Toytography Magazine - Fall Issue - 4 of 4

September 2022

Accessorize without breaking the bank.

2 CASTING SHADOWS 3 FEATURED TOYTOGRAPHER 7 PURPOSEFUL POSING 13 PRACTICAL PROPS 18 ARTIST WALL 23 CONTEST WINNER 27 A Message from Brian Carr

A different perspective on lighting

SirDork (Jared Middleton)

Techniques for a believable photo

Accessories on a budget

Toytographers around the globe

Themed Contest #Celebration

CONTENTS

TABLE OF NOTE FROM FOUNDER

A Note from the Founder It's hard to believe just how quickly this magazine went from just an idea to what you hold in your hands now. The list of people who helped put this issue together is short, but significant, and I owe a great deal of thanks to them.

To Crystal Rivera, thank you for designing our logo and giving the new magazine name some style. To Sue-Ann Bubacz, ghostwriter and editor. I don't normally let people put words in my mouth, but you do it beautifully.

And finally, to Lee Love. I never would have made it this far without your solid advice and mentorship.

The purpose of this magazine is to address those burning questions that have been asked by those who seek to improve. This is for you.

r r a C n a Bri Founder

In this issue We address the many questions that have been asked about lighting, posing techniques and accessories.

We also feature a one on one chat with Sir Dork, who offers his advice and shares his experiences.

Don't forget to check out our artist wall and the themed contest winner.

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“If you want something to look interesting, don’t light all of it.” ~ J O E M C N A L L Y

If you study photography, you are no doubt a student of lighting. I know I am.

But, in a way, my understanding of lighting’s major significance in shooting toytography was discovered over time. At first, I shot all my photos in daylight to use natural light.

Eventually, I started experimenting (maybe it was a rainy day or something) with lamps and bulbs, shooting indoors. To add a little color, I played with a Hue bulb.

Cheesy, but it works!

Finally, I was introduced to better lighting and started getting phenomenal results. But, the more I played with lighting, and especially in viewing some photographs, I started noticing something surprising.

What I saw was how the shadows cast by the lighting added an intriguing element to many of the designs, landscapes, and settings.

Sometimes shadows lent an air of mystery or added contrast or depth of field to a shot. Other times, I began to feel that where I cast the shadows were often just the needed touch to make the photograph more interesting.

To make it haunting, or more perilous, or intense.

Casting shadows, I came to realize, was as important as the lighting. Using light and dark shadows to create a mood or a certain look or feel is now an integral part of planning. If I ponder what I want to achieve, I can then add effects conducive to the story I’m trying to convey.

Or I can use darker shadows to de-emphasize stuff I don’t want a viewer to notice. As an example, if I cast darker shadows in a specific place, I can hide things like breaks at the joints on a figure, stands, or wires.

I’m going for realistic in my toytography, so seeing some of my staging tricks or tweaks just doesn’t cut it.

When Photo Mentor, Lee Love, shared a quote by famous photographer Joe McNally, saying, “If you want something to look interesting, don’t light all of it,” it got me thinking even more.

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CASTING SHADOWS

Remember, I’m going for full-out “lifelike” in most of my designs, so this lighting technique proves extremely helpful. Plus, with zero photoshop skills, I’m forced to edit in the frame and get it in the shot as much as possible!

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Mastering this technique definitely makes my images more appealing...

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CASTING SHADOWS

Finding Light in the Dark...

I began NOT to light things, and the magic started progressing quickly. I hid joint marks on the figures and other flaws in shadows and unlit areas. It was so delightful for me to see the surprise on people’s faces on realizing they were viewing a toy figure they swore was human!

These reactions are gold to me, and I’m so delighted to see people spending more time looking deeper into my photos, talking about them, and generally focusing more attention on the work. An artist’s dream, really, and reason to feel the hours upon hours honing my craft is interesting to other people and talk worthy, perhaps.

Mastering this technique definitely makes my images more appealing, and my toy figures are often mistaken for real people—a huge win!

Here’s a trick for more control over lighting and shadows for your photographs. It works with any kind of light you typically use.

Cut a piece of black foam board into the size or shape applicable to your space. Set your light in the desired position, then use the board to cast a shadow over any area that takes attention away from the subject.

