Toys in the Desert - Joshua Tree National Park

Toy PhotographyJoshua Tree National ParkCaliforniaiPhone 13 pro Photography

Oct 15

"Which way to Mos Pelgo?”

“Everyone needs the wilderness, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”

— John Muir

And maybe throw in there, “and places to take pictures of toys.”

“Toys ain’t just for kids.” That’s a famous quote by somebody. Whether model trains, drones, Hot Wheels, action figures, motorcycles, Lego, dolls, plastic dinosaurs or marbles, adults like them, too. And why not, they’re fun. Don’t ever outgrow toys, they help keep you young 🤠.

Don’t remember how it happened (probably during a slow time at work), but toy photography caught my eye. Not just pictures of toys like in an advertisement or catalog, but pictures that made the toys come alive, even Legos. Out in the wilds, or in realistic “sets” or dioramas, and generally using a technique known as ‘forced perspective’ photography. There are a lot of very talented toy photographers out there whose work appears to be photographs of real life. From action figures or plastic dinosaurs. So I thought, “why not give it a try.” Turns out, it’s not as easy as they make it look. But it’s fun to try.

So a few weeks ago, Joshua Tree National Park called me and said, “Hey, you haven’t been here for a while. C’mon out. Use that America the Beautiful Pass. Hike. Take some pictures. Relax. The rocks miss you.” Can’t turn down an offer like that. Tossed a bunch of toys into a backpack and headed out to the park, to see what I could photo. Here are some of my favorites:

Well, that’s startling. Climb up a pile of rocks to see the view and find a Stygimoloch gazing at the clouds. Luckily for me, Stiggy is an herbivore. And possibly a vaper.