Behind the Scenes:
The Making of The Toymaker

In a dim workshop tucked away at the edge of a forgotten town, the old Toymaker labors in silence. Once known for his charming wind-up horses and nutcrackers, he now spends his days and nights carving porcelain limbs, sewing tiny satin slippers, and tuning delicate music boxes to a melody only he remembers—her melody.

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Each doll is a masterpiece: elegant, haunting, and frozen mid-pirouette, captured at the height of her grace. He places them around the house in poses drawn from memory, from faded photographs, from dreams. No two are exactly alike, yet all are her. Visitors, rare as they are, say the dolls seem to move when no one is watching. Some claim they whisper.

The townsfolk whisper, too. Some say he's gone mad. Others believe he’s trying to bring her back.

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But in the toymaker’s heart, it’s simpler than that: he is chasing a memory through wood and silk, a moment that once danced and laughed and loved beside him. And though the ballerinas will never breathe, he is certain that if he can make just one more—just right—she might open her eyes again.

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The Toymaker was brought to life over several carefully planned sessions, culminating in a ten-hour photoshoot with a professional dancer. Once the shoot was complete, the images were meticulously reviewed, selected, and composited to create the final artwork.

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This intricate and imaginative piece went on to receive widespread recognition, earning multiple prestigious awards—including several Photographer of the Year titles from respected organisations.
The video can be viewed below (best experienced with sound).