Using a black foam board helps absorb some light and not reflect it in areas you don’t want. Make adjustments as necessary. Adjustments lead to improvements, and improvements lead to better outcomes for your toytography.

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Featured Toytographer

SIRDORK By: Brian Carr

Toytography Magazine: First thing, just tell us a little bit about yourself.

SD: Alright, my name’s Jared. I go by SirDork online, and I’m a toy photographer. I’ve been shooting toys for, I don’t know… since 2014, so I guess it’s been eight years. I can, very fortunately and very luckily, say that. I’ve been doing it professionally maybe three years or so, which is the coolest thing to be able to say. I’m just so incredibly grateful, and it’s just my favorite thing to do, ever since I discovered what it was.

TM: Did you start out doing toy photography or were you doing something else before that?

SD: Yeah, well, it’s just something I discovered, and it happened. I started collecting, just posting my photos on Instagram, and I noticed that there’s this giant toy photography community that’s on Instagram. I just got so inspired, and I cared more about the photos themselves than the figures, you know? They were the number one priority. Then it was just kind of downhill from there. It just became everything I wanted to do, then it just kind of grew into this giant thing, and now it’s my whole life.

TM: Is that how “SirDork” came about? How did you come up with the name?

SD: The name SirDork I’ve been using since seventh grade. It was my online name, and when I made an Instagram account when I got my first smartphone, I was like “SirDork”. That’s just what I do. It was just a personal account. I just used it, and then I started posting, and it just kind of happened.

TM: Ah, ok! So, what kind of camera do you use for your photography?

SD: I use a Sony A73.

TM: What kind of lenses do you use? Do you have multiple lenses?

SD: There’s two that I switch out. I have a 40mm that goes down to F2.4. Then I have an 80mm that goes down to F1.8. They’re both fantastic, fantastic lenses.

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TM: Were you self-taught, when you got started, or did you go to school for photography?

SD: I had zero photography experience. For so long, I just used my phone, and then I was like, “Ok, I have to step it up. Let me get a camera.” Then I just slowly, slowly learned stuff from YouTube.

TM: Oh, yeah. YouTube University does quite a bit! So, when you’re doing your pictures, what’s your creative process for a photo? From the time you think about an idea, to the time you execute it, what’s your process for that?

SD: It’s so different from one photo to the other. It’s always kind of in my mind. I’m always keeping my mind open for inspiration.

Eventually, something fun, and creative, and interesting, and conceptual, will just kind of pop in my head as I’m just living my life. Then, I get this list in my head of different photos I want to do. Then, when I have the time, or I get the right daylight, then I’ll go out and I’ll set up and shoot. Then, I’ll go and edit right afterwards. Sometimes, my idea will include things I don’t have, sometimes it includes things I do have, and I’ll go through and do all this stuff just for one photo. For example, this recent photo I did, I got the new McFarlane Martian Manhunter. I have to do something fun with him. I can’t just do something usual.

So, I was like, “It would be really fun if I did a photo with him and Marvin the Martian, because they’re both Martian.” Wouldn’t that be so fun? So, I went on eBay, and I was wondering, “Are there any good Marvin the Martian toys?” I found this little bendy figure of him, but it ended up working great. So, I bought him, and I was like, “Ok, I really want this to be on Mars, because they’re both Martians.” So, I went to a sand-ish kind of area, took a photo, and edited it to look like Mars, so it looked kind of red, instead of normal sand. And it just kind of happened. The key for me is just to always keep your mind open for inspiration. Just keep thinking about stuff all day long.

TM: So, when you’re going through your process, where did you

A good place to start is grabbing a $20 figure, or something cheaper than that, that you found loose, just to give it a shot.

get the idea to start using fireworks? Where did that come from?

SD: When I first started, there were a lot of people using fireworks and doing action stuff, and I was super inspired. So, when I first started, there was this guy named sgtbananas on Instagram, everybody knows him. I was super inspired by him. Just beautiful war scenes, Star Wars scenes, using fireworks, and I was super inspired by it. His work is a lot different now than it was back then. His style has kind of evolved, like everybody else’s, but that specific style of his really got me. He was probably the biggest inspiration; I just thought his stuff was so cool. So, that’s where a lot of the original “I want to do action stuff” came from, from me seeing that, and just wanting to do that.

