The Monthly Megapixel is your chance to appear on the front page

6:00 PM on 12.01.2009   |   Jason Millward

With every passing week it becomes ever more clear to us how incredibly talented our community members are. The c-blogs are constantly treated to photoblogs of figures contributed by our readers. We feel that these amazing talents deserve a spotlight, so we bring you the Monthly Megapixel.

We've adapted the Monthly Musings feature to capitalize on the unique creative spark of the Tomopop community. Each month we'll give you a theme to inspire your photoblogs. Take that idea and run with it. Get your figures out and get to photographing. Create an amazing post and you could see yourself highlighted on the front page as a guest editor!

To kick off the first Monthly Megapixel, December's theme is "The Holidays". Hit the jump for the basics and some ideas to get the creative gears in your mind turning.

[Photos by Gamergirlkit from her c-blog]

The basic guidelines for the Monthly Megapixel work like this: creatively photograph your toys in a way that represents the theme. Oftentimes this can be done with the setting or location of your shoot. (I've always been a big fan of building sets.) Creative use of props would be a great way to pull off an impressive shoot. Using your toys and figures to show a narrative story through your photos is a fantastic way to make a c-blog memorable. Or if building customs is how you butter your bread, constructing a toy that represents the theme is another possibility.

In terms of writing, this is also wide open. If your pics stand up on their own, don't feel the need to let the words get in the way. If a small amount of text under each photo will help sell a story, then go with it. Should you want to use your pics to illustrate an essay on the theme, make it happen. It's all up to you. Just be sure to include "Monthly Megapixel:" in front of the title of your blog.

With the general guidelines out of the way, let's get to this month's theme. With Thanksgiving 2009 in the history books, we find ourselves smack-dab in the middle of the holiday season. Step outside, turn on the radio or television, or just turn your head a bit to the left and you're bound to find something holiday-related to fuel your inspiration.

You could do something simple, like toys under an evergreen. Or perhaps you've got some figures who might want to exchange gifts with each other. (Just what would Optimus Prime get for Hatsune Miku?) The holidays aren't just about Christmas. I can imagine a Nendoroid spinning around like crazy on a dreidel (Gimel!), or toys gathering around the soft glow from the menorah. You could have your Revoltechs doing whatever kind of awesome anti-establishment things that people do on Kwanzaa. (I've always hoped that it involved listening to lots of punk music, but I'm likely dreaming.) Or they could be watching the ball drop on New Year's Eve.

From figures drinking hot chocolate together in front of a fire to reenacting scenes from A Christmas Carol (who would play which part?), this topic is loaded with possibilities. So, get on it, folks. I can't wait to see what you come up with.