PART 2 - TOYS

A few days ago, I wrote about preserving baby clothes in photographs rather than hanging onto those onesies for years on end. But what about the toys? Eventually, I’m going to want to get rid of this over abundance of toys, but I don’t want them all to fade away from memory. I’m a purger by nature (though I’m married to a hoarder), and I thought memorizing some of Chloe’s clothes and toys through photos would be a great way for us to go. Here are some easy ways to go about photographing toys.

One of the easiest ways to make toys look sharp is with great lighting. It took no fancy equipment to make these top shots, simply a morning filled with pretty light. While Chloe was taking her nap, I opened the curtains a bit and there were nice shadows left on the floor. I put her toys on the carpet, got down on my belly and shot these pictures with my Nikon DSLR. For point-and-shoot users, this is a great opportunity to use the macro button. The macro setting allows you to get sharp focus when you are very close to a subject. With the click of a single button, you can improve your close-up shots dramatically. For more on macro photography, click here.

There are a few ways to make toys look great. The first is to choose the cutest objects and to arrange them in a magazine-like way (think Martha Stewart, and pay attention to the composition, iron the clothes, remove all specks of dirt, etc.). Another way is to make the toys interact with each other. Finally, there is the Velvetine Rabbit approach. Photograph that much loved toy that has seen the washer way too many times and shows the child’s love in every loose thread or patched spot.
Photographing toys doesn’t have to be limited to babies. Big kids have favorite toys and games as well that deserve documenting. The trick is to keep the backgrounds simple and play with the light. In general, the flash on your camera will not produce pretty light, because it is a flat light from the front that freezes the subject in an unnatural way. However, a flash can be used to your advantage. Spockzilla here was shot using a flash, and I think the frozen look makes it seem more like a news shot. Godzilla goes to Vulcan!

Barbie here was shot with Rembrandt light - a beautiful, directional lighting style employed by Dutch Master Painter, Rembrandt. Simply placing her in light filtered through curtain sheers and positioning her face just so, she can look like she stepped out of Barbie Vogue. For more on Rembrandt lighting, click here.

What I love about photographing toys is that it gives you the opportunity to look at objects the way a child does - super close-up, memorizing all the details. It also gives me something to think about as I pick up toy after toy for the zillionth time. Hmmm, how would that look with the macro lens…?