The Story So Far
After yet another unforgettable toy photo safari in Denmark last year, happy expectations and joyful anticipations from both old and new friends had been expressed. Yours truly crew got together and figured out possible travel destinations for the 2020 meet-up. After passionate discussions, we agreed on the city of Tallinn in Estonia as our base camp. The rest is history.
History as in: none of us will possibly ever forget the year 2020 and the pandemic that spread all over the globe and affected everyone and everything. It quickly became obvious that it would simply be impossible to hold a real toy photo event.
Yet it wasn’t just all restrictions that came along. Many people and companies worldwide took advantage of technological progress and soon most everyone was familiar with video-tools such as MS Teams, Google Hangout or Zoom, to mention just a few. These programs allow one to meet online, see and talk to each other (and some more).
The Present Situation
As many people are still dealing with the different effects of this terrible situation, we still believe that a real meet-up is no option for us this year. But still we’re longing to see familiar faces, listen to the sounds of their voices and get creative. So we decided to create an online version of our safari. Some aspects will be a little different this time:
The SiPgoesVirtual2020 event will take place, well, virtually from Friday 4th at 16:00 CET to Sunday 6th September late noon with several work and play sessions in between these times. The sessions are based around the Central European Time Zone (CEST or UTC+02). A good internet connection, a creative mood, and some dedication are needed.
The number of participants will be limited to nine additional seats beyond the friendly faces of your SiP Crew to keep it fun for everyone joining in and keeping the international logistics in check.
We are kindly asking for a participation fee of 30€ to cover postage for instructional mystery letters upfront and a souvenir for everyone after the meet-up. (The fee will be payable after your registration has been accepted.)
The legendary and famous print exchange will not happen in the way we’ve known it so far. Yet, there will be a kind of exchange with a physical souvenir.
And Some More
The event will require quite a bit of active input from all attendees. Don’t worry, no stand-up comedy or free speech of at least fifteen minutes will be asked of you. But if you’ve been to a toy photo safari before, you may remember how much fun it was getting to know each other and all the different approaches, set-ups, and workflows. And this time will be no different.
Like on a physical toy safari, we will take photos. We will also get to collaborate in groups and challenge ourselves with photography games. We will have several checkpoints on Saturday and Sunday during which we will meet (virtually) to discuss our photos. And finally, in the end, we will put together all the photos to make something physical that will be sent to everyone.
The Next Step
If you’re still raising your hand, shouting “YES! YES! ME! ME! ME!”, then please fill out our application form no later than Wednesday, 19th August. Tell us why you absolutely want to join in on our virtual safari. Check back that you will be available from the afternoon of Friday, September 4th until noonish of Sunday, September 6th (yes, we took some sleeping hours into account. And no, no shared houses or rooms with snoring roommates this time) and you will be able to be an active team member and take fully part in the online team sessions.
We are really looking forward to seeing you soon. If you have any questions, praise or criticism, please let us know in the comments below. (And please do share your happy anticipation as well!)
Best on behalf of the crew, Stefan
Stuck In Plastic.
The creative collective of toy photographers.
So great to have the opportunity to see other toy photographers/friends during this strange year!