Last week, I was chatting with Shelly about an upcoming photography challenge here on Toy Photographers which piqued my interest. I won’t spoil it, but the idea sent me rifling through the drawers of photo gear I have in a closet to see if there was something I might use. …
With the right selection of apps, one can edit toy photography on a phone, without ever having to use a desktop computer.
Before I write this, I need to kick proceedings off with a disclaimer of sorts. By no means do I claim to be an authority figure with an extensive knowledge about the finer details of weathering toys. I most certainly did not invent it. Nor am I an innovator in …
Your toy photography can make the perfect, unique gift. Whether it’s Christmas, Valentine’s Day, a birthday or graduation, this is your chance…
If you are a Star Wars fan, and a toy photographer, you’re likely going to run across an image that contains lightsabers. You may be wondering how such effects are made. There are many ways to create lightsaber effects, however the way I use is to simply do it in …
As I have mentioned before in previous posts, lighting in photography is king; without it, we don’t have photos.
When life gets busy, does your toy photography get left behind? Teddi Deppner shares her top 3 tips for keeping your toy photo mojo alive!
In today’s post, I want to show you a technique that I use a lot for my toy photography. I call it the layered light method and was introduced to it by Justin @justineastmanmedia, a very talented digital artist and toy photographer. I’ve used it for several photos that I …
I’m super excited to share this technique with everyone. Dubbed ‘Light Stenciling’, it’s a trick I’ve used in multiple shots, and I’m always floored by the results. It’s easy to pull off, doesn’t require a ton of gear and can add a really cool effect to your toy photography. What …
When I first got started in toy photography one of the biggest challenges was determining how to create a scene for my photos. At first, it all revolved around the toys. It is “toy” photography after all. Which LEGO figures do I want to be together in this scene? Or …
As toy photographers, we go to great lengths to avoid camera shake. From using tripods and remote shutter releases, to holding our breath during an exposure to avoid unintentional camera movement. The rule of thumb is that the steadier your camera is, the cleaner your image will be. Thankfully, photography …
If there’s one thing I could point to that makes the Star Wars aesthetic so unique is its gritty, lived-in quality. So, as a photographer of Star Wars toys, it should come as no surprise that I’ve started to experiment with achieving that look myself.
This portrait session with Catwoman just happened. I had set up for something entirely different, and when that picture did not quite work out, I just started toying with this action figure. While trying different poses and arranging the light, I had a couple of thoughts I would like to …
Four Bricks Tall takes us behind the scenes of this photo of the Byers house in the Upside Down with floating LEGO particulates of evil.
Inspired by James Gibbs‘ “Toying with Bright Ideas – Playing with FIRE!“, I wanted to put together a post for those, like myself, who are a bit more timid when it comes to mixing fire and toys. Real fire is extremely dangerous to work with, not to mention the hazard it …
Awesome Light = Awesome Photos Amazing light has always been something that attracts people to photos.
Subtle differences in angle, light, pose, and crop can make a huge difference in the emotion and story conveyed by your photo.
One of the ways to add energy to a photo is to introduce a sense of motion.
Sitting at the bar down by our lake, drowning my sorrows, lamenting not making it to Utah this year, it dawned on me that I’ve never really taken many toy photos in the lake’s water.
I created my recent Endor series as a challenge to push myself and see if I could create scenes that were based in a more real-world setting compared to my usual brick-built backdrops.
