DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

This is how photos in “I Spy” books were captured

Jul 30, 2019 by Dunja Djudjic 1 Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

How does it make you feel when someone mentions I Spy books? They were introduced in 1992, and there’s a good chance that either you or your kids read them. But did you know how all those images in the books were created? In this video, Insider introduces Walter Wick, the photographer and photo illustrator behind I Spy books. He will take you behind the scenes and tell you just what it took to create photos for the books you (or your little ones) loved so much.

Before he started working on I Spy, Walter was a commercial photographer in New York City. He started working on I Spy after a series of pretty random events. One day around 1980, he was cleaning up his studio and decided to take a photo of the stray nuts and bolts that were lying around. He used this photo to promote his work, and author Jean Marzollo saw it. She invited Walter to do a poster for her kindergarten magazine Let’s Find Out. Then, an editor of Scholastic Books saw that poster and asked Jean and Walter if they wanted to create a search-and-find children’s book. Jean would write the rhymes, and Walter would create and take photos. And that’s how I Spy was born.

The photos in I Spy books are a fantastic combination of props, sets, and lighting, which makes them look realistic. Walter used a large format film camera at first, which would capture a lot of detail in the photos. He switched to digital around 2004, and he’s now using a Canon 5D. Still, he adds that the camera doesn’t have that much importance, because “it just sits there” while he creates the scenes. And it can take quite long to build a set: from several days to as long as several weeks.

Walter’s studio is full of props which he uses for the sets. He sends the list of hidden objects to Jean so she can work on the rhymes. Every set he makes is carefully arranged around a central topic, such as school, antiques, or nature, to name just a few. Other than I Spy, Walter has also worked on Can You See What I See and Hey, Seymour! They follow the similar search-and-find style of I Spy, and he and his team even built toys from scratch for these ones. He has recently published a science book for kids, A Ray of Light, in which he also used wonderful photos to illustrate the properties of light. I know it’s for kids, but I’d totally buy that one for myself!

So, how has Walter found so much energy and inspiration to create these demanding photos over the years? Well, he says that was surprised from the very beginning with how intensely kids look at his photos. So, he just puts this same intensity into making them. Considering that I Spy books have been so extremely popular, I’d say that this is definitely the right approach.

[How ‘I Spy’ Books Are Made via Reddit]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Google Lens can now identify your pet in photos to create photo books and make movies He was 19. He lived in Oslo. And he used a spy cam to take street photos. In 1890 Wanna start with Photoshop? These are the three books you need to read! Photobook Collective is a perfect place if you love photography books

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: book, books, I Spy, photo book, Walter Wick

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.net

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« Fujifilm issues service advisory over GFX 100 shutter lock mechanism
Apple to bring Time-of-Flight cameras to two iPhone models next year »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • A pigeon scares a meteorologist as it photobombs a live camera
  • Photographer files lawsuit against NFL receiver and teams after shoving incident
  • Comparing iPhone 13 vs iPhone 14 for astrophotography
  • Don’t buy a Z8 directly from Nikon, customers say
  • YouTube is killing off “Stories” to focus on Shorts and Live

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy