her post earlier, steal like a real artist and get inspired but don't just copy without the credit.

So, if you are liking someones style or art work, and you work hard to recreate it in your own, then give credit by starting of with an homage.

Tell the world who is inspiring you and which dreams you want to explore ...

It not only gives you the chance of being recognized by those who have inspired you, it also makes the difference between stealing like an artist and being a douchbag.


 Me2

Footnotes to self:
Day XVI in my personal challenge.
As always, stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below or on your social platform of choice ...   
 

May Fourth™

May The Fourth Be With Ye All ...

Me2

PS. If Ye are not familiar with May Fourth do check out Shelly's latest post


Footnotes to self:
Day XV in my personal challenge.
As always, stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below or on your social platform of choice ... and enjoy the international world wide #starwarsday 

Wanted: Your Board Room

Shelly and me are working hard on getting our first annual recurring "Stuck In Plastic On Tour" real live exposition organized and are looking for some exclusive locations around the globe like your corporate board room or private coffee shop to show off the very first ever Stuck in Plastic traveling collection which will be traveling around the globe later this year ...

Interested ?

Give Shelly or me a tweet, message, comment or good old voice call ...

Me2


Footnotes to self:
Day 14 in my personal challenge.
As always, stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below or on your social platform of choice ...

Englishmen in New York

As part of the annual spring cleaning and preparing myself for the summer ahead I brought my body in to my local favorite store for a thorough sensor cleansing ahead of May Fourth.

After a good twelve minutes I got the verdict my body was too dirty and needed attention of the mother ship.

The Death Star ...
Ouch.

Luckily I was close to the mother ship and was able to leave the body for a complete clean and check up session but was not mentally prepared to hear it would take a good two (or three weeks) to get the body rejuvenated by the friendly Stormtrooper on duty.

I keep my fingers crossed the friendly Trooper on the other side of the counter will do everything possible so I get it back before the photoshoot planned in two weeks from now.

That said, getting a mental break from being *forced* to shoot *new* and have the opportunity to revisit some of my older shoots, clean up and redefine my workflow and spend some quality time with Lightroom Five and  Epson 3880 may give a refreshing view here ...

On the way back home, I felt very naked having to leave my body of choice behind and Sting was blasting from the speakers ... An Englishmen in New York

Sometimes I feel like Sting or Crisp and feel like a legal alien here in Stockholm.

So what better as revisiting these shoots from our Alien friends who came in peace in 2012 ...

Did you have your body checked recently ?

Me2

Footnotes to self:

Day 13 in my personal challenge  (and this is on old repost from 2012)

As always, stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below or on your social platform of choice ... 

May the Fourth and my stormtrooper theory

Today we are between May 1st and May 4th. Both days have major significance. Yesterday +Me2  reminded me it was International Workers Day in much of the world and right around the corner is May the Fourth. This is practically a Star Wars holiday in the geek world. The closeness of these two "holidays" is not a coincidence. I don't believe in coincidences. 

Earlier when Me2 asked in a post if the seasons effected how and what we photograph, it got me thinking. Why do we choose the figures we choose to shoot? Why is the most photographed figure in the toy community the ubiquitous Stormtrooper? You've seen him, I know you have, he's everywhere!

Personally I haven't been attracted to the Stormtrooper figure but a lot of people are. He has been photographed in every conceivable situation in a variety of sizes and styles. He is portrayed as the bumbling fool, the guy who can't shoot straight, the deep thinker, the adventure seeker and the doting parent. A far cry from the elite soldiers who used brutal tactics to keep the Empire in line. This photograph by +Cellblog 1138  is a great example of the humanization of the Stormtrooper into the stern parent sending his "child" off to bed. The Stormtrooper has morphed from a dreaded enforcer of the Emperor's will to a representation of the fallible yet lovable every man. 

Maybe I'm stretching a point (it wouldn't be the first time). I think the figures we are attracted to photograph actually mean something. I think we choose figures / character we can relate to. I think we then take it the next step and imbue them with our own emotions and personalities. 

Do you have a favorite mini figure you like to shoot? Have you thought about what that figure means to you? Would you be willing to tell us who your favorite is and why? 

Feel free to tell me I've gone over the deep end or tell me "Duh!", whichever is most appropriate. 

And as always, May the Fourth be with you! 

~ xxsjc

For the record I have replaced the Pandas for Storm Troopers in my little plastic world; they represent my Everyman. My favorite mini figures are the Chima Eagles. I like that they come in both black and white and therefore can represent good and evil. 

May Day

 

May 1st is in a lot of countries around the world (except the US) Labour Day and while some of us recover from a long night of partying others go out and march for labour rights and commemorate the Labour movement and the achievements of equal rights.

May 1st 2014 will also be remembered as the day the infamous working class hero family of Homer Simpsons joined our world in full force and are as of now ethernally stuck in plastic.

Homer and family passed by today at The Studio™for the annual May 1st Beers and Donuts, and young Bart was wearing a red shirt ... 

No clue if it was symbolic or just the last clean one he had available.

Me2

Footnotes to self:

Day 12 in my personal challenge (and this picture will end up in the dark room on G+)

As always, stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below or on your social platform of choice ...