TM: I have to say, I look at those photos, and there’s a lot of times where I wish I could do that. Because I’m buying Hot Toys figures, and you know, it’s $200-300 for a figure. I’m like, “Oh man, I really want to use fireworks, but I don’t want anything to catch fire!” (ha ha) SD: I know! A good place to start is grabbing a $20 figure, or something cheaper than that, that you found loose, just to give it a shot.

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TM: I was thinking maybe I could do it, but just have the fireworks set off way off in the distance.

SD: That’s a great idea! That will still look awesome.

TM: Actually, you are the reason why I use the canned smoke and the Bam Drain Blaster.

SD: Awesome! All great things!

TM: I saw that one YouTube video you did about your gear (Everything you need for toy photography), and I was like, “Oh man! I never thought about doing that!” So, I used your affiliate link and bought, I think, four cans. I went out to this little garden area next door to me and I used the canned smoke you suggested with my figures. I got some cool pictures of the Punisher looking like he’s going through the jungle, and it has the smoke going through, and I was like, “Oh man! Good advice!”

SD: That is so cool! Awesome!

TM: So, out of all the stuff that you have, do you have a favorite toy? Like, you take pictures of a bunch of different toys, but there’s this one that you come back to like, “Man, I’m not done with you.”

SD: Definitely! And I have different favorites for different things. My go to answer is, my first ever storm trooper black series figure. He’s mostly for background stuff now, but he’s just been through so much. He looks very weathered. He’s 100 percent naturally weathered. He looks that way because of all the stuff I’ve put him through. His hands are melted a little bit, and he can’t really hold a blaster anymore, so I had to glue it to his hands. I love that guy. His name’s Travis the Trooper.

TM: I’m the same way. I think, out of all the Hot Toys figures that I have, or really all the 12-inch figures that I have, I always go back to my Arkham Knight Batman. It’s funny, because that’s the one that a lot of people complained about.

The outfit that [Hot Toys] put him in, it kind of restricts the movements, but man, he looks so cool when he’s standing there. It’s so intimidating, I mean, that’s the way I want him to look. I’ve been able to get a few dynamic poses, and just the same as your storm trooper, I put him in so many different poses that it’s kind of worn around the shoulders. But that kind of adds to the wear on it, so that totally works.

SD: Definitely!

TM: So, you mentioned earlier, when you get ideas, you go to different locations. Do you go out and scout locations? Or do you have one spot that’s your dedicated spot that you go to?

SD: I have a few spots that I really like that I love to go to. I have one spot that’s got a bunch of waterfalls, I have one spot that’s got a bunch of sand, but honestly a lot of my photos are right in the backyard. I won’t so much use location as my inspiration anymore. For so long, that was the way my brain worked. But I’ll think of the idea or the concept first, then I’ll be like, “Ok, where is the best place for me to do this?” Most of the time, I could just do it outside, because what’s happening in the photo ends up being more important to me than where the photo is. It’s always changing for me.

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For instance, when I talked about that Martian Manhunter, I was like, “Well, I want to do this, so I have to go here to do it, because this would work out.” So, it was like the idea would always come first for me and then I’ll choose the location. But most of the time, the idea that I have is so much more about what’s happening that the background doesn’t really matter so much to me anymore. Even though it does, but… I don’t know. It’s just my brain… evolution, it’s just always changing.

TM: Considering where you live, do different seasons cause different inspirations behind your photos?

SD: Yeah, totally. I live in New York, so we definitely have four very distinct seasons. I mean, when it is winter, I really have to try my best to utilize it, because I primarily like to shoot outdoors. So, I really do have to try and adjust my inspiration for the wintertime. I don’t have a whole lot of dioramas, so I don’t usually do a lot of diorama shooting, which is my own fault. I just choose to do outside stuff. So, yeah, in the winter, I really do have to shift a little bit and think of ideas that will work in the winter.

TM: Was it the wintertime when you did the SubZero photo?

SD: Yes! I was like, “Well, it’s winter.” I got nothing but snow and ice, so I might as well.

TM: So, for as long as you’ve been doing photography, is there an area that you consider you’re still learning?

