Kit and Garage Workshop - From the World of the Radio Kings

ReverendSpooky wrote: I still think adding that arm to an M32 or M33 body would be pretty easy to do, not to mention a fun project.  And it would look AWESOME.  

Ahh, yess... that is one of my 'dream' projects for sure. I've really just been waiting til I have the right tools for it, as I don't currently have all that much at my disposal. Because I'll need to not only do the arm itself, but I'll also have to modify a headsculpt in order to use it with the tbleague body. Probably one of those knock-off Hot Toys ones to practice on at the very least. And I'm still undecided which body I'd use, but thinking on it...

I truly appreciate the encouragement and the advice about how to go about it, and it makes me even more determined to attempt it at some point.  <3

ReverendSpooky wrote:The thing is, while all a bit taller than old jointed bodies, I think the Phicen bodies scale pretty well with each other.  Saint Crow is on an M32, which is the leanest, most wiry looking build.  Funny enough, it was advertised as the perfect "Bruce Lee" body type, but actually might be the tallest regular body (not counting the new super tall bodies).  Marrow is on the S16A, which is the average height (She's shorter than Saint Crow) thinner body, with narrower hips and shoulders and a smaller bust size, and pale.  Kit is on a S17B, which is the same body but in "Suntan" (TBL's more common color).  These are probably my 3 favorite bodies they've put out.

That's a good point about them scaling with each other. And also very interesting to know that the M32 is in fact quite tall ... it surprised me how tall Saint Crow looked compared to the girls. I guess I hadn't previously noticed, but this set of photos really emphasized that!

And omg, that is so crazy.... those two female tbleague bodies are the exact ones I've been eyeing up for months now! I hadn't got either of them though as when I measured they were far too tall to work alongside the male figure I wanted to display them with, even if he'd had ankle extenders on. Hence why I've gone with the smaller bodies. It's also so interesting to me that those two characters are essentially on the same body -- I actually had guessed the one you used for Kit, but for whatever reason, the body on Marrow looks totally different! :O Just shows how versatile they are, depending on what headsculpt you use, what clothes they are wearing, etc. Thanks so much for explaining, as it actually confirms the ones I'd already been leaning toward from among the 'regular' sized tbleague bodies, as well.

ReverendSpooky wrote:I fully agree, and actually having characters able to interact is a necessity. It's another area the TBL bodies really excel (damn, they should be giving me kickbacks the way I promote for them) and I love being able to do scenes with multiple characters.  I want to be able to portray those relationships, and convey them through their body language.  Although I have some villains to introduce soon too, so we'll also see how well then can portray some good old fashion violence.

With your level of storytelling, I can completely understand the need for up close interaction, whether friendly or violent. : )

And ahhh, count me super excited to meet the villains from this 'verse! Given how awesome and badass your protagonists are, I can only imagine what the antagonists are like!

ReverendSpooky wrote:AS for the chainsaw, it's one of my favorite accessories I've made.  The best part is that it winds up and the chain actually rotates!!!

A chainsaw sword....beyond amazing!!

Along with that motorized broom from the House of Seasons series, that chainsaw is one of the sexiest 1/6 acccessories I've encountered. ;D

Forgive me for focusing so much on the figures in my comments, as opposed to the gorgeous diorama. For what it's worth, I think that the nature of this particular setting, how utterly REAL and lived-in it feels, made me , in turn, even more appreciative of your characters.

Speaking of which, I may have missed this in your descriptions, but the red bandage/fabric tied around Crow and Marrow's hands....what does that signify?

Finally, a little detail I noticed this time around -- those stickers/decals on the worktables, crates, etc. are a small but brilliant touch! : )

GubernatorFan wrote:I love the additional shot of Saint Crow with that chainsaw. And so cool that it winds up and rotates! Not that this would have been necessary for your imaging...

As far as the printed background, you could appoint a separate task light (or whatever and however many lighting fixtures you choose) to illuminate it separately from whatever is in front (like the walls and doorframe of the room). You also don't have to worry about glare (if it is printed on non-glossy paper with non-glossy inks) or pixelation (if you have chosen a high enough resolution image). But if you can keep the lighting out of the way and the pixelation is not an issue, by all means you could use an image projected on a large enough screen.

