Jumping Jack™ Flash

Posting from the roof with just a mobile at hand. 

Testing one, two, three ...

Me2

Crash Test Dummies ...

While Crash™is telling great stories and enjoying ice creams in Oslo on the Awesome After Party and really likes you to vote for us on facebook we experienced another not so nice crash this week.

We were having a great time in The Studio™planning and prepping for our next big adventure (more on that later next week - but rest assured the plans do not include dinosaur train stations) when the whole studio turned dark. 

Or at least the viewfinder turned dark.


It did not matter what lens we put on, the viewfinder became more and more dark, and we could not even focus correctly anymore.

Something was seriously wrong and even the display threw an odd error message.

We felt like a painter who's brushes just turned into stone or a writer without a pen.

What did just happen ?

We only had a full clean and check up a little while ago and so with shivering legs we went to the mothership to get the verdict on the damage and the ETA of the repair.

Especially this last one was a big concern as we were planning a first set of shoots next week, before the start of the next big adventure in three weeks time.

The young trooper behind the desk took our body into the dungeons for a thorough check, and after a while a more senior trooper returned with the verdict.

A tiny little screw got lost on my lens and this ultimately damaged the aperture mechanism, turning the viewfinder dark as the aperture ring was bent.

My favorite 105 got a replacement screw, but the body needed to stay for repair.

The senior trooper advised to check occasionally for this little stop screw and even take a little screw driver along (yes sir, rest assured I will check this bugger once in a while).

So, if you are shooting DSLR and change your glass on a regular basis do check for the little stop screw on your lenses as it is a critical component and you don't want to be caught out like us.

I had no clue about that little screw and the damage it could do.
I am sure most of you are not checking for it either.
Here is a quick post on flickr showing the missing screw on a lens (not my lens, I just googled for missing stop screw) 

At the same time the young trooper returned with a replacement body so we could continue our planned shoot while awaiting the final repair.

Awesome service.  

Thank you, Nikon !

Me2

PS. If you are planning to go on a longer trip (photo safari, holiday, art project...) it is always good to take a second body along (your iPhone is the backup of the backup) and check your gear a week ahead of the departure date so you can work out any last minute hiccups you may encounter ...

Remember, the gear of a photographer is an essential piece of kit to produce awesome art or cool pictures and you dont want to be caught out when you traveled far and beyond.  

Here is my small pre-flight checklist for photo shoots abroad.

Check your gear at least a week ahead.
This really means taking some pictures with all your lenses and look for dust spots.
If dust spots, go get a cleaning of your sensor at a certified photo shop.
Make sure you have a second body with you (which you also tested).
Make sure your batteries are fully loaded, and you have a travel adapter along.
Make sure you have the possibility to backup your memory cards on a hard-disk and online.
Make sure you have sufficient memory cards along so you can at least survive two days.

Sometimes doing nothing is better than doing something.

While we await news of +me2's grand adventure, I've been having a small adventure of my own.

When I left town a few days ago, I packed a wonderful collection of Lego and all my camera gear with grand intentions. My family and I would be driving nearly 1800 miles (2824 km) across the US and we would be passing by some of my favorite places in the country like Yellowstone National Park and Moab, Utah. I was going to be ready!

Five days later, not a single Lego picture was taken, not even a quick iPhone photo. What happened? In our spare time we decided to do stuff a 9 year old boy wanted to do: a train museum and a dinosaur museum were the highlights. Besides having fun I realized I was actually taking a much needed mental break. I have enough photos on my iPad to feed the Instagram beast for a couple of weeks and it was more important for me to take a breather.  

When you embark on your creative path, it's important to realize that when you're not working on your work...you probabaly still are. Even when taking a break, your mind will continue to be working out those artistic road blocks. And this is what happened to me this week. At some point while driving I realized where I wanted to go next with my Lego photos and what my project would look like. Now I can't wait to get home and get started. 

If you're feeling stuck or unmotivated, simply kicking back and relaxing is the best course of action. Let your subconscious work it out, more than likely it's already got the answer. Sometimes you have to do nothing to move forward. 

I have had a request to do more photography tips on the blog. If this is something you would like to see, please leave a comment below.

The Awesome After Party Continues ...

Thank You !

After an awesome day in Stockholm Central Station it was great to see all the support on IG from the far away friends around the globe trying to get a vote in on Facebook and the  innocent by-passers who clearly were attracted by the The Awesome After Party build which took us into the 10 finalists.

At the end of the first day we are proud to say we are running strong in the top three and with all the engagement and emotion we saw in the central hall today with innocent by-passers young and old we do hope (fingers crossed) we can continue this position during the rest of the week when we travel to Copenhagen and Oslo.