SD: Oh, my gosh. All of the areas. The first thing, I think a great attitude to always have is, and this can apply to life in general, if you come to a point where you think you know everything about a subject, there’s something wrong and you have to reevaluate. Because it’s literally impossible to know everything, so you always have to keep your mind open for learning stuff.

There’s definitely a lot of areas that I want to get better at. The more you understand cameras…. There’s just so much. Understanding cameras and the way light works, there’s just… there’s never a time where I’m not trying to learn new things. Especially with the best ways to combine different elements in one photo. So, if I want to have more than one subject in the photo, how can I do that with this kind of special effect and this type of lighting? Because sometimes, with this many subjects, then I might not be able to do this with my lighting, and there’s always just different combinations of how you can bring…. I don’t know. There’s just never a time where I think I know everything. There’s always something. So, I think that’s a really good attitude to have. You should always approach everything in life curiously. There’s always stuff to learn.

TM: So, I mentioned to you about why I was doing the [Toytography] magazine. What was your inspiration behind the “Toys In Action” convention?

SD: Actually, there’s a really funny story behind that.

The company that I’m doing, “Toys In Action” with is this company called Learning Journeys. It’s kind of like a family business. It’s my girlfriend’s mom’s business. It’s an educational travel company that creates these travel programs where you go to this beautiful location, but you learn something at the same time, and you get to leave with this certificate to say “I completed this course through Learning Journeys”. They have stuff like “Go to Scotland, learn how to brew whiskey”, and it’s all kinds of stuff like that. It’s really cool. So, knowing I’m a toy photographer, [my girlfriend’s mom] is like, “Alright, let’s create a toy photography program.” So, we had a couple of programs where we had these weekend long workshops, and a class in New York, which is in a beautiful location.

Because it’s literally impossible to know everything, so you always have to keep your mind open for learning stuff.

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During one of those workshops, we were having dinner later on, and she’s like, “How come there’s not anything like a toy photography convention? Like a con?” Well, there’s been a lot of people in the community kind of fantasizing about that, people talking about it all the time, like, “Wouldn’t it be so cool to have a Comic Con, but just for toy photographers? Wouldn’t that be awesome?” So, I told her, “Yeah, people have been wanting and fantasizing about this forever. That would be awesome.” And she was like, “Ok, let’s do it!” I think that was in May of 2021, when that happened. So, ever since then we started planning, and then when we finalized it, it was hard work getting everything set up until it happened in June.

TM: So, your girlfriend’s mom helped you with all the marketing for that?

SD: Yeah, Learning Journeys did most of the funding, and my girlfriend and I. My girlfriend’s the Chief Technology Officer, it was her and I kind of co-directing and putting this thing together. Definitely a group effort for sure. It was super awesome how it worked out.

TM: Yeah, it looked really good. I watched your video with all the testimonials as well. It looks like a lot of people were like, “Please, do another one.”

SD: Yeah. It was so cool to see how many people were enjoying themselves. Especially the kids. There were a lot of kids that were just super inspired. Yeah, that was really cool.

TM: If I remember correctly, you already did something for Mountain Dew way before that convention, right?

SD: Ha! Yeah!

TM: How did you get into that? How did you even get their attention?

SD: It’s kind of like, I want to say, the American Dream story, but that’s not it. It’s kind of like, every time you post something online, like on Instagram, and you’re tagging… let’s say you take a picture of a storm trooper and you tag Star Wars in it, and you’re hoping, and you’re like, “Star Wars! I want Star Wars to see this!” I had this great idea.

What if I did a bunch of pictures with these Mountain Dew flavors, but then also put a Power Ranger in the photo that kind of matches. So, I just did that for fun and Mountain Dew noticed. They saw it, and they liked it, and they reached out, and they’re like, “Hey, we love your stuff. We want you to continue your vision. Let us send you some stuff.” And they did. Later on, they contracted me for a job.

It was the launch of their Dew Store, which is their merchandise store. They wanted me to take some pictures, and they paid me. I got a bunch of free stuff too.

It was really, really cool. I love Mountain Dew. TM: So, the lesson learned is hashtags do pay off?

SD: It does! It really does! Hashtags and tagging the company. Yeah, you never know. Somebody could see it and think it’s awesome and you’re in.