One additional advantage of a printed background that would not apply to these particular settings (for the most part), is that if it is tall enough and if the bottom portion would work as ground cover, you could simply let it fold naturally (no crisp edge) forward and have your figures walking over it -- that is how Michael Crawford does the beautiful backfdrops in his reviews and one can hardly notice. Of course then the issue is not casting a tell-tale shadow. Here is an example from my M35 review (though the shadow is not perfect and I had only a small amount of material to use as flat ground):



Being able to combine the items you photograph with another digital background is an impressive art. But it seems to me that there is something to be said for being able to pull it off without special effects too, so to speak. You certainly didn't need any in these beautiful, evocative scenes.

That's actually pretty crazy how well that works!  I will have to give it a try.  I agree about preferring to just be able to capture an image like that.  But the course I got is actually taught by a pretty spectacular photographer, so I can see the potential for some amazing results.  

shazzdan wrote:I think a regular TV screen works best for backdrops that have their own integral light sources - such as the windows in the first of Ephiane's photos. I have a curved OLED TV. It doesn't use a backlight like a regular TV and the gentle curve helps create an illusion of depth. It should be a lot more versatile for making backdrops.

Interesting.  I've thought about using my TV too, and also might be worth some experimenting.

skywalkersaga wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote: I still think adding that arm to an M32 or M33 body would be pretty easy to do, not to mention a fun project.  And it would look AWESOME.  

Ahh, yess... that is one of my 'dream' projects for sure. I've really just been waiting til I have the right tools for it, as I don't currently have all that much at my disposal. Because I'll need to not only do the arm itself, but I'll also have to modify a headsculpt in order to use it with the tbleague body. Probably one of those knock-off Hot Toys ones to practice on at the very least. And I'm still undecided which body I'd use, but thinking on it...

I truly appreciate the encouragement and the advice about how to go about it, and it makes me even more determined to attempt it at some point.  <3

Yeah, I'd be hard pressed to imagine doing it without a dremel.  Although once you get one, it'll cover about 95% of your project needs.  

skywalkersaga wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:The thing is, while all a bit taller than old jointed bodies, I think the Phicen bodies scale pretty well with each other.  Saint Crow is on an M32, which is the leanest, most wiry looking build.  Funny enough, it was advertised as the perfect "Bruce Lee" body type, but actually might be the tallest regular body (not counting the new super tall bodies).  Marrow is on the S16A, which is the average height (She's shorter than Saint Crow) thinner body, with narrower hips and shoulders and a smaller bust size, and pale.  Kit is on a S17B, which is the same body but in "Suntan" (TBL's more common color).  These are probably my 3 favorite bodies they've put out.

That's a good point about them scaling with each other. And also very interesting to know that the M32 is in fact quite tall ... it surprised me how tall Saint Crow looked compared to the girls. I guess I hadn't previously noticed, but this set of photos really emphasized that!

And omg, that is so crazy.... those two female tbleague bodies are the exact ones I've been eyeing up for months now! I hadn't got either of them though as when I measured they were far too tall to work alongside the male figure I wanted to display them with, even if he'd had ankle extenders on. Hence why I've gone with the smaller bodies. It's also so interesting to me that those two characters are essentially on the same body -- I actually had guessed the one you used for Kit, but for whatever reason, the body on Marrow looks totally different! :O Just shows how versatile they are, depending on what headsculpt you use, what clothes they are wearing, etc. Thanks so much for explaining, as it actually confirms the ones I'd already been leaning toward from among the 'regular' sized tbleague bodies, as well.

Glad to help!  I hadn't even realized just how much that all makes a difference in perception.  

skywalkersaga wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:I fully agree, and actually having characters able to interact is a necessity. It's another area the TBL bodies really excel (damn, they should be giving me kickbacks the way I promote for them) and I love being able to do scenes with multiple characters.  I want to be able to portray those relationships, and convey them through their body language.  Although I have some villains to introduce soon too, so we'll also see how well then can portray some good old fashion violence.

