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Long Island photographer Andrew Camera pairs toys with birds and woodland animals to create a world of his own.
If his photos put a smile on your face, he’s done his job.
But he does it mostly for himself.
“It’s an escape,” said Camera, 29, of Medford. “It’s an activity that makes me stop and enjoy nature and appreciate the wildlife around us. It grounds me and separates me from many of life’s stressors.
“It also brings me joy when people view them and smile.”
He calls them Toy MiniNatures:
How it happened
Camera, who works remotely for a Los Angeles production company, has been photographing toys since he was 10, all to breathe tangible life into the worlds of the anime, fantasy and Sci-Fi genres he loves.
“I incorporated the integration of birds after 2020 when I explored many of the wildlife preservations and state parks across Long Island and had a blast taking photos of various local wildlife,” he said.
He also emphasizes that he creates his virtual worlds, so to speak, without the help of artificial intelligence.
“To promote happiness and joy with things created outside,and for real without AI is what art is all about,” he said.
Harmonious relationship
Camera has photographed these images in wildlife sanctuaries from here to New England and Florida, even Curaçao. But most are shot in his backyard.
No matter where he his, he sets the scene and then plays the waiting game, which could take minutes, hours, or a full day.
In his Medford yard, he’s developed a vertical bird platform at which “they arrive for feeding, where I stage my shots and await their arrival with my camera.”
“The process and time have improved from when I started,” he said. “The birds are used to my process and have developed an understanding of the notion of the place where I stage my figures to also be a means of food and water.
“It’s sort of a harmonious relationship I’ve developed, which is great.”
He gets his photos; the animals get their food.
“Sometimes I would wait a day for a shot, other times it would take an average of three hours, but lately I’ve caught some shots — if I’m right by bird feeding time — in as little as 20 minutes,” he said. “All in all, I keep breaking records.”
Click here to check out his gallery at toyminiatures.com. More photos below.