TM: So, when you see other people, or people come to you, even at the most recent Toys in Action convention that you did, what’s the question that you always get asked from the people who follow you?

SD: That right there is an interesting question. I’ve never gotten that one. Well, there haven’t been a lot of in person experiences. Every once in a while, I’ll run into somebody who’s seen me on YouTube or something, but that’s very rare, so there’s not always a whole lot of questions. But online, a lot of questions are just very natural, reasonable things people ask. Like, a lot of questions are from people just getting started, like, “Do you have any tips?” I’ll try to keep track of the questions that I get most often and that’s what influences me to make videos. So, if I ever get a question, I can answer them way better with a full video, instead of me just trying to type something out that says, “Well…” There’s only so good of an answer that I can type on my phone. But I can create a whole video and I think it’s great for me, because it’s people coming to my channel, but also, I can give them a better answer. Like, another question I get is, “Where do you get your action figures?”

I’m sure you’ve gotten that question plenty of times. So, I did a whole video about that, this is all the best places to get them. Yeah, so “Do you have any tips”, “Where did you get the figures”, and also, “How did you get started”, and all of these honestly very curious things that I would ask, too. I can’t think of any questions in person. There’s definitely been questions where I’m shooting outside in a park or something, and the question is, “What’re you doing?” Or, I’m sure you get this too, they’ll ask what I’m doing. “Toy photography.” “Oh, is that like stop motion?”

“No, it’s just one picture.”

TM: As a matter of fact, and this has actually happened a couple of times, so I’m curious if it has happened to you, have you ever had the police pull up on you to find out what you’re doing?

SD: Yes, actually! I can think of two specific ones.

Obviously, it didn’t turn into anything.

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TM: Right! But still, they kind of roll up on you like, “What are you doing?” I had one instance where I was using the canned smoke and someone actually thought I was trying to catch something on fire. It just so happened the police were going by, and he stopped to see what I was doing, and when he realized that I turned and looked at him and just kept doing what I was doing, that caused him to be like, “Ok, well he didn’t jump up and run.” So, he looks a little closer and he says, “Are those toys?” I was like, “Yes, these are toys. I’m taking pictures of toys.”

SD: Yep! That’s so funny. One time a cop came up to me and he just comes right up out of the car and he’s like, “Alright, whatcha got?” I’m like, “I’m doing some toy photography. I can show you.” “Oh. Nevermind.” It was like he was disappointed. “Oh, I thought you were flying a drone or something like that.” “Oh. Nope, just taking some pictures of toys.” And he was not interested. I was like, “Come on, I’ll show you.” And he was like, “Nah.” And he drove away. And I was using fireworks that day, so I don’t know. Maybe he just didn’t see them.

TM: So, my last question is, for the people that are going to be reading this and looking to the magazine for help and inspiration, what advice can you give to someone who, basically after reading all of this, they want to get started. What advice would you give to them?

SD: I would say, there’s never a bad place to get started. Everyone literally has to get started, so whatever you got, you can get started with that. So, if you have a phone and you have one action figure, it doesn’t matter what you got, you can get started with that. And my best tip to get better and to keep doing it is just to keep doing it. Keep doing it all the time, keep trying new things, and sometimes, if you want to improve, go out of your comfort zone. If you ever think of something like, “Oh, that’s a cool idea. I can’t do that,” don’t ever tell yourself that. Just do it. Try it. If you fail and the first shot sucks, that’s alright, I’m sure the second one will be way better, because you’re going to learn a whole lot. That happens to everybody. Keep doing it as long as you’re loving it. As long as you’re loving it, keep doing it, and do it because you love it. Don’t do it because of anything else. Just do it because you love it and you think it’s awesome, and if you’re ever feeling like it’s much, then maybe it’s time for a break. But just do it because you love it.

TM: That’s good. Well, Jared, thank you very much for taking the time to chat. I greatly appreciate it. I know it will be a big help to so many other people.

SD: I appreciate what you’re doing. The more awareness we can bring to toy photography, the better it is for us, for all of us. I think this is awesome. I think you’re doing an amazing thing. Thanks for thinking of me for it.