With your level of storytelling, I can completely understand the need for up close interaction, whether friendly or violent. : )

And ahhh, count me super excited to meet the villains from this 'verse! Given how awesome and badass your protagonists are, I can only imagine what the antagonists are like!

Seriously, thank you.  The wastelands forge some pretty nasty monsters, and I'm excited to introduce them.

skywalkersaga wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:AS for the chainsaw, it's one of my favorite accessories I've made.  The best part is that it winds up and the chain actually rotates!!!

A chainsaw sword....beyond amazing!!

Along with that motorized broom from the House of Seasons series, that chainsaw is one of the sexiest 1/6 acccessories I've encountered. ;D

Forgive me for focusing so much on the figures in my comments, as opposed to the gorgeous diorama. For what it's worth, I think that the nature of this particular setting, how utterly REAL and lived-in it feels, made me , in turn, even more appreciative of your characters.

Speaking of which, I may have missed this in your descriptions, but the red bandage/fabric tied around Crow and Marrow's hands....what does that signify?

Finally, a little detail I noticed this time around -- those stickers/decals on the worktables, crates, etc. are a small but brilliant touch! : )

Ah, you have a great eye for the details!!!  I always hope that the environment helps bring the characters to life, and the characters give life to the environments.   And as long is the whole thing sucks you in to that world a bit, then I'm 10 kinds of happy.  

As to the red fabric, I've finally started committed to starting writing this story.  Here's an excerpt from right before Saint Crow enters the city of Grist:

"Put out your hand."

He hadn't known Marrow for that long, but long enough to know this wasn't a request.  He did as he was told.  She removed the tattered red cloth that she had always kept wrapped around her right hand, tore it lengthwise, and wrapped 1/2 around Crow's hand.  She held his hand a moment longer, then let it go, satisfied.  

"What is this?" he asked.  

"It's a piece of Abarath's cloak.  I was told that I was swaddled in it as a baby, and I always carry a piece of it with me.  And now, so will you."  

Crow looked at it a moment.  It was worn and stained, but somehow the color retained a vibrancy.  "Abarath?  The god you said watches over you?" He gave her a wry smile.  "So is this supposed to protect me in there?""

Marrow let out a little snort laugh.  It would probably have been adorable, if he hadn't heard her make the same noise after disemboweling someone.  "Abarath won't protect you.  He has no interest in your tiny life.  No, but wear his mark.  Go in there and stack the bodies of your enemies so high even the gods will take notice.  And if you die, die well.  Do it spectacularly, and maybe you too will dine at his table in the afterlife" she took his hand again and smiled that mad smile "where someday I'll meet you again."

And then she turned and disappeared back into the wastes.  

I'm a bit late to comment but that diaroma is amazing! How long did it take you to build it?

Peaches wrote:I'm a bit late to comment but that diaroma is amazing!  How long did it take you to build it?

Not late at all! The party's just getting started.

And thank you! I've probably been working on it for the last 6 months pretty steadily, but there are definitely some elements that I started on further back. It's a project I've been wanting to do for a couple years, but finally just committed to doing last year.

Ooh, so glad I asked! That's an excellent backstory/explanation, and your writing style is superb! Thanks for sharing. :')

Gahhhh, talk about diorama goals! O___O
Your photography and posing is as ever phenomenal- I particularly love the shots of Marrow swinging from the rafters and the one with the cat!

Marrow let out a little snort laugh. It would probably have been adorable, if he hadn't heard her make the same noise after disemboweling someone.

XDDDD

skywalkersaga wrote:Ooh, so glad I asked! That's an excellent backstory/explanation, and your writing style is superb! Thanks for sharing. :')

Ah, you're too kind! Yeah, this story has long been rattling around in my head and lately just begging to get out. Glad for the chance to share a bit of it.

Lynkhart wrote:Gahhhh, talk about diorama goals! O___O
Your photography and posing is as ever phenomenal- I particularly love the shots of Marrow swinging from the rafters and the one with the cat!

