Making My Own Character: The Plague Doctor
Have an idea for a shot but can’t find an action figure to create it? Try taking an existing figure and adding your own accessories, like my plague doctor.
Tag: Dave DeBaeremaeker
Building My Own Background: Learn to Make a Diorama
One of the largest issues with toy photography, especially for those of us who shoot primarily in a studio, is finding suitable backgrounds. I recently tried to build my own background using foam and some craft paints. This is the result. I got this idea from a channel I stumbled …
Protecting Your Creative Space: Social Isolation and COVID-19
As I write this, the world is rapidly shutting down due to COVID-19, the so-called coronavirus. Like many businesses, my office closed to encourage social isolation, and I am now working from home for the next month. My first thought was, “Woohoo, I don’t have to wear pants!” My second …
Gaining Confidence with Shooting Toys in Public
It can be intimidating to create art in public places. It can be doubly difficult when that art is a niche thing like toy photography. This post is about how I gained confidence with shooting toys in public. If you are like me, the most intimidating aspect is a fear …
Comic Book Covers (A Quasi Six-Image Narrative)
Many of the characters who inspire me come from the pages of comic books. Beyond the characters and stories, comic book covers have a life of their own. Some covers have become iconic and many are proper art in and of themselves. Recreating these covers seems like a natural extension …
Escape!
Dave’s Log: Toydate 20191114 I preordered a sweet new Optimus Prime action figure from ThreeA Toys today. I can’t wait until it shows up! Dave’s Log: Toydate 2020128 Good News! My new Optimus Prime action figure arrived at my studio today! I don’t have time to play with him right …
The Blackest Black Backgrounds
The background I want for an image depends entirely on what story I want to tell. Sometimes I want an elaborate, realistic image. Other times I want something simple. Sometimes I want pure black. Pure black has all sorts of benefits. I like it because black sets a certain mode …
Looking Forward to 2020
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2020. A lot of people use this time of year to to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new year. When it comes to my creative self, I dislike setting goals. Art is too much of a fickle mistress to plan …
A Very Special Deadpool Christmas
A Very Special Deadpool Christmas
Inner Vision
Sometimes my inner vision is stronger than my real vision. Where one may see a pleasant beach scene, I see an Imperial invasion.
BTS: Rorshach in the Rain
With the right tools complicated shots become easier. Take a peak behind the scenes taken with a Platypod, Lume Cube, and bee smoker.
Multiples of One
Over the past few years I’ve really come to love Photoshop. It is an amazing photo editor and allows me to create any world my demented little brain can imagine.
BTS: Model Making an AT-AT
For my entire toy photography career any non-LEGO shot I took used pre-made models. Aside from some props, what came in the box gets put directly in front of the camera. I was inspired to try something new, and I ended up with this image: This post is a behind-the-scenes …
Creating a New Reality
Adam Savage, the famous MythBuster, is fond of saying, “I reject your reality, and substitute my own.” With clever use of toys and Photoshop, substituting one’s own reality becomes child’s play.
Review: LEGO Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
The profile of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle is a classic sight on American highways.
BMW And The Fett
A while ago I was browsing all the options at the LEGO store, and I noticed something intriguing. I had an idea, and I had the strongest desire to see if I was correct. So I ordered a Technic BMW Motorcycle, and a Boba Fett buildable figure. I really didn’t …
To Boldy Go… With the LEGO Saturn V
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon. How did he get there? In the most powerful rocket ever made by mankind, the Saturn V. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first time man walked on an extraterrestrial surface, and brought …
The Winner Is…
Over the past month I have had the privilege to receive a couple significant awards for my photography. Despite being pretty cool from a personal perspective, I think they have significance for toy photographers being seen as a legitimate art form. But first, let me go over the awards. Guru …
A Toy Photography Workshop
I may have created a toy photography monster. Last week I travelled to Orlando to hang out with an amazing group of photography friends that we refer to as the Scavengers. This is the group of awesome folks that got me into photography in the first place, and many are …
Ikea Dioder Review
I am always looking for interesting ways to add light to my images. So when I was walking thru Ikea and saw a multi colour LED kit, (called Dioder, cause Ikea is awesome with product names) that is designed for lighting shelves and display cabinets, I figured I’d see how …