(Instagram: sirdork730)

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THE ANATOMY OF

PURPOSEFUL POSING Ever wonder why some toy photography, as great as it is with lighting, story, and whatever, still falls short? If there's something awkward or unrealistic in an otherwise great shot, it may be the pose, or posing, of your figure(s) that's offkilter!

Getting natural looks and humanism into toy

If the pose isn't selling it, the rest of your image takes a hit, and the feel of reality trickles on out of your photograph. See ya.

grouping of things to try and practice.

Remember, your viewers want to believe, but you've gotta give them a reason to; besides, you want that double take, right? I know I do.

So, I got my notebook out and, with my good friend, Anthony, from the popular Facebook Group, “Sixth Scale Posers,” put together ideas and tips to help you solve those imposing posing problems so you can nail those killer poses!

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poses isn't always as easy as it seems, but I'm studying it closely all the time to pull it off consistently. Yes, you want to be able to do this time and again. I think you'll find the list Anthony and I came up with gives you a pretty nice Whether you’re posing 1/6th scale, 1/4th scale, or even 1/12th scale figures, these are good tips to apply to your toytography. Let’s get started!

Study the Anatomy.

Most figures try to emulate the human body in their design, so start with learning how anatomy works. Notice how people stand, sit, run, squat (or whatever) to gain insight for creating realistic poses. Use these real human examples to help set poses for characters in your settings. Observe and copy! You can even use a human model to work your figure(s) into the correct positions.

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Find the Center of Gravity in Poses.

Standing or positioning your figures gets easier when you think about center weight. If your figures are falling over, you haven't found it. Adjust the legs, feet, torso, or all the above in order to get your figure to balance properly.

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Use Hidden Stands.

Depending on the angle of your photo, it’s possible to pose your figure using a stand that's simply out of sight, a secret! This works best when your figure is in jumping or running positions. There are also all sorts of unique props to help hide stands cleverly. Or, of course, you can go the editing route to hide particular stands. However, taking time and planning for proper posing to place your figures at the correct angle as they are leaping or running makes a world of difference in your final image.

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Make Minor Adjustments.

This one takes patience. Depending on the joints (particularly the shoulders) of the figure, you may need to make minor turns in order to get an arm or leg raised to the height you desire. Some joints are stiff and take time to work into the right placement. Other times, the figure is wearing clothing that's a little restricted. If so, slowly and patiently work with the material to get the figure into your desired stance.

Take Your Time.

You'll find some figures simply are NOT posable right out of the box.

You can, however, adjust them over time. Don't worry if adjustments take days before they are fully functional. This tends to happen when a figure is sitting in its package. A figure may sit in packaging for weeks (or months) before it makes it into your hands. So, it may take some extra care before a figure is ready for the poses you are going to make happen. Relax and enjoy this coaxing time because it takes some work and practice.

Like anything worth doing, capturing the poses to tell the story, sell the story, and tug at viewers' emotions means giving your characters the right look. A pose isn't about a stiff look but about making an image look as realistic as possible.

Bending your figures in impossible positions doesn't ring true or sell that feeling of reality, of human, you are trying to reach to connect with people or intrigue them.

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Practical Props Props that pop do it silently at times, sitting quietly and inconspicuously in the background, yet they often carry the story.

Other times, they are front and center, but act still in merely a supporting role.

The point? Props are an important part of telling a story, and add color and detail to a setting, character, or theme.

Using props adds authenticity to the ideas you’re trying to visually showcase. They help build a realistic scene when you work with toys or toy figures of all kinds.

Props add character. Props add style. They bring color to a set, change the meaning, or hide flaws while embellishing your image’s theme.

Props are often the toytographer’s final perfect touch for making a scene believable!

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"There are a lot of good places to find great little props to fit your budget."

Where do Props Come From?

If you’re skilled at PhotoShop or other photo editing software, you may simply add any imaginable prop there is in post-production. Other toytographers create their props using 3D printers, or design them by sculpting foam.

But, if you’re not artistically inclined, can’t afford to hire designers, or don’t have a lot (or any) post processing talents, then these ideas will come in handy for you. They’re affordable AND easy to find!

Try to select your props with accuracy for the period, theme, story, and characters you plan to use.

Brainstorm possibilities and pre-plan ideas for what you want, and organize lists to cover different set designs or for reusable assets.