Indeed, the exposition and supporting challenge for master builder of Scandinavia continues and we do need your continues awesome support to take us to the next stage.

Tomorrow is a travel day where all builds are transported to Copenhagen, Denmark and will be shown on Thursday, 26 June in Fisketorvet.

We will not be able to travel along and it would be great if some of you could sent us some pictures of the exposition (and post on Instagram with the hashtag #TLMscandinavia5 as every picture of our build in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo counts as a vote).

After the Copenhagen visit, the journey continues to Oslo where all the finalists will be shown in the central station of Oslo on Saterday 28th June and the voting endsend of June.

The challenge has only started and continues to need your support !

So, here is how you can help.

Vote on Facebook:

A lot of you has told us that voting is not always working, and we believe this is a build in challenge to test our perseverance. Just try again and here is a quick run down how :-)

Voting is a simple five step process:

1. Open the app in FB by clicking on the link here or here

2. Depending on the randomness of the app, you may be asked to first like Warner Bros Scandinavia Page. This is OK, just like the page (they sponsored The Movie after all) and then continue to like our submission on position 5.

3. Like #TLMscandinavia5 so it looks like the below and the little Like link is checked.

 4. Click on "Dela" which let you post a personalized link on your FB page where your friends and family can do the same. Everyone spreading the word enters automatically in a draw for a special signed version (thanks to everyone who already did it).

5. Make sure your kids, other halves, mothers, fathers and grandparents do the same so you effectively double your chances of winning an exclusive signed Me2 print of the Awesome After Party.

Vote on Instagram:

Here the rules are simple, just head over to Copenhagen and Oslo, enjoy the builds and post a picture of your favorite build and hashtag it with #TLMscandinavia5 and since you did not travel alone, make sure friends, family and pets do the same on their respective IG accounts as every vote counts.

If you havent posted your pictures of Stockholm Central Station, please make sure you do it before the end of this month and give them the right #tag.

Thanks again and we keep you posted on the great adventures ahead of us !


Me2 and Crew.

Who you gonna call ?

Tomorrow the Me2 Crew will be crashing the awesome after party in the Central Station of Stockholm (and guess who we called to drive us to the the party ?)

If you want to meet Me2, the Me2 Crew and some other infamous celebrities you are more than welcome to join us in Stockholm Central Station where LEGO and Warner Bros are celebrating the release of the best movie ever on Bluebeard and other related devices as of 10 AM CET.

We have some secret gifts for those of you who make it to Central Station and get a picture posted on Instagram tagged with the awesome #TLMscandininavia5 tag and Me2 included.

But no despair for those of you who cannot make it to Stockholm, Oslo or Copenhagen in the coming days as the folks at LEGO and WB have created an awesome Facebook App for all of you to let you vote remote (and even make you win a personalized print).

Here are the 5 easy steps (and you even get a fantastic sneak preview of the build):

1. Hit the link here: Facebook App
2. When asked to first like the WB homepage, just hit like.
3. Then vote for the awesome after party by selecting #TLMscandininavia5 and giving it your Facebook vote. So the fifth picture it is :-)
4. Tell your friends, kids and grandparents alike to do the same.
5. Say done here in the comments (or on IG) and you enter into the draw.
 
You see how easy that was ?

See you soon !
Me2 & Crew

Work in progress

I have been very silent the last few weeks both here and on Instagram.

The reason for this was not that I preferred cooking or laundry above my duties as a Sunday photographer (guess what day it is today), nor was I caught up completely in long night meetings with Darth Inc (there were a few of those as well) hoping I could trade the corporate world for a more bohemian lifestyle .

No, the reason was from a very different and much more artistic nature.

We got an invitation to participate in an artistic challenge here in Scandinavia and the last few weeks have been full of designing, building, rebuilding, shooting and reshooting an epic adventure which took all our creative energy and focus.

And yes, the hard work and focus did pay off and we made it to the ten finalists (more on this tomorrow). 

If you are in Stockholm on Tuesday (24/06), do pass by the Central Station and say Hiya !

And now back to putting the last bricks in the shipping container and making sure we are all set for the exposition coming your way.

Stay tuned !
Me2 

So You Want to Be an Artist

Congratulations! Like many people you might have the fantasy of quitting your mind numbing job and joining those carefree bohemien artists creating and selling their art. This is an admirable goal and I salute you.

Before you embark on your dream I ask you this one question: do you support the arts yourself? Do you buy from artists directly? Do you attend arts & crafts shows? Do you purchase the music you listen to?

If you want people to support you as an artist you need to support other artists. It's as simple as that.

