Chezpics66

Chris "Checkers" Lynch, known as chezpics66 on Instagram, is from Boston Massachusetts but he spends a lot of time down on Cape Cod where he do the majority of his photography.

What led you into Toy Photography?

When my daughter was 1-2 years old we got into the habit of setting up silly and elaborate scenes / dioramas with her toys after she went to bed so she’d find them when she woke up in the morning. That stemmed from her own love of doing large set ups with her toys even at that age, which included Star Wars figures, as well as Playmobil, Fisher Price, Lego etc.

So I eventually started taking pics of the set ups I was doing of them and started posting them on Instagram. Soon after I discovered a whole community of Toy Photography on there and it really opened my eyes up to what you could accomplish shooting toys, especially outdoors.

Back then that works of x_captain_kaos_x, sgtbananas, swittpics were extremely inspiring and eye opening. I’d always done a lot of outdoor nature photography and I realized how easy it would be to take some toys and incorporate them into that!

What’s your motivation?

Fun! Escapism! But yeah at first it was just all about having some fun and providing entertainment for my daughter. And as I started to take toys to our trips to the beach and taking shots it really just become something that gave me a huge release and brought me joy.

I love being at the ocean — all times of the year — and going for sunset and shooting. I always think of it as my "church". Even at times when I’m not super motivated to go out and shoot I’m always so glad that I got out there and did it. It’s just so cathartic.

What’s you gear?

Nikon D3500 for a body. These days I primarily use 2 lenses, an AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G and an Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G Lens. I use a Lume Cube a bit for lighting when I do indoor photography, doesn’t come up a ton but it’s definitely a key piece of my arsenal.

Also always love to have some Atmosphere Aerosol on hand. It’s especially helpful shooting at sunset, the way the light reflects off of it can actually help light the figures and bring them out from silhouette!

Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop is also a great tool for me. Lightroom to do some tweaks and adjustments and Photoshop for removing wires/stands and adding in lightsaber effects or adding in a second sun for Tatooine.

What does a typical photo shoot look like?

Typically for me somewhere outdoors in nature. Usually a beach setting, preferably near or at sunset. And at one with rocks! Wooded areas are also a spot I love to hit up, there’s great spots for that on Cape Cod as well to go with the beaches.

But it’s usually me with a small camera bag, and a bag of toys hiking out to whatever spot I’ve chosen to shoot at. And my daughter is usually in tow with me, she helps me quite often with ideas for shots, and she’s gotten a little bit into shooting herself now.

Sometimes I go in with some specific ideas but a lot of the time I just get out there and start shooting and let it happen naturally. No pun intended. I’d say at least half of the shots I post are just ones that I came up with on the spot. A lot of the time inspired by the land around me or by whatever the sunset / sky is doing at that moment.

Any advice for a beginner?

Mainly just to get out there and shoot, shoot, shoot. Just have fun with it and experiment with locations, angles, etc. With photography being digital you can take as many pictures as you want. A lot of the time I’ll take 40-60 pics of one set up from different angles / focal lengths if I have the time. You can get multiple worthwhile pics to post just from one set up, especially if it something pretty elaborate.

Also if all you have available is a camera phone don’t be afraid to use that getting started. I did! Try it out and see how much you get into it, and then if possible make the step up to an entry level DSLR or something equivalent, you don’t have to break the bank to get great photos.

Who is your favorite toy photographer at the moment, or the one who inspires you the most?

Well first off I have to admit that my list of photographers that I follow is heavily Star Wars specific as it’s been my main focus as a photographer over the years. And there are so many amazing photographers out there that work with different themes, I wish I had the tome to follow more than I do!

As far as photographers who are consistently putting out work these days visual_approach_photography is someone who has really raised the level of the game when it comes to The Star Wars Black Series line. Definitely always psyched to see what’s he got coming out next and his work is instantly recognizable!

SkeletonAstronaut is another for me. His photos are fantastic, but he also manages to project such a fun mood with his work which is something that got me into doing this hobby in the first place. And that’s something to me that is a really important aspect to this hobby.

Lastly I’d give a shout to txcarlo. His work with the 3.75 scale is truly amazing. Absolutely cinematic quality and great dioramas. Every post is an epic event!

Finally, If you had to keep only one toy, which one would you choose?

If I had to keep only one toy it would have to be my Star Wars The Vintage Collection Dengar figure from Hasbro. Still just the best figure ever! Especially for a 3.75 inch one.

Cheers 🤘