The Numerous Wonders of a Tiny Building

There’s a toy store at our local flea market. It holds a collection of opened and sealed toys, new and old, plaything and collectible. My fiance (oh yeah, I’m engaged now!) collects action figures from time to time, I photograph toys and miniatures, so between the two of us we’ve bought a good bit of items from here.

A few months ago the shop owner stocked some HO scale items – figures, vehicles and buildings. There was a warehouse I admired from the start – very detailed with so many interior pieces. I learned that it had been the store owners father’s. He hand built and painted the building and interior pieces. I wasn’t prepared to drop the cash on it, but admired it at each visit.

This last time around, my fiance snuck off and bought it for me.

The piece has so much sentimental value for the shop owner, and I want to do it justice by telling the story the builder had laid out. So, for the first round of shooting I photographed it precisely as is, lighting it from the outside, giving it a nighttime vibe. It has internal wired lights, so for the next round I plan to get those on. Sometime around I’ll also add my own figures in certain windows etc.

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