Marrow let out a little snort laugh.  It would probably have been adorable, if he hadn't heard her make the same noise after disemboweling someone.

XDDDD

Thank you!!! I'm always happy when the shots I try to capture a bit of the character's personality, and I'm not sure if they work or anyone will like, are well received.

And so glad you liked that line! Honestly, she's kinda my favorite

I meant to add that your story-writing skills appear to be very impressive, like the rest of your artistry.

GubernatorFan wrote:I meant to add that your story-writing skills appear to be very impressive, like the rest of your artistry.

Thanks so much man. There's so much story I want to be able to share that I just need to knuckle up and write it down. I just hope I can do it justice and the encouragement goes a long way.

Freeeeakking wowwwwwwwww! The details! The details! The details!
Man, oh, man! I thought I made a pretty good prop, but you are the King. Your Propane torch makes mine look like a joke! Holy Crap, what fun!
I felt like I had just watched a movie. This was SO visually stimulating that I keep having to go back and look for more.
I love the loader, who has the class two rating? Is it from a 1:12 set or some thing you made? It's absolutely fantastic!

I wish I could write stories, but unfortunately, I am merely a consumer of stories, LOL. That snippet is awesome

Peaches wrote:I wish I could write stories, but unfortunately, I am merely a consumer of stories, LOL.  That snippet is awesome

You've embarked on an ambitious project to create 1/6 versions of characters from one of your favourite shows. That's what, in my world, is called 'fan art'. And fan art is a transformative fanwork.

So, you are most certainly not 'merely' a consumer of media....in my eyes, you are a transformer of it.


And @Rev -- I, too, keep coming back to this one. What Pontiacivan said about it feeling like having just watched a movie is SO true. Thank you for the millionth time for sharing this work of art with us. :')

Pontiacivan wrote:Freeeeakking wowwwwwwwww! The details! The details! The details!
Man, oh, man! I thought I made a pretty good prop, but you are the King. Your Propane torch makes mine look like a joke! Holy Crap, what fun!
I felt like I had just watched a movie. This was SO visually stimulating that I keep having to go back and look for more.
I love the loader, who has the class two rating? Is it from a 1:12 set or some thing you made? It's absolutely fantastic!

Thank you Pontiacivan! Hey, I'm pretty sure I got the circuit board/pegboard tool rack trick from you!  It's dumb how stupid proud of that torch I am, but I was just thrilled with how well the hot glue flame photographed.  And that is indeed the complete wreckage of a broken NECA powerloader, reconfigured into some sort of scifi tabletop lifting thing.  Like a "helping hands" tool, but really big.     So glad you dig the photos!  Your scifi builds are always huge and epic, and a real inspiration.

Peaches wrote:I wish I could write stories, but unfortunately, I am merely a consumer of stories, LOL.  That snippet is awesome

skywalkersaga wrote:

Peaches wrote:I wish I could write stories, but unfortunately, I am merely a consumer of stories, LOL.  That snippet is awesome

You've embarked on an ambitious project to create 1/6 versions of characters from one of your favourite shows. That's what, in my world, is called 'fan art'. And fan art is a transformative fanwork.

So, you are most certainly not 'merely' a consumer of media....in my eyes, you are a transformer of it.


And @Rev -- I, too, keep coming back to this one. What Pontiacivan said about it feeling like having just watched a movie is SO true. Thank you for the millionth time for sharing this work of art with us. :')

I 100% second Skywalkersaga on this.  Once you've started on making your own figures, it's become fuel for your own creative undertakings.

And thank you all for the all too kind words.  I'm beyond ecstatic to hear I could convey a bit of this world and its characters, from the photos to the bits of story.  And it's such powerful motivation to keep this momentum going.

I am just blown away by what you've created here! You have outdone yourself this time. While photographically speaking, I find the lighting a bit flat and sometimes a little too dark for my tastes, in terms of composition and creativity and in creating a well-connected series of images, you deserve an A+. The detail of the garage....is just stupendous. It must have cost a fortune to build but you've thought of everything!