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Once you brainstorm and plan, finding what you need gets easier. Plus, it assures you won’t forget a key piece or any item to create your compelling visual tale.

Keep an open mind and stay on the lookout for any other possible treasures you may happen upon.

For small budgets, but realistic and natural looking items, try your local pet store! The aquarium section offers a bunch of delightful surprises in the way of rock formations, treasure chests, bridges, and stone castles.

Most of the reptile and aquarium props are just the right size too!

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Shop local arts and craft stores or hobby shops to find usable props of all kinds. Dollhouse accessories, home items, and furniture are helpful and sized right as well.

Packs of snow or sand are available for creative purposes.

Use your imagination and try to repurpose objects to resolve design issues.

Try to remember consistency in your set designs, respecting time (periods) for props, so they convey authenticity. At times, props are the key to setting the mood, adding “color” to a setting or story theme.

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Set Materials

Hobby shops are also the right place to find various materials to build custom diorama sets to use for creating your photo scenes. And speaking of diorama builds, a good place to find materials is your local hardware store. Pink insulation foam, for example, is a great material to use for making walls for minimal cost. Try playing with canned smoke or using fans to add to the atmospheres you conjure!

And while you’re at the hardware store, find just the right “terrain” to ground your settings by buying one piece of tile. The wide variety of possible styles, looks, and designs you can grab in the form of tile pieces is unlimited and usually cost about three to seven dollars.

Sometimes, the easiest way to find props is to look around the house, particularly at the kids’ toys and toy sets. Borrowing from Barbie’s world, Tonka Trucks, and a menagerie of other kiddie goodies reaps great prop rewards. And, they’re already hanging out around your home just waiting to get in “the pictures.”

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Y H P A R G O T L Y L O T WA

Shelly Corbett, USA

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Scotty Willis, Australia

Adam Aguilar, USA

Kenneth Davis, USA

Matthew Binetti, USA

Trey Hockman, USA

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Dario Orlando, UK

25 Haietem Gasmi, France

Brendan Crates, Australia

Yossi Schori, Israel

Jay Boaz, Canada

Michael Mansell, Canada

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Congratulations to the themed contest winner! #Celebration Name: Haitem Gasmi Country: France What type of camera do you use: Nikon D850 How long have you been photography? Since April 2021

doing

toy

Tell us a little bit about your photo. I’m a huge fan of the Original Star Wars Trilogy. Also, I’m deeply in love with cinema, especially theaters, and I love the mood of this dark and quiet room full of people… So, for me, it was a mandatory step for a big, fun, and aesthetic shot. I love using props in my composition, and I use them like characters. They’re as equally important as the toy. I thought it would be very cool to use my big collection of Hasbro Star Wars Black Series figures for this shot. It’s the perfect range of toys, with good articulation and sculpting and a lot of diversity of characters.

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It took 30 different toys to create this shot. I use the same concept with my Hasbro Marvel Legends figures.

I start with an idea, and during my setup, I have more ideas. I like to work on integration. I think it’s the best way to stay creative. It was a bit difficult to use the lights to catch the mood of a cinema without the picture becoming too dark. The posing was also difficult. I created this diorama with the help of a friend. We used wood, carpets, and some metal plates for the light decoration (left and right). The seats were printed in 3D and painted.

Instagram: Bespincloud

3rd

2n d

Next Contest Theme: #Thatsfunny The theme for our winter issue contest is humor. Create an ORIGINAL photo that is something humorous (and clean) Use the hashtag #ThatsFunny.

To submit a photo for the next contest, just post your photo in the Toytography Magazine Facebook group. The photo with the most votes wins. You must preorder the coming issue for your image to be accepted.

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SHARE YOUR

PHOTO

Photo Submission To submit a photo for the Toytography Wall in the next issue, post your photo in the Toytography Magazine Facebook group and use the Hashtag #issueno2 You must preorder the coming issue for your image to be accepted.

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NEXT ISSUE: Featured Toytographer - Sgt. Bananas (Johnny Wu) DSLR vs phone - What's the differences?

Scouting locations - Where are the best spots ?

Aperture priority - What to know first!

Lighting - What works best, soft or harsh?

Website: Toytographymag.com Instagram: Toytography_Magazine Facebook Group: Toytography Magazine

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