Photographing Toys Being Naughty

If you are creative and posses a vivid imagination then there are many photographic projects which will allow you to open up and explore the art. This project is definitively for you if you also have a good sense of humor and don't mind playing with your kid's toys, your wife's appliances and maybe a couple of other things.

I'm sure that most of us have seen the animated films like "Toys Story" where a group of toys magically come to life anytime the adult or the child leaves the room. Well imagine how much fun it would be if you could apply the same mentality to your appliances, toys and other inanimate objects around your home.

To give you a better idea of how the project should evolve lets take a simple desk lamp, the type with a flexible tubing arm, bend the arm so that it seems as if it were looking down , take its light bulb and place it right below it. Off course the lamp will now be dark. The scene will give the appearance that the lamp lost its "buddy" and now finds itself alone in the dark unable to help the "light bulb" who has fallen and can't get up.

You may have to draw some features such as eyes and mouths on some of your appliances but there are many markers whose ink is washable and this will wash right up and it will provide with "better" subjects.

If you have children or at least can borrow several toys then this project becomes even more entertaining since you can now pose many of these toys in seemingly human poses and exibiting human like actions. Especially good are most action figures, stuffed animals and such.

The easiest things or subjects to do, however, remain many of the action figures as well as most toys with arms, heads and feet. Use them at length to infuse your project with more "vivid" scenes.

Try to pose your subjects in comical situations, or in scenes that occur in a person's life. Also keep in mind that since you will be dealing with objects, the scene must be clear enough in its portrayal of a daily scene if your audience is to "get it".

Often a pose that has an air of mischievousness works best and most always tends to be comical as well.

When creating your scenes pay attention to the uses of your subject or in the case of toys, their genre.

For example if using action figures that are from the sci fi genre such as Star Wars, good scenes will involve them using technology.

If they are militarily oriented figures, then battle scenes with a comical twist are great.

If your subjects are kitchen related then likewise, their scenes should involve other kitchen related situations.

If you can, get some of the wooden modeling figures sold at most arts supply stores.

They are fully articulated and can be posed in many forms. They lend themselves very well for this and many other themes.

Their simplicity lets audiences unconsciously assign them faces and features as well as purpose.

With very few exceptions all of these images are suited for a poster publisher like AllPosters and for an e-book or similar enterprise.

Do some research to identify the current most popular uses for similar photos to get a better idea of where to submit your work.

However, do not approach any photographic project just to make some sales.

Projects like this and many others should also be undertaken in order to practice the art, become more proficient in it and for the pure enjoyment and creative opportunities that they offer.