"I moved to the UK from South Africa six years ago, and didn't realise how dark and cold the winters are here. instead of the normal landscape photography I was doing, I found myself confined to the indoors, with only a few Lego stormtroopers as friends. So I started shooting them. I was fortunate enough with my job as a photographer at Tesco to go all over Scotland in a van and take photos of the farmers and growers.
"I spent a week here and there and everywhere interviewing and photographing brewers, growers and farmers and all along the way I would stop and get shots of Eric and pals."
He adds: "All of Scotland is beautiful, I spent my honeymoon in Scotland and Wales nine years ago, but if I had to pick a place it would be anywhere along the western coastline.
"I have visited Skye and would love to get to the Outer Hebrides and all along that way."
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Visual Voices: How Silly Scenarios Can Lead to Memorable Photos
To Darryll Jones, toys are more than just inanimate playthings for children. The whimsical photographer regards them as subjects with depth and important stories to tell. Take his muse Eric, for example â a Star Wars Stormtrooper who basks in everyday human experiences. He takes relaxing bubble baths, rocks out at Pearl Jam concerts and indulges in a glass of wine after a long day. And Darryll captures every moment.
His passion for highlighting Ericâs adventures has cemented Darryllâs status as an Instagram influencer. He shared with Curalate what it takes to transform a silly idea into a fascinating image that audiences just canât look away from. Hereâs what he recommends.
1. Spawn inspiration by doodling.
Finding the inspiration to produce great work can be tough. To get the creative juices flowing, Darryll etches âsilly, little ideas into the night.â He recommends that aspiring photographers do the same: âKeep a sketchbook on you at all times. Make notes of ideas and do little doodles of setups.â
While Darryll considers doodling to be a huge help, he doesnât adhere himself to the sketches when actually taking photos. Staying fixed to a particular idea throughout the process can eliminate the organic feel from an image. Stories often end up telling themselves, and itâs to the photographerâs benefit to let that shine through as often as possible.
The bottom line? Have fun. âIf youâre enjoying it, others will too.â
2. Invest time in your craft.
Patience and practice are major factors that determine whether or not a photographer will produce successful work, according to Darryll. People will often tell themselves they donât have the time to hone their craft, but getting on a repetitive schedule can lead to amazing results. âSpending just an hour or even a half hour each day on something builds into an amazing amount of time doing it,â he says.
Take time during the photoshoot itself, too. Rather than hastily shooting a subject, Darryll recommends building a relationship with it first: âPlay with your toys, your food, your cats. Talk to your toys, listen to them and give them their own personalities. Compound interest every day, and you will have the best life story clips of all freakinâ time.â
3. Never get complacent.
Photography starts with the basics, and every photographer should know them. âLearn to use your camera settings. Look at the light, look at the colors, look at the story ⌠and click,â Darryll says.
The learning process shouldnât end after taking a stellar image, though. âDonât think âBoom! Iâm a photographer.â Even the best photographers are still learning, evolving and adapting their art form. We need to understand it, to be a part of it.â
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Interested in learning more about Darryllâs process? Get his tips and more from 12 top Instagram influencers to learn how you can build stronger connections with your followers.
