The Land of Tiny

Playful Photography Series with a Lilliputian Sense of Scale

Amateur photographer, Gary Cummins originally hails from the emerald isle but these days plies his trade in the sprawling metropolis of Toronto.

Gary works in construction, but has just recently started building his own little worlds through photography, assembling delightful scenes using minifigures for his series Miniatures: The Land of Tiny. “I use photography to unwind on my time off,” he tells us. “It’s my go to when trying to address the stress.”

Gary has previously used his hobby to chronicle his journeys as he traverses the world, but this latest venture is altogether more playful and indeed, on a microcosmic scale. And yet, that influence from his travels can still be seen quite openly in the dioramas he cooks up, providing a unique take on a style he admits he saw elsewhere first.

“The internet is an endless realm of discovery and knowledge. I came across a couple of miniature photos on Instagram and decided to conjure up my own little worlds.” It’s hard not to be infected by the bristling sense of fun and adventure that Gary distils in the series.

We ventured into his tiny land to learn more:

The Plus: You’ve done travel photography before, how does this differ in terms of the challenges presented?
Gary Cummins: I feel that travel photography is very in the moment. Everything is on a schedule as you only have so much time to visit a landmark or shoot street scenes, things are constantly changing. With miniature (Lilliputian) photography, time is your friend. I can take my time and not feel pressured to deliver.

TP: What do you hope people’s reaction will be when they see these images?
GC: I hope to make people laugh and smile. Photography can be moving, emotional, beautiful and so many other things but it can also be a lot of fun.

TP: How do you source the figurines?
GC: I get my figurines from local hobby shops where they sell HO scale figures for model train collectors. Also online is a great source.

TP: Where do you get the ideas for the different ‘scenes’?
GC: My work life has given me most of my ideas. Everyday jobs mixed with everyday things help me create them. Other events such as my wife getting her nails done inspire me to builds new scenes.

TP: You’ve travelled a lot…if you had to pick just one place to return to, where would it be?
GC: My wife and I recently spent four months in Southeast Asia and visited ten countries. For me as a whole Vietnam had the most to offer as a country. It is so different from one place to the next. The craziness of Ho Chi Minh city to the beauty of Ha Long Bay. It’s a truly amazing place. I want to go back for the food alone!

TP: How long do you think you’ll continue with this series?
GC:I never put a life span on any type of creative project I take on. I will keep creating as long as my imagination keeps producing. That’s the beauty of it!