Whether you’re a total newb or a living legend, pretty much all toy photographers enjoy the validation and exposure from having our work reposted on Instagram feature pages. Along with putting our shots in front of others, these accounts highlight brilliant and inspiring pics from a wide range of artists, help us keep up with the best shots by our longtime favorites and lead us to discover new talent.
But not all accounts are created equal—it takes time to build a reputation for consistent quality and engagement with the community. Make sure to find and follow pages that represent the kind of work you like and that repost images in keeping with your own creations. After all, you won’t get a Star Wars photo featured on a Marvel Legends page, a horror pic reposted on a Star Wars page, or a LEGO shot on an action figure account, right?
To set new toy photographers in the right direction, or introduce veterans to some fresh content, we’ve put together a solid list of 10 toy photo feature pages on Instagram. Use the recommended hashtags and see if your creations make the cut! If not, spend some time scrolling their feeds. Each of these accounts is full of exciting work that will educate and inspire even the best among us.
@starwarstheblackseries
By far the most popular and powerful 6-inch Star Wars action figure page on Instagram, @starwarstheblackseries delivers daily photos of Hasbro’s Star Wars the Black Series and Bandai’s S.H. Figuarts, as well as related news and content to its more than 140,000 followers. Find epic shots by heavy hitters such as @sgtbananas, @everthingkylo, @tuskenmilkbar and the #C3PBros_JSI trio—@workmoreorless (shown above), @swittpics and @blksrs—among many, many others, not to mention plenty of first-time features by promising up-and-comers.
Not a day goes by on this account without mind-blowing, inspiring photos, customs, dioramas and hot news and info from the 6-inch Star Wars toy world. Use the hashtags #starwarstheblackseries and #tbsff to submit your shots. A feature on this account will get in front of a lot of eyes and absolutely help build your following.
@articulatedcomicbookart
One of the first major toy photography communities, Articulated Comic Book Art (or ACBA) goes back to June 15, 2009 when Kendel Gray, aka Boog Nice (@boog_acba), coined the term. Boog has since created a thriving Facebook group with nearly 13,000 members, and a well-curated @articulatedcomicbookart Instagram account with more than 64,000 followers. More importantly, Boog pioneered a comic book-inspired style which focuses on excellent posing, paper cutouts for sound effects (see @mo__yassin‘s photo above) and word balloons, and no reliance on Photoshop or other computer-generated imagery or effects.
Any aspiring toy photographer would do well to join this community, but be ready to bring your A-game and grind hard toward improving if you want to win respect here. Members of the Facebook group will quickly point out your shortcomings, but it usually comes with valuable constructive criticism that will inevitably make your work better. Superhero shots are definitely favored in the ACBA world, but no one will deny a great photo here—no matter your subject or approach, even if it uses Photoshop (sparingly).
Include the tags #articulatedcomicbookart and #acba to get your pics featured, and visit articulatedcomicbookart.com to learn more about the form and its history. The site even has a small shop where you can buy limited-edition, themed cutout packs, flight stands, action figure accessories and more.
@mythiclegions
Beautifully sculpted and perfect for toy photography, Mythic Legions is one of the most exciting action figure lines available right now, and its fervently loyal fan base grows bigger by the day. Four Horsemen Studios designed each figure to be totally modular and customizable, leading to some truly mind-blowing creations. A number of social media groups and pages focus on this aspect of the line, but @mythiclegions is all about the toy photography.
It’s the best account on Instagram to find amazing shots of favorites such as Sir Galeron, Knubnik the goblin, Tibius, Vorgus Vermillius and all the denizens of Mythoss. And the work keeps getting better as more folks join the growing horde of collectors. With pics by some of the usual suspects and top players in the game—along with shots from guys and gals who only photograph this line—you’re guaranteed to find inspiration in this feed. Use the tag #mythiclegions to submit for features.
@118af
The 1:18 scale (3.75-inch) action figure community isn’t as large as the the 1:12 (or 6-inch) scene—especially when it comes to toy photography—but adherents are truly dedicated to what we like to call #theonetruescale. And with so many excellent lines and companies, such as Star Wars the Vintage Collection, Vitruvian HACKS, Marauder Task Force, G.I. Joe, Acid Rain World, JoyToy and Dime Novel Legends, among many others, they have good reason to be excited. The @118af feature page is a celebration of all things 1:18 scale, with a special focus on toy photo features, as well as customs, news and the occasional look back at a classic figure line.
Full disclosure: I (@oliversees) created and run this page, but I’m pretty sure it’s the most-followed page that’s still active on IG and covers all 1:18 scale lines. The former leader, @one18thtoylove, hasn’t posted since September 11, 2018, and it won’t be long until @118af reaches and surpasses their 1,400 followers. This number seems low, right? It just goes to show how niche the 1:18 world has become in recent years, but plenty of folks are fighting to make sure it’s not forgotten with tags like #save375. After all, this is where Star Wars and G.I. Joe toys began! [Ok, G.I. Joe began as a 1:6 scale (12-inch) line, but they began as 3.75 for me!]
