I set up this scene using a collection of objects from my childhood, to show that I am grateful for the safe and loving environment I grew up in. I included a toy car that me and my brother used to play with, a toy nutcracker my parents gave me, a book in my home language (Marathi) that my parents used to read to me at night, one of my childhood stuffed animals, and a vase my artistic cousin made for me when I was young. The vase is obscured by the darkness, though– if I were to do it again, I would adjust the camera settings to make the shadows less stark.
The entire scene is set up in a dark closet and lit with a single flashlight taped to a shelf. Once I took the photo, I edited it in Photoshop to make it seem more old and sepia-toned, to go with the “childhood” theme.