Toy photography has become very popular in the toy and collecting community. As a pastime, it’s a great way to blend your love of figurines with an artistic outlet. While it might seem like you need fancy equipment and a lot of know-how, anyone can successfully photograph their collectibles and make it look professional.
Regardless of your skill level, here are five creative action figure photography tips for people wanting to take their hobby to the next level.
Build a Mini Stage
You might not have access to lavish sets with intricate details when you're first starting out. Don’t let this stop you from beginning your toy photography journey. Get crafty and build your own miniature stages fit with unique props to recreate a professional photography setting.
Use Effects
Posing your figurines on a stage will look nice, but the real magic happens when you add dynamic effects. This creative action figure photography tip will bring your pictures to life, and you don’t need any special effect tools and machines to do it. With the right camera shutter speeds, you can mimic rain and explosions that look ultra-realistic using everyday household items.
Play With Lighting
Lighting can help you create a specific ambience that can drastically upgrade your toy photography. Using lights makes your photos clearer and helps play up the drama in your shoot. If you don’t have access to high-quality studio lights, using lamps and ring lights with LED bulbs will work just fine.
Use Your Environment
The cool thing about photography is that you aren’t bound to the four walls of a studio. Use your environment to your advantage and take your pictures outside. Add touches of nature like bark, leaves, and puddles to evoke a sense of adventure. You can also take advantage of natural lighting and craft incredibly creative photographs from the comfort of your backyard.
Tell a Story
Ultimately, good photography is about telling a story. You can clearly communicate a narrative through pictures with various lighting techniques, poses, and effects. Instead of setting your figures up in static positions, keep body language in mind so you can portray specific emotions. You can also utilize props and backgrounds to construct the message you're trying to convey.
Whether you’re passionate about photography or just getting started, taking pictures of your figurines is just one of many ways to put your collectibles to good use. Let us at Shumi Toys & Gifts pair you with the perfect Banpresto action figure today!