MINIATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

MINISCAPES TO INSPIRE AND TRANSPORT

it started as a personal project

I never knew I'd be thinking so small...

Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to travel far and wide. And as I got older, it became clear that I loved creating art from what I observed – to showcase the feelings of wonder and awe that this world can inspire. Today I'm applying that creative process to some very tiny adventures.

COVID-19 drastically impacted the travel industry. Many of us went from having back-to-back projects, to blank calendars, seemingly overnight. My miniature worlds were born from that blank slate... a way to challenge myself, to keep myself creative, and to remind others of their own innate creativity.

The images in this series (titled Our Great Indoors) reflect the same grandeur that we observe in the "real" world. Yet, they are made out of commonly recognized objects ranging from office supplies to food. My goal is to invoke feelings of inspiration, wonder, surprise, joy, and self-reflection in those who view these images. Enjoy!

Join me for a stroll in the snowy Sweet Potato Mountains, won't you?

Project Highlights

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Clients include:

CBS Sunday Morning Segment

feature

If you want the full story in three minutes and twenty-six seconds, well, this is the video for you! 

“The figurines with the little packs, oh my god, why are mini things so adorable?”  

- Social media manager @ WANDRD

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This ALL looks SO good! The figurines with the little packs, oh my god, why are mini things so adorable? You are a creative genius. Caption looks great, I wouldn't add or change anything!” 

overheard

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“I couldn't be happier with your incredible creativity!”  

- Art Director @ Campbell ewald

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Thank you again SO much for taking this project on, getting it done so quickly... and for creating AWESOME scenes!!!! I couldn't be happier with your incredible creativity!!

All the buzz

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testimonials

“My mind is blown.”

"Love this whole series. This is next level!"

"Your series gives me life!"

“It’s magical and wondrous!”

"Your images feel therapeutic to me. I feel myself getting lost in these lands."

“Honestly, this has me feeling all kinds of things.”

“Wonderful, fresh, creative — every one of these is a fun improvisation and adventure. A gift to all.”

Here's how it goes down:

First, we have a chat and you tell me about your brand, your product. How do you want people to feel when they experience it? What are your goals for these images? From this conversation, I create sketches of some of the directions we could go in. Together, we pick the ideas that feel the most aligned.

And the fun begins! After we're clear on the concept, I plan and produce the shoot in my (miniature) studio. You choose the images you like most, and I give them a fine tuned edit before sending the finals over to you.

You start getting comments like "Woah, that's awesome". Voila.

So what *exactly* goes into a miniature shoot?

production

art direction

photography

services

the photographer

Erin Sullivan

Erin Sullivan is an adventure guide turned photographer. After spending her early 20’s as a wilderness and adventure travel guide worldwide, Erin turned her experiences into a blog with the goal of helping people to find adventure in their own lives. Erin connects with thousands of people online every day through her art, centered around intentional travel, the outdoors, and creativity. Erin's 10+ years of experience as an adventure trip leader, coupled with her educational background in visual arts, gives her a unique creative viewpoint she brings to every new assignment.

Learn more >

Having already been to more than forty countries with his backpack, traveling is a way of life for Dimitris, and although he studied to be an engineer, he decided that sharing his passion with others is much more vital. Interacting with people has always been his inspiration. He loves the outdoors, especially rock climbing and hiking, and when he is not guiding, he is probably off somewhere on his bike. Dimitris has over 12 years of guiding experience, leading trips for the largest companies in the world including National Geographic and REI. Dimitris was honored with the REI Top Guide Award in 2013 for his unique and adventurous guiding style. Establishing his own adventure travel company TripIn Adventures was simply the next step, because showing people Greece off the beaten track, is after all, his dream job.

BACK TO ERIN →

This is Dimitris

01. Research

The Process
My first stop is doing a deep dive on the brand, product, and/or service I’m using. My objective is to find out what feelings exactly we’re trying to evoke with these images. I’ve been known to ask some interesting questions in the initial creative call, but hey, I’m an artist.

02. Styling

I want every component of the images to be looking their best — that means my mini figures, the surroundings, and the background. Luckily my models are pretty good with directions! I’m always sure to follow any style guidelines when it comes to branding or product photography, but what’s most important is creating a cohesive scene.

03. Shooting

Party time! Miniature shoot days require creativity, flexibility, patience... and tweezers. Though I work with a very small scale, I still explore each scene I create as much as I can… even if it’s in the space of a few feet, I want my scenes to feel expansive.

04. Post Production

Images head to my editing cave, where I fine-tune each photo and give the mini figures a makeover if they’re lucky. I’ve been known to change outfits, skin tones, and even add some special easter eggs for some of my clients.

BEHIND
THE
SCENES

“They truly transport you to another world”

- Creative Director @ Salt & Straw

These are AMAZING and we are so in love with what you've done! Really impressed that you kept most of the ice cream from melting while using it in such large quantities - they truly transport you to another world, while still looking delicious.”

Get in touch >

Let's go on an (indoor) adventure together.

are you in?