Again there is so much to say or write about this, I didn't know where to start and do all your great work justice.
Now that I have calmed myself down I can be more rational.
So here is a list pointing out details I like!
- the toolbelt
- goggles
- boots of power
- light sources
- photo filter stuff and overall quality
- the typewriter
- the love
- everything bike
- him sitting on the bike like a boy on Christmas
- chainsword and gun on bike
- Marrows weirdness and swinging
- Marrows bunny
- Marrows backside panty placement
- hooks and chains
- everything welding/cooking
- the workbench
- aliens technology
- the atmosphere those bricks create
- etc.

What I'd like to see in future
- hints of the outside world through holes in the glass, open garage door or something
- wrist joint covering for Kit. As a mechanic and welder she could really sport some (oversized?) working gloves. And maybe a bandana to protect the hair while welding.
- Expression heads would be awesome some day
- someone wearing that yellow welding apron on the wall
- more female hairstyle variation
-the goggles are very cool, but imagine the wild red hair flowing behind a real face covering welding mask.
- another set of underclothes for kit so she doesn't have to wear the same set every day. But maybe she is washing them every two days, only wearing her dungarees while they are drying. I think we all could live with that. It's the apocalypse after all.
- dirt and grime on clothes and bodies, maybe something that can be washed of if not desired anymore
- postapoc clothing mods for the cat like unnecessary extra armor, spike tail and eyepatch.

ThePhotogsBlog wrote:I am just blown away by what you've created here!  You have outdone yourself this time.  While photographically speaking, I find the lighting a bit flat and sometimes a little too dark for my tastes, in terms of composition and creativity and in creating a well-connected series of images, you deserve an A+.  The detail of the garage....is just stupendous.  It must have cost a fortune to build but you've thought of everything!  

Thank you!!!  So glad you're enjoying.  With photography, I know that lighting is my biggest weakness.  This was all done with either natural light during the day, or a couple of studio light and otherwise just the diorama's own lighting at night.  I'd been considering some of the Lume Cubes, but damn they're pricey, and that's money I could be spending on figures.  Blackpool made some great suggestions on here about using some of those Ikea RGB LED spots, and I want to give that a shot as a more affordable alternative.  And his photos are always killer, so that's proof of concept right there.  As far as cost, it's so hard to say.  I've been accruing stuff like tools for so many years, so there wasn't a ton I had to buy just for this.  I buy huge sheets of insulation foam for the walls, ceiling and floor, and there's a lot of wood and paper.  Hell, that yellow compressor is an old vitamin bottle and broken toy bits.  Looking at it, I probably have dropped a chunk on building it, I just did it over SUCH a long time, I didn't notice.

Ovy wrote:Again there is so much to say or write about this, I didn't know where to start and do all your great work justice.
Now that I have calmed myself down I can be more rational.
So here is a list pointing out details I like!
- the toolbelt
- goggles
- boots of power
- light sources
- photo filter stuff and overall quality
- the typewriter
- the love
- everything bike
- him sitting on the bike like a boy on Christmas
- chainsword and gun on bike
- Marrows weirdness and swinging
- Marrows bunny
- Marrows backside panty placement
- hooks and chains
- everything welding/cooking
- the workbench
- aliens technology
- the atmosphere those bricks create
- etc.

What I'd like to see in future
- hints of the outside world through holes in the glass, open garage door or something
- wrist joint covering for Kit. As a mechanic and welder she could really sport some (oversized?) working gloves. And maybe a bandana to protect the hair while welding.
- Expression heads would be awesome some day
- someone wearing that yellow welding apron on the wall
- more female hairstyle variation
-the goggles are very cool, but  imagine the wild red hair flowing behind a real face covering welding mask.
- another set of underclothes for kit so she doesn't have to wear the same set every day. But maybe she is washing them every two days, only wearing her dungarees while they are drying. I think we all could live with that. It's the apocalypse after all.
- dirt and grime on clothes and bodies, maybe something that can be washed of if not desired anymore
- postapoc clothing mods for the cat like unnecessary extra armor, spike tail and eyepatch.

