The fifth, final, and title image "Twas Christmas Told The Merriest Tale" is also my favorite-- it encapsulates everything about the series that I love and why the photos "work" for me.
I've always had an obsession with miniature toys, and I feel that, in this shot, the little guys finally have their time to play. I especially love how the dinosaurs-- traditionally the largest toys-- are actually the smallest. My childhood favorite Anklosaur also plays with my favorite childhood toys: LEGO. Little Blue Robot is a gift that only I share with my Godson.
Like "The Bluff," "Twas Christmas Told The Merriest Tale" was originally brainstormed as part of a larger "landscape" of toys under the tree Christmas morning. When I lined up the epic shot, though, it was too much for the eye, so I decided to break it up.
While the "set" and staging were undecided, the concept was not, and I knew I'd figure it out. The trick was clearing everything else out, then letting the miniatures take center stage.
I loved the set so much, it was used in my first piece for 2014... maybe some holiday cheer will flow into the New Year...
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM STRANGE LABORATORIES!
