Fun Photo Shoots on a Budget – Toys!

Creative Photography Ideas for Children and Adults Alike

Jan 16, 2009

Glass Marble, Deco Glass, J. Walsh, N. Morine

Photography does not need to be extremely expensive, especially when dealing with low budget, in home macro studios. Shooting traditional toys can be fun for all!

One of best and most enjoyable aspects of photography has to be the satisfaction derived from attaining excellent images and shots from a very frugal budget. The dollar store offers a huge variety of products that can be very captivating subjects if cast in the correct light and framed adequately.

Basic Materials, Backdrops on a Budget

Bristol board makes for an excellent backdrop – simply tape the bristol board to the wall and let it naturally fall to the floor and you will have the perfect backdrop in a variety of pastels and neons. The board usually costs fifty cents or so, so it is a simply investment in a backdrop that you can reuse multiple times over, and can colour or paint as well to produce your own unique backdrops! Do not crease the bristol board over, as this crease will show in your exposures and greatly reduce the aesthetic value of your photography.

Natural sunlight is a great way to light your shots – but for a more dramatic effect you may wish to create a simple lightbox or even a lamp with a nice linen or cloth shade will work if placed correctly. This is purely an issue of preference – small scale lighting will work wonders in macro photography and even family portraiture. There is no need to invest in expensive, large lights for an indoor studio when alternatives exist for a much more reasonable price.

Strolling Down the Toy Aisle

The toy aisle of the dollar store should hold a treasure trove of amazing materials and subjects for both you and your children to enjoy playing with and snapping pictures of! Army men, seasonal toys and candy, slinkies, and glass marbles are all excellent candidates for purchase.

Glass marbles are an excellent choice due to the great amount of versatility they offer when it comes to macro photography – that is acutely focussed photography, tightly zoomed and cropped that deal with small or minute objects and field of view. Not only are marbles bestowed with wonderful shape – being perfect spheres – but also are blessed with beautiful and completely unique colouration across literally thousands of sizes and styles.
Army men can be used in a playful diorama, or even in a more political or serious light if shot correctly with accompany materials – flowers, ashes, script, political materials, or other items. The juxtaposition of children's toys and adult concerns can be intriguing philosophically as well as aesthetically.
Faux flower arrangements can also be excellent values, placed within vases (also conveniently located in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours from the same store!) and shot on your differing backdrops. Often, false flowers are brightly coloured and extremely inexpensive to purchase – allowing you a great deal of leeway when it comes to selecting different pieces. Professional portrait studios, in many cases, use these very same flowers when it comes to shooting their photos – why can't you?

Little Shop of Treasures

While the dollar store is often a love-it or hate-it affair, it is undeniable that it represents an unparallelled opportunity to take interesting, low-cost photos on a very strict budget. Where children are concerned, it also presents a fun family undertaking that can get the creative juices flowing – an initiative derived from selecting, painting, and co-ordinating backdrops with a variety of fun and interactive subjects!

Don't be afraid to go a bit overboard – you will not end up spending a fortune at the dollar store and will end up with a great deal of worthwhile materials for other photographic endeavours, especially with a slew of new backdrops and accessories.