St Michael's Mount of Cornwall

Portland-based photographer Jim Golden, who has been shooting photos for brands like Nike, ESPN, and Yahoo for over 15 years, and excels in still life produced a series of images featuring quirky collections of objects neatly arranged and photographed from above.

It started when a friend requested Golden to shoot his colossal collection of scissors that he has been hoarding. Golden tried shooting the staggering stockpile of shears individually, but the results didn’t impress him. It was only in context of the entire collection that the subtle variations were revealed. “Then it dawned upon me to lay them out on the floor and photograph them from above,” says Golden. Soon a series of images followed featuring camera gear, locks, flashlight and more.

The photos depict everyday objects, but the variety and volume of items in each print force the viewer to consider the minute differences between the products and the relationships between them.

Finding collections to shoot was originally Golden's biggest challenge, but the success of the series has unlocked a treasure trove of crazy collectors who are coming out of the woodwork. Sometimes, Jim Golden, working with stylist Kristin Lane, had to ask people to donate objects for the shoot. For instance, for the camera photo, Golden and Lane asked the Portland photography community to borrow gear for a day, resulting in donations of 400 pieces of kit. It took the paid 14 hours to lay out and photograph.