What to Photograph

This web page is set up to help you best understand what to object to choose for the artwork I will create for you.

I will create a fine art photograph for you of an object that holds significance for you, usually related to your childhood. The result is intended to evoke an (often unexpected) memory that brings a feeling of happiness.

The objects are all photographed on a table top, and generally range in size from a quarter to a violin. Toys and miniatures are extremely common, and the objects themselves are usually rather simple.

This is not a digital creation, it is an in camera process that I created. So, when you see a car, it’s a miniature version of that car. My astronaut is actually part of a Lego set and stands just 2” tall. I have images of a phonograph, the Apollo 11 Odyssey Lunar Lander, and go-carts racing that are all pocket pencil sharpeners and cost $6 each on Amazon.

This is usually not so much about what is important to you now, as it is about what was important to you and what was loved when you were young.

In general your feelings and imagination around the object should be greater than the object itself.

You’ll see examples of my work on this page, some of those may provoke a feeling or put you in touch with a memory. This much more about feeling than logic, so it helps to jot down every idea you have and to trust that something that represents a seemingly small moment might actually be the key to connecting with your memory of childhood wonder.

Usually, the more specific the better. There are lots of spaceships, but only one specific Millennium Falcon toy you owned.

Don’t worry about being original, it’s my job to find a new perspective, just think about what you loved when you were younger and don’t judge yourself.

Here are some questions to consider:

What toy or object was magic to you in your youth?

What toys took you to other places in your mind? Itmay have been means of transportation, be it a hot wheel, an F-16, or a pegasus. You may also have transported your imagination by looking into a microscope or looking through the window of your favorite dollhouse.

Were there action figures, dolls, or stuffed animals that you loved?

Was there a TV show or movie that fired up your imagination?

Was there something you wanted to have in the real world, such 007’s car or a pirate ship?

Were there games you loved, such as jacks, Monopoly, or badminton.

Do you remember Holly Hobby Ovens, The Game of Operation, bathtub toys, Slinkys, roller skates with metal wheels, Light Brights, Erector Sets, Dominos, Pez, walkie talkies, Big Wheels, balsa wood airplanes, or your first bicycle?

What else do you think about when you read this list?

Did you own a kazoo, xylophone, or a whistle that drove your parents crazy?

Did your Barbie love to go exploring under your parent’s bed in your brother’s G.I. Joe ATV?

Do you ride a motorcycle now, and think back to that dye-cast version you had as a kid?

What did and your friends play with, or at, when you were seven or ten? In elementary school, I set up the bridge of the Enterprise on my patio and the grassy backyard stood became a myriad of alien planets filled with danger and adventure.

Most of my clients don't still own the particular toy that they remember. That’s ok. We can usually find what we need on eBay, and you might be surprised what happens unexpectedly when you start looking and see toys you haven’t thought about in years.

You may want to ask your parents what they remember, or perhaps reach out to an old friend.

Not every object or idea will work, so that’s why it’s helpful to have multiple ideas to talk about.

I hope that you’ll take some time to see what comes from answering these questions or thinking about these ideas and examples. You’ll probably want to open your browser and see what rabbit holes you get yourself into by looking for these objects online. Many of my favorite images in this series were more the result of what I ran into when I started looking for what I thought I wanted to photograph.

I’ll be here to help. For now, here’s a search to get you started. Here’s another one. I bet you didn’t think to look here (or maybe you did). This was a good starting point for what I loved. Just start anywhere.