Visit @118af to join our great community of talented artists, and use the tags #118af, #oneeighteenthscale and #118thscale, as well as any 1:18 toy-specific tags—like #maraudertaskforce, #starwars375, #vitruvianhacks, #acidrainworld, etc.—to get featured.
@epictoyart
One of the longest running Instagram feature pages, @epictoyart has no major parameters. As the name suggests, the only rule is that pics must be of toys, and they must be EPIC! This is a great place to find a truly diverse cross section of images from the hobby, featuring all kinds of toy lines, scales and styles. It’s impossible to scroll the @epictoyart feed and not come away inspired. Considering the level of quality on display here, getting featured on @epictoyart is quite a good feeling and a badge of honor. Most, if not all, the best toy photographers follow and tag this page.
You’ll definitely get noticed if your work reaches the account’s 53,000 followers. Use the #epictoyart tag to submit pics for features. Just remember, more than 1.1 million images tag #epictoyart on Instagram, but the page has only published about 11,500 pics—that’s just a 1% success rate! So don’t feel too disappointed or discouraged if you’re not chosen on your first try.
@toyoutsiders
A huge segment of the toy photography community focuses solely on shooting outdoors, and @toyoutsiders is ready to pluck out and feature the very best of those pics. With more than 13,000 followers, this account regularly showcases well known faves, but it’s also a great place to discover some accomplished photographers you’ve probably never seen.
If you like shooting outdoors or simply enjoy admiring others’ outdoor pics, @toyoutsiders is definitely worth a visit. Take some time scrolling the feed and see how fellow photographers take advantage of natural light and landscapes. Studio shots are wonderful, but a really well executed outdoor image is very hard to replicate inside. Use the #toyoutsiders tag to submit for features.
@brickcentral
Most serious LEGO fans know BrickCentral.net as one of the go-to LEGO photography websites and communities. By extension, more than 61,000 AFOLs (adult fans of LEGO) and enthusiastic kids also follow @brickcentral on Instagram. The account presents a beautifully curated selection of LEGO toy photography from artists all over the world. Many of the images come from artist features and reviews on the site, but other pics are chosen from the many remarkable feeds on Instagram.
This account exemplifies what can be accomplished with LEGO photography in all its forms. There’s truly something for everyone on @brickcentral, even those who may not realize how much they can appreciate LEGO toy photography. I challenge anyone to scroll this account and not be amazed and inspired. Try tagging @brickcentral directly in your posts, or add the #brickcentral tag, which has been used more than one million times on Instagram. Also keep an eye out for monthly themed contests and special days when they purposely feature photographers with a low follower count.
@sixinchlegends
Marvel Legends fans are legion in the toy photography world, and @sixinchlegends has become the best line-specific account on Instagram for news and pics about these beloved action figures. Along with displaying incredible Marvel Legends toy photos, the page also provides timely info about new releases, exclusive sightings in the wild, great customs and dioramas, and more.
Take a look at all the fantastic shots and get inspired to create and submit your own. Use the #sixinchlegends tag for a chance to be seen by the account’s nearly 24,000 followers.
@toptoyphotos
Another major force for toy photography features on Instagram, @toptoyphotos is tagged often by many. Like @epictoyart, the page features all kinds of photos of all brands of toys, with the only real rule being that the shots are good. Use the tag #toptoyphotos to submit your shots for consideration.
Additionally, @toptoyphotos hosts regular integrated Toy Group Alliance toy photo sessions, which join sister pages in asking photographers to post new pics with a special session hashtag and then take the time to view, and hopefully like, all the other photos with that tag. Winners are announced later. Many of us got our start in sessions like these, which help new photographers introduce themselves to the community, including the account’s nearly 44,000 followers. Also look for other themed calls for pics and join the fun!
@one12community
Operated by ToyPhotoCast host and @dagobah_customs diorama builder Dakota Spicer, aka @dagobah_days, this is the biggest and best feature page on Instagram for pics of Mezco’s popular One:12 Collective action figure line. Recently, the account expanded its reach to include a greater range of 1:12 scale action figure lines, such as Mafex, Marvel Legends, 1000toys and more, as well as some news and related posts. The well-curated photo features are always worth seeing, and the page’s story highlights section offers specific parameters to assist hopeful photographers submitting work. Use the tag #one12features to be seen by the account’s 22,000 followers and possibly get chosen for a repost.
– Oliver Peterson (@oliversees)
What’s your favorite toy photography feature page on Instagram? Have you had positive experiences with the accounts listed above? Tell us about a great account we didn’t name, and comment with the link below!
Hey Oliver. This was so informative and helpful. I learned a lot and appreciate your details and tips. Thanks so much!
Thanks Doug!