Toy Photography

with Mitchel Wu

Steve BrazillOctober 8, 2020

I had not heard of Mitchel Wu until my friends at Platypod mentioned him to me, and that surprised me. I don’t want that to happen to you, so I am introducing you to some of the most playful work you’ll ever see. His work is stunningly good.

When I see Mitchel’s photography it makes me want to be a child again. Every photo merges my childhood, and the memories of my son growing up, with everyday life as an adult. His work makes me smile, and I’m not sure there is any higher compliment I can give.

Mitchel Wu is a toy photographer, but let’s be clear, he isn’t just playing around (sorry, couldn’t resist). In a recent interview with The Phoblographer Mitchel said something about toy photography that I can’t get out of my head, saying it was an “art form that encouraged (demanded!) storytelling and creativity”. That line strikes me as one of the most important realizations I’ve heard, and I often preach about how images need to tell a story. In Mitchel’s case his ‘props’ are things that are near and dear to us. As kids we play with these toys as though they are real. Buzz Lightyear can fly, Yoda can defend against a group of Stormtroopers, Scooby and Shaggy do get into actual trouble, and food should always be considered part of the fun. Mitchel Wu brings these stories, these memories to life.

Taking his Illustration degree to The Walt Disney Company, Mitchel worked as a product designer / developer on their high end sculpture line. That in turn lead to creative collaborations with companies like Warner Bros, Pixar, LucasFilm, Sony Pictures and more. Those connections I think were a prediction of where Mitchel was headed.

Mitchel’s life as a photographer started out in the corporate and lifestyle arena, but transitioned to weddings. As his daughter began High School Mitchel made a choice… he realized that his days of having his daughter home everyday would soon be over, because she would be starting college in a few years. This is when Mitchel found toy photography. That is where Mitchel and I have something in common. I was a wedding DJ for 18 years, and as my son started High School I too started to dread being gone every weekend. I sold all of gear and focus on my I.T consulting, but at the same time I found concert photography. It’s weird sometimes how we photographers have some similar paths.

Mitchel’s work has been featured in places like the NY Post, the UK Daily Mail, WGN Morning News, and So Cal PBS. He has worked on campaigns for brands such as Toy Story, Harry Potter, Hot Wheels, Fortnite, Power Rangers, G.I. Joe, UNO, and Scrabble, and has created images for The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros, Hasbro, Mattel, Virgin Media and more.

In February of 2020 he was invited to exhibit work, as well as speak, at Toy Fair New York, one of the largest industry toy conventions in the world. This was the first exhibit of any kind in Toy Fair’s 100+ year history. He even got to kick off Toy Fair NY by cutting the opening ribbon with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal!

Join toy photographer extraordinaire Mitchel Wu and me as we take a deep dive into his playful image “Duke and Forky” on this episode of Behind the Shot.