Cookie Circus 2025

May 10

My original idea was just the cookie on the edge of the spoon made to look like a diving board, ready to jump into the glass of milk. I didn’t think I’d have it in a circus setting. Then I started to think about how engaging and fun a circus could be. Plus, lighting a circus scene would be AWESOME. I started to consider what the cookie could be doing; should it be a highwire or trapeze act??? This could go many different ways, but then I thought—no, the classic cartoon high-dive into a thimble of water, right? As I started researching this, I knew I wanted the ladder to look uncomfortably high. Wide-angle focal length (35 mm) pulls that distance, a vertigo feeling. Then the layering started to take shape; if I were to have a giant ladder (made of skewers and toothpicks wrapped with cooking twine), then we needed an epic scene below. Ringmasters are always great characters; I went with the Biscoff because I felt the Belgian character would be a nice touch, and I wanted a cool mustache. I used a variety of cookies for the other performers and the audience, and I got mini versions to make the scene look even higher and more crowded. Opening the Oreo and revealing the frosting was perfect for a clown face.

These pieces, and everything I try to do in photography, start with a good lighting scheme. I intended to create a classic circus at your dining room table. I wanted it dark and moody, with only spotlights, allowing the “performers” to be the focal point and carry the viewer in each scene.

Overall, I am happy with the way it turned out. Considering a series of images rather than just one image to tell the story was a great challenge. Funny enough, I came up with the failed attempt when I realized that Chips Ahoy cookies are smaller than I anticipated. I was going to have him stuck in the glass head first, drowning, but this worked better and was more comically tragic.

Thanks for checking it out.

Til next time!

Nick

BREAKDOWN:

Make it stand out

**Props:**
Mini Wafers- $4.79
Chip Ahoy- $3.89
Biscoff- $3.19
Animal Crackers- $1.69
Mini Oreos- $1.25
Duplex Cookies- $1.25
Keebler mini M&M- $1.25
ginger snaps- $1.25
Milk- $4.99
OJ- $3.99
Bananas- $1.87
Orange- .58
Apple- .88
Jello Cups- $1.49 x 2 $2.98
Pint glass- $1.25
**Total prop cost-$33.85**

Returned items:

Platter

Place matte

An alt tumbler glass I didn’t use

Items I had at the studio:

Plates, cups, and a teapot

Toothpicks, wood skewers, hot glue gun, tape etc…

Lighting: (I did try my Arri’s, but I didn’t have enough of them, and I knew I’d be hand-holding some of the cookies on sticks, so I needed the shutter speed)

2 Broncolor 400s with a snoot and grid set

1 Broncolor 800s with a Westcott Optical spot

3 dental mirrors on arms

2 small makeup mirrors, handheld

1 shinny board bounce on yoke.

No gels this time, looking back, I should’ve experimented.