This self-proclaimed "nerd in Vancouver who brings his toys on his hikes" takes photos of action figures that look so realistic, it's almost like they were actually in Vancouver. Good thing the city is still intact after those incredible fight scenes.
Mickey Conde started his Instagram account as a pandemic hobby after losing his job, and since then has brought his collection of nearly 100 action figures to life through movie-esque photos that blend action with Vancouver's landscapes.
"I've always been a bit of a toy lover. I'm a big nerd of Marvel, Star Wars and whatnot. So I just brought [an action figure] on a walk. I propped it down, took a picture, and then it kind of just went from there,” says Conde.
A few months after starting the account, Conde found a new job but decided to keep up his hobby. “I found [it] not [only] to be a lot of fun, but [also recognized] how having a new and challenging hobby is just so good for the mind and the soul, especially during a very weird time.”
Though the results will make you do a double-take, actually taking these photos in public can get a bit awkward, according to Conde. "I get a lot of stares and I've become very aware that I just look like a mid-twenties dude playing with his toys in public," he says. "But this hobby has taught me just how much happier we are if we are just who we are and are not trying to worry what other people think of us."
To his own surprise, Conde has sold a few prints, too, and gets messages from people all over the world telling him how his account has inspired their own hobbies.
Conde shares that Vancouver "definitely [has] a lot of nerds," from people who gather at Comic-Con to cosplayers to those like him, who collect figurines. "There's definitely a community," he adds.
