When I am at loss as to what to photograph next, I often try to do some Still Life. I even once signed up for a class and did some really amazing stuff. I mean neato stuff that looked like it came from a magazine kind of stuff.
But I lost interest in positioning coffee cups, spoons, and fruit. It was just stuff. The learning part was interesting. I learned how to 'set' things up for a backround. I learned to do it with a cheap paper - the kind used for making scrap books. I used old felt to make black back drops and a white sheet for white ones. I used poster board to reflect light and a window for natural lighting.
I lusted after things like a 'soft box' and neat lighting. I built my own 'soft box' out of cardboard. I discovered that a light tea towel would diffuse enough light from a desk lamp to act like an expensive studio light.
Toys.
Over the years kids have donated toys to me to take out into the woods and have adventures with.
The set up above is one of those easy peasy set ups. I grabbed some of the discarded toys and lined them up. I taped some paper together for the backround.
The photo below turned out as expected. However, it was bland and uninteresting. That creepy doll was not connecting with me.
The shot I'd done before however...did impact me when I looked at it much closer.
She just is creepy!
Those freaky eyes!
Exactly what I wanted.
I swept the toys to the side and piled them on a sheet of scrap book paper.
Ewwww.
Those eyes!
While doing that, I opened up my husband's big old trunk and took out his childhood teddy bears.
I stuck the large one in the old busted up Christmas chair and put it in the bright afternoon sunlight.
Rich was delighted to see his big brown bear and extolled its virtues.
Um.
Yucky looking bear.
And then he reminded me that this bear was probably 60 years old.
I'm going with a certain 'Creepitude' with this Bear.
More fond memories and discussion ensued.
I put my Bear with his bear and they seemed to get along okay.
However the old bear didn't seem to have much to say.
It seemed he was rather wide eyed and startled at being out of the trunk after so
many years of being stored.
End note.
Most of these toys have a story behind them. The Barbie doll head was given to me by my youngest grand daughter when she was about 3 yrs old. She kept the headless body I think.
Other parts and pieces were given to me by the neighbor kids. They all have a back story of some sort.
That creepy baby with the bottle. The one single Barbie shoe. The Zombie doll.
Lego people in various stages of disarray.
An interview I read with Dan Leonard really hit home.
#WithToysInMind is a project he created with his own personal mental health in mind. It is a creative escape to deal with emotions.
I didn't even realize that I was doing this.
Bear and I is how I deal with loneliness.
Rabbit and Bear is how I used photography to deal my husband's desperate and deep bouts of depression.
So.
Playing with toys is a good thing.
Creativity in any form is good for the mind.
