While We're On The Subject of Monkeys....

As long as we're on the subject of monkeys, I'll ramble a bit more about my experimentations in photography. After I got the technical side of it figured out (more or less and I'm definitely still learning), I started looking at the types of pictures I was taking and the subjects. I realized that most of the pictures I was taking were "Grand Canyon" shots. In other words, I was pulling back and trying to get as much into the picture as possible. Then it occured to me......well, actually it hit me upside the head like a wet mop.........that if I'm taking pictures of miniatures, I need to use my camera lens on a smaller scale as well.

So I sat back and thought about that for awhile. Wide angle shots are great for an overview of the whole dollhouse, bed, etc. But once people have seen the entire dollhouse, they want to go inside and look around. Let's face it, when it comes to looking at dollhouses and miniatures, it's like peeking inside someone's home. We want to see the details close up and explore all the hidden treasures.

I turned the monkeys loose and we started taking pictures at odd angles and from different perspectives. At first there were a lot of discarded pictures that were crooked or had really strange looking content, but the monkeys got better. I discovered that if I positioned my camera in the place where I would be if I could shrink myself down and stand inside the house I got pictures that make the viewer feel as if they're really there! That was a real "Eureka!!" moment! (and scared the poor cat when I actually yelled "Eureka!!" at the top of my lungs)

I used to consider the photograpy side of marketing miniatures to be something of a chore, a neccessary evil that just had to be done. Now that the monkeys and I have spent some time learning how to use the camera with the right setting and the right lighting we're having a really good time discovering how to get those great pictures that bring the viewer into my little world. Yep, it's become very satisfying.

Would you like to come inside and join me?