If you were to come to my house for dinner I will prepare the meal using a hand made knife and cooked in a hand made skillet. I will serve your meal on hand made dishes and glasses upon my hand made table. (If I really like you I will pull out the fancy hand made silverware!). As I am preparing your meal you can look at my walls covered with original paintings and sculptures that have been collected over the years. I might be wearing one of my many hand made sweaters and most certainly some hand made jewelry. Of course since my house is always filled with music, we will be listing to my latest music purchase. While you are waiting you might even browse my extensive collection of band posters, records or books...  all of which I have purchased to support the various artists that I love.

To me this is what supporting the arts looks like and I have a very good reason for living this way. If I buy from artists, they will often buy from me. Artists will often be your first paying customers. If they have money in their pockets they support the arts, because like me they know how important it is to purchase from artists directly.

I'm not saying you have to buy all your gifts and household items from artists, but next time you are out looking for a creative gift, look beyond the mall and you might be surprised at what you will find. Supporting the arts doesn't have to mean writing out a donation check to some semi-anonymous arts institution, it can encompass an entire life filled with hand made goodness.

Simply put, what goes around comes around.

~ xxsjc

Do you support the arts?
If so, how? 
If not, why not?

I do get bored of posting my own pics on this blog. I would be happy to post other members images here as well. If we are not connected through Flickr, lets make that happen. 

The Burden of Dreams

I confess I've been watching documentaries again. This one was about Werner Herzog and his epic struggle to complete his movie Fitzcarraldo. The documentary, Burden of Dreams, concerns a movie maker on a seemingly Sisyphean task who's main character is on a similar, nearly impossible task. 

As Werner Herzog is talking about his project, after hitting the umpteenth major snag, he said the following:

 "If I abandon this project, I would be a man without dreams and I don't want to live like that."

The above quote really struck home. 

It is good to remember that dreams are a burden. They ask much of us; sometimes too much. But like Mr. Herzog you have to keep going, no matter how tough it gets. You have to  nurture your projects and the dreams they come from. It doesn't matter if success or failure await you; living without dreams would be a very bleak existence. 

~ xxsjc 

Have you ever though about quitting?
If so, what kept you going?

Summer is upon us ...

While some of our plastic photographer friends down under are preparing for winter, the northern hemisphere is getting ready for summer.

Here in Sweden another solstice  is upon us, and you will for sure see some more party pictures in the coming days coming your way while we are exploring the deeper meaning of midsummer, dancing around a pole and singing strange songs about small frogs (which is considered an art on itself).

In preparation for midsummer next Friday here in Sweden I have been travelling the world and beyond to get the best ice cream for this summer parties and as you can see in the picture above we went all in.

So, we have one question for you:

Which ice cream you like best ?

Me2

Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League's New York (Trailer)

I had the pleasure of watching this documentary film recently and I wanted to share it with you. During the 15 years that The Photo League of New York existed, they nurtured, celebrated and discussed some of the greatest photographers of the day. This documentary is a veritable who's who of photographers who were practicing at the time. These are people who wanted to change the world through there photographs. They wanted to make a difference and for the most part they were successful. 

I urge you to take a look at the trailer and hopefully find the time to watch the whole film. It is good to know the historic foundations of your passion. Many of the figures discussed in this documentary I knew of from my own photo history classes. It was inspiring to hear them discussed in context of The Photo League and it also gave me fresh perspective on this important stage of photography's history. 

~ xxsjc

Sunday Painters (another perspective)

I can relate to +Me2  and his Sunday Painter plight. I am not sure any of us has the stamina or the time to create meaningful art on a daily basis. It is so much easier to do the laundry, cook a meal, play video games or any of the thousands of distractions we encounter daily. 

Before anyone gives up on this so called battle lets talk about what creating art on a full time basis looks like. Because sometimes I think people have a grander notion of what being an artist is. What it's not: painting every day in your studio, listening to classical music while your faithful cat keeps you company (or insert personal fantasy of your choice here). What it can look like is thinking about what you want to make, planning out your image, gathering supplies and props and sketching some ideas in a work book. Often it means simply staying caught up on what's going on in your field, understanding the changing marketplace and researching the past. Day to day tasks often involve organizing work, matting final images, networking, bookkeeping, meetings, phone calls and e-mails like any other grunt worker. 

Finding success in the market place is a mixed blessing. The process of creating and selling the same old same old that pays the bills can be a soul deadening experience. For most artists creating new, exciting and challenging work on a regular basis is the exception. In a way relegating them back into the category of the "Sunday Painter".

For the working artist (or the Sunday Painter) the greatest luxury is creating art that inspires you. 

