My Favorite Toy Photo Images From 2022
2022 was another strange year thanks in part to COVID, and the end of my 15 year run on Twitter and the the health problems associated with my encroaching decrepitude. I had to retire from bird photography because I am just not well enough to go out into the field. On the other hand, I have to — HAVE TO— have to make pictures of SOMETHING or I will go crazy.
To keep my camera in my hand, I fired up my home studio and started photography action figures and toys and frankly, I am having the time of my life. Everything I ever learned from the previous work I did has made me better at this genre.
I make no claim to expertise as a toy photographer. I am just an amateur toy having fun and for once in my life, do not care if there is a commercial market for what I am photographing. That’s perhaps the biggest and most radical departure for me. Photography was my first job and I did it for 50 years. I always thought to myself when I was about to press the shutter — “Who’s gonna pay for this image?” If I couldn’t answer it — I didn’t make the photo. When you do photography for a living you have to make it work financially. While it will seem foreign to most of you — I never did photography as a hobby. So this is really one of the first times I have just made pictures for fun. And fun it is.
I’ve compiled a list of MY personal favorites from 2022. It was hard for me to pick. I am great at helping others cull their portfolio but terrible at doing it for myself. Always have been.
When I was on Instagram, I would usually just post the TOP NINE group of photos — these being the nine that my audience liked best. But the point of this exercise for me, is to select MY favorites, without regard for audience reaction. I think that’s an exercise that would benefit any photographer because it helps sort out what you’re passionate about versus what you think will get you more “LIKES!”
So I post these images here making no claim as to their suitability, marketability or their worthiness as good photographs. I am merely saying these are MY favorites. These are the ones I like best. I am NOT saying any of these are any good…although I THINK at least a few of them are… I am just saying that I like them.
Another reason I think this is to do at the end of every year is that it establishes a marker one can use in the future to ascertain progress or the lack thereof.
While I don’t have many years left to engage in such pursuits, I am doing this exercise nonetheless — just because I can.
I do hope you enjoy the photos and I look forward to making more in 2023.
If you want to see better — higher res copies of the images, check me out on VERO — vero.co/scottbourne.
Happy New Year!
Remember, toys are joy.
For a list of my toy photo gear and props go to:
bit.ly/toyphotogear
Roughly 90% of my photos are finished in Topaz Labs’ product called Topaz Photo AI. It is a one click sharpening, noise reduction, resolution enhancement tool that uses AI to see what your photo needs and only applies as much correction as is required and only to the areas that require it. Check it out at bit.ly/TopazLabsPhotoAI