Thank you Ovy!  I'm glad you dig it and that the list of stuff you like is the longer one!  Marrow is a bit off (years alone in the wasteland will do that to you), has pretty much no self restraint when it comes to thing she just wants to climb or swing from, and she's not very self conscious about much, like her butt showing.  And she very much loves Dodge the bunny.  And you're right, Saint Crow is definitely kid-on-Christmas happy.

As for what you'd like to see.

- hints of the outside world through holes in the glass, open garage door or something
We'd actually been talking about this a bit above, and I haven't decided if I want to use a printable background for outside (Hard to light right in the back there) or a screen (hard to get a screen and a 4' wide diorama to line up). But I'm always looking for places to shoot outside that would work for a post apocalyptic backdrop.  Although I'm not going anywhere until it warms up a bit.
- wrist joint covering for Kit. As a mechanic and welder she could really sport some (oversized?) working gloves. And maybe a bandana to protect the hair while welding.
The wrist joints really just don't bother me that much.  I think coming up when figures were nothing but ugly joints, that little wrist seam is so minor to me.  The bandana crossed my mind, although I don't want to go too Rosie the Riveter.  
- Expression heads would be awesome some day
Expression heads would be great, but having a variety of expressions with the same likeness is unfortunately too good to be true, without commissioning all my own heads.  And I ain't that rich.
- someone wearing that yellow welding apron on the wall
Gotta save something for future photo shoots, right?  
- more female hairstyle variation
Yeah, both Kit and Marrow pretty much just let their hair go wild.  Saint Crow is a little more concerned with pomade and the perfect pompadour.  Don't worry though, I have a bunch more character coming, and some of them actually care a bit about their hair.
-the goggles are very cool, but  imagine the wild red hair flowing behind a real face covering welding mask.
Welding mask would be really fun.  I'll keep an eye out for one, or think about taking a crack at making one.
- another set of underclothes for kit so she doesn't have to wear the same set every day. But maybe she is washing them every two days, only wearing her dungarees while they are drying. I think we all could live with that. It's the apocalypse after all.
No one has clean underwear in the apocalypse!   Although maybe a laundry day photoshoot is in order...
- dirt and grime on clothes and bodies, maybe something that can be washed of if not desired anymore
Those seamless bodies stain way too easily.  Although it's subtle, these are actually more stained and grimey than you think, just from handling and the weathering on the clothes transferring. It's a tough line to walk, and they can get unpleasantly filthy way too easily.  I think it's about as far down that path as I'm going to go.
- postapoc clothing mods for the cat like unnecessary extra armor, spike tail and eyepatch.
Ive actually been considering something along these lines, in relation to another character.  Couldn't decide if it was too silly or not.  I guess you'll have to just stay tuned to find out!

ReverendSpooky wrote:

ThePhotogsBlog wrote:I am just blown away by what you've created here!  You have outdone yourself this time.  While photographically speaking, I find the lighting a bit flat and sometimes a little too dark for my tastes, in terms of composition and creativity and in creating a well-connected series of images, you deserve an A+.  The detail of the garage....is just stupendous.  It must have cost a fortune to build but you've thought of everything!  

Thank you!!!  So glad you're enjoying.  With photography, I know that lighting is my biggest weakness.  This was all done with either natural light during the day, or a couple of studio light and otherwise just the diorama's own lighting at night.  I'd been considering some of the Lume Cubes, but damn they're pricey, and that's money I could be spending on figures.  Blackpool made some great suggestions on here about using some of those Ikea RGB LED spots, and I want to give that a shot as a more affordable alternative.  And his photos are always killer, so that's proof of concept right there.  As far as cost, it's so hard to say.  I've been accruing stuff like tools for so many years, so there wasn't a ton I had to buy just for this.  I buy huge sheets of insulation foam for the walls, ceiling and floor, and there's a lot of wood and paper.  Hell, that yellow compressor is an old vitamin bottle and broken toy bits.  Looking at it, I probably have dropped a chunk on building it, I just did it over SUCH a long time, I didn't notice.  