~ xxsjc  

What does your perfect artist life loo like? 

I chose this image by +Gordon Webb to illustrate another time suck that is a big part of our weird Stuckinplastic world,,,forever sorting. 

No One Ever Said This Would Be Easy

Did you take the time to listen to the TED talk suggested by +Me2 yesterday? I did and I was mildly amused by Sting and his talk. Maybe I was not as taken by it as Me2, but that can be explained by the fact I was also working.

I think it is important to realize that every artist struggles with the artistic process. No matter if you are a multi platinum musician who makes enough off his royalties to live in a chateau and grow his own grapes or the beginning photographer. The creative issues are the same if not the income stream.

So, yes we are all in similar (I will never say: "the same") boats. The goal is to make relevant art that speaks to who ever might view, listen or read our creative works. There is no magic formula to success, I wish there was. But I do know that if you speak from the heart and are true to your own voice you will make a connection with your audience.

I think it was interesting that Sting had to go back to his roots, the ones he had been denying, to find the motivation and his voice again. Sometimes you have to go to the dark places, the places you want to avoid to do the work that needs to be done. I think the trick is to take your viewers on your journey with you, but still allow them to find themselves in what you are saying. To be personal, but still universal.

By creating honest work we will find ourselves a little closer to the answers and hopefully maintain our inspiration.

~ xxsjc

Where do you get your inspiration?

I leave you with a song by one of the bands that has inspired me the most: Cloud Cult. They managed to take a personal tragedy and create some of the most beautiful music while working through the pain.   Craig Minowa is a testament to the "Art Saves Lives" motto. Remember: no one ever said this would be easy. 

We are all in the same boat ...

While Shelly keeps us updated with great pieces of literature we should all consume in order to grow our artistic self, I try to keep an eye on what is happening in the online world of TED and share some of it with all of you when I believe it connects with what we are trying to explore here.

When I enjoyed the latest TED collection I was blown away with this simple story told by a small boy from the ship yard and how his dream and determination changed his live forever.

A story that truly touched me ...


" ... The fact is, whether you're a rock star or whether you're a welder in a shipyard, or a tribesman in the upper Amazon, or the queen of England, at the end of the day, we're all in the same boat ..."

Let us know below in the comments what you think about it and if we are indeed all in the same boat.

Me2

Staying Motivated is Hard to Do

I don't think there is any skill harder to develop than the ability to stay motivated. No matter what you are doing, taking photographs, building your latest MOC or writing the next great novel, staying motivated is hard.

It's easy to get distracted by day to day obligations, or worse yet just quitting altogether, because creating art is hard. But there is a trick to not quitting, make friends with people who share your passion. Surround yourself with supportive excited people who like to do what you do. Get together on a regular basis and share what you've been working on. Geek out, it's fun!

I know that toy photography is a rather specialized photo niche and Instagram can be a great substitute for a local photo club. It can function like the most amazing and supportive group of fellow photographers you could ever hope for. Plus by getting in the habit of posting once a day, every other day or whatever you can commit to, you will be getting better just by shooting consistently. It is also a great place to make friends who share your passion for toy photography.  

So get out there and shoot some photos with your camera, your phone, your fancy DSLR…it doesn't matter what the photo looks like. Some days your photos will be awesome, other days, not so much. It goes with the territory. Post your photo to Instagram, get some feed back and do it again tomorrow. It's doing the work that is important. Of course the real fun begins when you look back over your feed and see how much you have grown. 

And THAT will feel much better than quitting. 

Do you find it hard to stay motivated?

How do you stay motivated? 

Toy Photography…an incomplete history

I was talking with my toy photo buddy Bricksailboat yesterday about the history of toy photography. We have both tried to research this topic and have found there is very little information about this movement on the internet. I thought that now is a good time to start pooling our knowledge and writing a brief history of toy photography.

What began as a few people posting images onto Flickr (and more recently onto Instagram) has grown into a huge world wide community of toy collectors and photographers sharing and supporting their passion. I have heard more times than I can count the experience of some new member of the community say that when they came to Instagram and discovered that there were already people taking photographs, how happy they were to know they weren't alone.

It has taken social media to bring these very far flung, disparate people together to feed off each others energy and grow this community into what we see today. Lately this movement seems to be taking on a life of it's own. I see other photographers, like myself, showing their work in galleries. Most recently Zahir Batin who will be exhibiting his excellent storm trooper pics in Malaysia. I truly wish him well because his success is all of our success.

I remember the first images that I saw that showed me what the possibilities could be. These were by Vesa Lehtimäki, better known as Avanaut. Since Vesa has been shooting toys since 2009 I like to think of him as one of the founding fathers of our movement.

