Ottawa, Ontario-based photographer Daniel Picard uses comic book characters and photographs them in the real world. Called 1:1 Toys, the series, Picard takes the “director’s seat,” which is shot all around his hometown. It all started when Picard wanted to photograph a model in a dress in a field.
“The road in front was going to be closed down in two days, for almost a year. So, with no time for a human model, I tried shooting it with a robot I had just bought, the first of my collection. I liked the result so much, that it was the beginning of not only my toy series but my interest in building a fun toy collection.”
Picard shoots all of his toys in the real world in actual, real world locations. He says this is difficult to do “but it takes care of lighting and white balance and all that instead of shooting green screen in my studio and trying to match things hours, days, or even weeks later.
“The rest is all computer magic not unlike what Hollywood does with CG in films like District 9 and Lord of the Rings with Gollum. I just use already built, amazingly detailed toys instead of amazingly detailed 3D models.”
