The Barber Shop — A Miniature Diorama (Behind the Scenes)
This little scene came together almost by accident—and honestly, those are often my favorite ones.
While fixing the hairline on the groom for the Island Wedding diorama, I suddenly had a thought: Why not turn this into a barbershop moment? That idea sent me straight to my stash of Re-Ment barber shop miniature items, and before I knew it, a whole new story was unfolding.
I also wanted to use this setup as a way to share a bit more about how I create the scenes you see on my social media. My process is constantly evolving as I learn new techniques, experiment, and sometimes completely change my mind—but think of this as a little behind-the-scenes invitation into my miniature world.
I did take photos of the room setup itself, though I haven’t had a chance to sort through those images just yet. For now, I started by photographing the barber chair on its own. I used a single light source and blocked out as much ambient light as possible. This is something I do often—it sets the stage for future posts or video clips and helps me lock in the mood early.
Next came placing the “person” in the chair. Since I 3D printed the figures for the shadow box (see here), I had a few prototype heads lying around. A simple bottle cap added just enough height to make it look like the groom was actually seated. The kit included a stylist cape, which was perfect for hiding the fact that there’s technically no full figure sitting there at all.
Everything was held in place with tacky wax—my absolute favorite for temporary prop setups. I use it constantly. If you work with miniatures, it’s a lifesaver.
As a storyteller of miniature worlds, creating mood is everything. For me, that means blocking out as much light as possible and then directing it—almost like a cinematographer—toward exactly what I want the viewer to focus on. In this case, it was that tiny razor trimming the sideburns. I mean… how adorable is that?
I even brought in tweezers for scale, just to really sell the illusion.
I move my light source around a lot. After dropping the razor more times than I care to admit, I take plenty of photos until one finally clicks. Once that happens, it’s off to Lightroom for post-production, where I fine-tune the image even more.
I’m still learning so much about how to visually tell stronger, more focused stories. And as a true maximalist, being selective about what I show does not come naturally to me—it honestly feels like pulling teeth. But I’m starting to see the difference it makes, and the results are worth it.
More is coming soon.
Follow along on Instagram to see where this miniature story goes next ✨
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