Toy Photographers Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Recently Shelly Corbett chatted with Sabrina Perry and Chris Whitlow about one of our photo challenges: #TP_Geometry. We had a lively discussion regarding Geometry - what's it good for? It turns, a lot! Geometry is an important compositional tool and can turn your photos from ok to fantastic with a little awareness of how and when to use it.

With any good discussion, our insights were many. Here is a partial list of what we cover in this conversation:

• Using any word associate with math is probably not the best selling point
• Formal composition is your friend. In fact, its really important!
• Understanding the various forms of mathematical composition can help you understand why an image works. This gives you a stronger base to work from.
• Composition is only one tool in your photography tool box. Photography has a lot of moving parts to keep in your mind at once.
• What? Those guidelines on the back of my camera and phone have a purpose! Yes, turn them on!!

Check out all the image that we discuss over on the blog. 

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts after listening to the episode; leave a comment below or join our communities on MeWe, Facebook, or Instagram! Also, please be sure to “revisit” the blog for all things toy photography-related! 

I was thinking the other day about how the Covid pandemic has changed my creativity. Soon I wondered "am I the only one?" There is success a definite marker between pre and post pandemic that I wonder if I'm the only one who has noticed a shift. I decided to reach out to members of the blog and see if anyone else has noticed any changes. Enter Sabrina, Joshua and Dave...all friends willing to come onto the podcast to discuss how the pandemic shifted their creativity and their process.

During this roundtable we tackle topics like:

• How did you use creativity in your life pre-pandemic?
• In the two years since Covid entered our lives, has that changed?
• Has this change been related to the pandemic or just a shift in your own creative growth?
• How do you use creativity in your life now?
• How has your creativity impacted those around you?
• What changes have you noticed in the community at large?

Check out a the image that we discuss over on the blog. 

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts after listening to the episode; leave a comment below or join our communities on MeWe, Facebook, or Instagram! Also, please be sure to “revisit” the blog for all things toy photography-related! 

Welcome back to the Toy Photographers Podcast and our special series of toy photography from a beginner's perspective! I (Terri) am a former high school English teacher, and I find myself often seeing similarities between literature and toy photography. For example, when I taught novels, we talked a lot about character, plot, and setting. These days, I find I can definitely apply those same ideas to toy photography. Characters are our toys; the plot, the story we hope to tell in our photograph, and setting—well, that’s where we can have some real fun. Setting isn’t about where the action takes place. Setting can also create a mood and a feeling. The same is true for the settings of our photography! In this episode, Ariel (@those_wonderful_toys) and Terri (@greenehenphotography) talk setting and scenes--and all the decisions that come with each.

• How they conceptualize and set up their scenes
• Pros and cons of indoor vs outdoor scenes
• Props, accessories, and fabricated backdrops
• Using our natural surroundings to create images
• The joys of being outside and "on location" with our toys
• Creating a scene and image vs documenting a moment--is there a difference?

We'd love for you to have a listen to the other episodes in this miniseries where we chat about our journeys thus far in toy photography, the gear we use, and our favorite toys(so far!). As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Newbies and veterans alike, what gear do you love? Tips, tricks, and advice for those just getting started? Leave a comment on the blog or join our communities on MeWe, Facebook, or Instagram!

Same toys. Same setting. Same month of year, day of the week, time of day. Same photo? Perhaps that depends: Are YOU the same photographer you were? 

In this latest episode of The Toy Photographers Podcast, Sabrina Perry (@theperrylegoadventures) and Shelly Corbett (@shellycorbettphotography) discuss the latest monthly toy photography challenge: #tp_revisit. During November, Sabrina and Shelly encouraged each other and the community to revisit a previous photograph, concept, or composition and recreate it anew (#tp_revisit).

Throughout the conversation, Sabrina and Shelly highlight specific community photos tagged in the challenge as well as their own and discuss a wide range of topics, including: 

• Prior challenges and podcasts related to revisiting and recreating photographs
• How revisiting prior ideas or compositions can be a practice in reflection and growth and show the passage of time
• The subtle—and not-so-subtle—changes photographers made from one photo to the next
• The transition from taking a photograph to creating a photograph
• What changes over time and what stays the same
• Giving yourself permission to go back to photos to revisit and recreate them—and learning from the success andthe failures!

The next challenge focuses on nostalgia and trips down memory lane; to join the challenge, use #tp_nostalgia when you post! Want ideas to jumpstart your thinking about toy photography and nostalgia? Check out the posts and podcasts related to the theme here, here, and here. And remember: there are no right or wrong ways to think about this challenge or any of the others!

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts after listening to the episode; leave a comment below or join our communities on MeWe, Facebook, or Instagram! Also, please be sure to “revisit” the blog for all things toy photography-related! 

Toy photographers face a lot of choices each time they set out to create an image. Which camera? Lens? Aperture? ISO? Shutter speed? What story am I trying to tell? Where do I want to set the scene? And the whammy of them all: which toy(s) would best serve my purpose and intention? With SO many toys to choose from–LEGO, Playmobil, Funko, action figures that run into the hundreds, and so many more, where’s a newbie to start? Especially a newbie without any toys? Spoiler alert: if you’re just starting out and have few or no toys, that will quickly change…very quickly!!

In this episode of the Toy Photographers Podcast, your hosts, Terri (@greenehenphotography) and Ariel (@those_wonderful_toys), discuss the many choices facing newbie toy photographers when it comes to toys. For Ariel, toys came before photography; Terri, on the other hand, didn’t own a single toy before embarking on a daily photo project in January 2021. Together, they’ll chat about the choices they make for their own photography and some of their favorite toys to photograph.

Listen in as they discuss:

• The toys that have been a part of their lives—past/present
• What they consider when deciding to purchase a toy 
• How they manage the financial implications of toy purchases
• Lens considerations
• Experimenting vs. nailing down a niche/focus
• Props and accessories
• Advice for other newbies–especially re: social media!
• Buyer’s remorse
• And so much more!

To see images of Terri's and Ariel's favorite toys, head over to toyphotographers.com 

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts after listening to this episode: What are your favorite toys to photograph? What’s on your wish list? What advice do you have for newbies? Leave a comment below, join our communities on MeWe, Facebook, or Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you’ll never miss an episode! 

Look up Chris Perry’s (@thecreativechip) YouTube channel, and you’ll see the tagline “Make Time for Your Creativity.” Perhaps that’s the best summation of Chris’s approach to toy photography: put in the time, make the commitment, and grow. And that approach definitely seems to working! 

Cinematographer, videographer, and toy photographer, Chris Perry, otherwise known as The Creative Chip, creates images filled with emotion and story. In this interview, Sabrina Perry (@theperrylegoadventures)—and no relation!—chats with Chris about his work, his inspiration, and his journey as a toy photographer. 

Listen in as they chat about:

•     Their journeys to becoming toy photographers
•     The personal stories and experiences that have motivated them and inspired their images
•     The emotional elements of toy photography
•     Being vulnerable on social media
•     The intersection of “real life” and their creative lives
•     The power of synchronicity
•     Music as inspiration
•     Goals for the future
•     And so much more! 

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts after listening to this episode: What are your goals when it comes to your own toy photography? What other art forms inspire you? Have you tried taking a “curated” approach to your feed? What photographers/artists would you like to emulate? Leave a comment below, join our communities on MeWe, Facebook, or Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you’ll never miss an episode!

October: What comes to mind? Apple cider and pumpkin spice? Goblins, ghosts, and monsters? Foliage and fallen leaves? Slasher films? All of the above? How did toy photographers capture the season? Well, listen in and find out, as Sabrina Perry (@theperrylegoadventures) and Shelly Corbett (@shellycorbettphotography) discuss the latest monthly challenge: seasonal photos (#tp_seasonal)

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Are you new to toy photography? If so, what questions do you have? Not new to the gig? Share your insights and advice—we’d love to learn from you! Leave a comment below or join our communities on MeWe, Facebook, or Instagram!

This episode of the Toy Photographers Podcast is the second of our special series focused on newcomers to the toy photography community. In today’s episode, your hosts, Terri (@greenehenphotography) and Ariel (@those_wonderful_toys), talk about the gear they use and have found helpful in their journeys as newbie toy photographers. 

Much of the talk about cameras and gear can get pretty technical and into the weeds. Those just beginning can become quickly overwhelmed or, worse, hesitant to even begin! Rest assured, this episode will NOT get into the nitty-gritty. Instead, we describe what has worked for us, how we're still growing and developing, where we go for resources and information, how we manage to not spend a fortune on gear, and our advice for just getting started—regardless of the gear you may or may not have!

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Are you new to toy photography? If so, what questions do you have? Not new to the gig? Share your insights and advice—we’d love to learn from you! Leave a comment below or join our communities on MeWe, Facebook, or Instagram!

The toy photography community is a diverse group, and there are some incredible veterans out there—folks who have long been into both toys and photography! But what about the newbie toy photographer? Where to even begin? Well, we created this special series just for you—and perhaps for those out there who haven’t forgotten what it’s like to be a beginner! 

In this first episode of a planned 8-part series, your hosts, Terri (@greenehenphotography) and Ariel (@those_wonderful_toys), both of whom have been photographing toys for less than a year, share their journeys thus far. 

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Are you new to toy photography? If so, what questions do you have? Not new to the gig? Share your insights and advice—we’d love to learn from you! Leave a comment below or join our communities on MeWe, Facebook, or Instagram!

Before digital platforms made putting songs together in playlists a breeze, many of us (of a certain age, perhaps) remember spending hours at a time carefully curating sets of songs and then recording them onto cassettes and passing them along to friends and loved ones. Ah, the classic mixtape—and the inspiration for the latest toy photography challenge. 

In this episode of the Toy Photographer’s Podcast, Sabrina (@theperrylegoadventures) and Shelly (@shellycorbettphotography) break down September’s community challenge: using music and song lyrics to inspire toy photography (#tp_mixtape). What started out as an idea and a pitchto the toy photographers community from Sabrina led to an incredible month of inspiring photos paired with music spanning decades and genres. More than 180 photos were tagged with #tp_mixtape!

As always the full show notes and images referenced in this episode can be found on the Toy Photographers Blog. You can also find more articles on creativity and toy photography on our website, toyphotographers.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, MeWe and Instagram. Subscribe to our weekly email roundup so that you never miss a post, and join our communities on MeWe and Flickr.