But toy photography is not only a social media phenomenon. There is already a variety of photographers showing their toy photography in the more traditional art world like Brian McCarthy. His Art-Toys and War-Toys books are incredible.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of people all over the world using toys to express themselves and create amazing art. I look forward to continuing my research and seeing who else is out there.

~ xxsjc

Who was your inspiration to take it to the next level?
I'd like to start a list of influential toy photographers, who should be on it?

image by Vesa Lehtimäki

Art & Fear, You Are Not Alone

While you are trying to figure out what European City +Me2 is currently in, I want to distract you with a book recommendation:

 Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles & Ted Orlando.

I read this book many years ago and it was helpful when I hit a few creative rough patches. I thought I would give it a read again and see if it could shed some light on many of the creative concerns I hear mentioned by my friends on Instagram. Ideas like motivation, inspiration, talent and approval to name just a few of the common themes I hear mentioned in one way or another.

After the first page, after just the first paragraph, I wanted to scream out: THIS IS IT! I don't know how I can express to you how good it feels to read this book. It is like having your favorite, trusted art teacher tell you all your fears and doubts are ok, that we all have them. It is normal.

Since I know you are not convinced, here are a few quotes from the first pages to tantalize you:

”Artmaking involves skills that can be learned. The conventional wisdom here is that while ‘craft’ can be taught, ‘art’ remains a magical gift bestowed only by the gods. Not so.” Art and Fear, page 3.

”Even talent is rarely indistinguishable, over the long run, from perseverance and lots of hard work.” Art and Fear, page 3.

”You learn how to make your work by making your work … art you care about -- and lots of it!” Art and Fear, page 6.

Pleas don't be dissuaded from this book by the word "Art". It is relevant to anyone who is trying to be creative, no matter if you are a painter, a jeweler, a musician or a writer. The observations in this book are for everyone who wants to be creative. So I beg you, plead with you, to go to your local book store and grab a copy of this work of sheer genius. Trust me.

~ xxsjc

If you have read this book did you find it helpful?
Are there any other books you would like to recommend that helped you with your artistic doubts?

Guess what ...

While Shelly keeps us sane and down to Planet Earth, I feel guilty and running after corporate Inc. with my little bicycle these last few weeks ...

Any clue where this picture was taken ?

Me2

My Unikitty Alter Ego.

Today I felt like Angry Unikitty for much of the day. Whenever I feel like this I'm tempted to post cutting remarks on various social media platforms but then I remember the immortal words of Mark Twain…

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Words to live by.

~ xxsjc

Have you ever posted something you regretted to a social media site?

Have you ever read something posted by someone else that really pissed you off? 

Do you try to be a positive influence on social media sites or just speak your mind? 

Building Community (One of the Hardest Job You Will Ever Love)

I've been thinking a lot about community this past week. As I have mulled over my limited time resources and the energy it takes to move any project forward, I actually contemplated shutting down Brickcentral on Instagram. It has been saved from the chopping block for the foreseeable future by the willingness of wonderful new volunteer.

Back in the early days of the social media frenzy you heard so much about "creating a brand" to sell yourself or your product. That drum beat has changed to the "build your community" chant. It has not escaped my notice that the majority of experts who extol the virtues of an on-line community are men. I think there is a very good reason for this: most women build community naturally and don't need a name for what we already do. We just call it something else: making connections or simply making friends.

Community is an incredibly hard thing to create and maintain. It is an ephemeral and constantly shifting set of personalities and priorities. At least that has been my experience. What might be true one month won't be what the community needs six months later. It's a very complex friendship that needs lots of attention.

For most people delving into this community building quicksand is not a possibility; most people have jobs, families and more important priorities than creating an on line community. But when the community falls silent a hole is left. Maybe it will be noticed, maybe it won't.

I have no answers as to the why people crave "community", especially one as specialized as ours, yet they do. I see this desire all the time when I post on Brickcentral and the comments often include a "thank you for being here" sentiment.

I hope this doesn't sound critical, because it isn't meant to be. In my own experience creating, nurturing this online community of LEGO photography enthusiasts has been an incredible experience that has enriched my life immensely. I plan on sticking with it, probably longer than I should, and on the way I will keep thumbing my nose at the "experts" who talk about community building as if it was something you can do in your spare time. You don't create friends and family in your spare time.

~ xxsjc

Do you converse with your followers wherever you post your photos?
Have you made any friends through social media?
Is creating friends and community an important aspect of your social media participation?

I seriously want to know what you think. I would love it if you could take the time to comment on the social media platform of your choice.