If you've ever sat through a portfolio judging at a professional photography school (I have sat through lots of them including my own) one of the things you will notice every judge mentioning is the how good or how bad the photographer's control of light is. Photography is to some extent, about taking control of the light, be it natural light or artificial and I think the only way you can really improve your photos is through better or more interesting lighting because every other element is just so good. One way of thinking about lighting units is as tools that you use to alter the "reality" of the situation. No...it's not the same altered reality as when you take LSD.... but rather using very controlled light to alter the appearance of the scene and or person / object you are photographing from what it would naturally look like.  

Presently, I use off camera portable flash for photographing my action figures.  Those are the flash units that are normally used in the camera's hot shoe to provide extra lighting where it's lacking, but they can also be used off camera, and in the case of more expensive cameras (mine for instance) completely controlled by the camera's built in fill flash, among other things. This isn't to say this is the best way for everyone....i happen to have all this stuff before I started shooting photos of action figures in the first place and it's probably best to start off with constant light sources, which is what they make us do in photography school in our first semester anyway.  

I think you're idea of using the IKEA LED lamps to start off with is excellent.  You can buy a bunch for the cost of a single Lume Cube, and while they don't come with diffusers or barn doors, you can easily improvise these things yourself for a fraction of the cost of the Lume Cube accessories.  Don't get me wrong...I'd really like to get about 4 Lume Cubes myself at this point, but as you said...you can buy a lot of figures for the cost of one of those kits. The figure in the linked photo is being lit by at least four, more likely five lights; two undiffused from behind, one diffused from straight above, another from up high, camera left and possibly one more as a fill from the front, though I would probably use a reflector instead. That would cost a lot of money in Lume Cubes or flash.  But here's the point....I challenge anyone to tell me and prove to me whether this photo was shot with flash or constant lights or how much those lights cost.  All you can say for sure is that the light is perfectly controlled.

https://giantoy.com/collections/boxed-figure-m-i-n-t/products/pre-order-star-man-ms-002-1-6-windbreaker-female-killer-of-battle-royale-figure

@Skywalkersaga and @ReverendSpooky , thanks, that is kind of y'all

@ThePhotogsBlog amazing you can see the setup in the finished product! Probably not so amazing as any master of their craft should be able to see what it took to build, but I have been reading up on photography lately and am trying to grasp the basics and am starting to feel the enormity of the skill set a pro has. Knowing what to use when, composition and creativity. And I want that skill!!! LOL.

My last and only "real" camera was bought in the 1980's and now I am hoping to get a Canon dslr, in the rebel family to learn with. I was thinking of using whatever cheap lights I can find as well, LOL.

But regarding @ReverendSpooky's pictures, there is something I like about the lighting. To me, it feels realistic, like the sun shining through although the windows shouldn't have anything shadowed on them, so I like them. Though it's limiting.

I see cool light fixtures there and would love to see a night scene with them included! How would you light something for a photograph that should look like those fixtures, which seem as though they do have power but are weak, are in fact lighting the scene? I'd love to know, and I'd love to see ReverendSpooky attempt it!

Peaches wrote:@Skywalkersaga and @ReverendSpooky , thanks, that is kind of y'all

@ThePhotogsBlog amazing you can see the setup in the finished product!  Probably not so amazing as any master of their craft should be able to see what it took to build, but I have been reading up on photography lately and am trying to grasp the basics and am starting to feel the enormity of the skill set a pro has.  Knowing what to use when, composition and creativity.  And I want that skill!!!  LOL.  

My last and only "real" camera was bought in the 1980's and now I am hoping to get a Canon dslr, in the rebel family to learn with.  I was thinking of using whatever cheap lights I can find as well, LOL.  

But regarding @ReverendSpooky's pictures, there is something I like about the lighting.  To me, it feels realistic, like the sun shining through although the windows shouldn't have anything shadowed on them, so I like them.  Though it's limiting.  

I see cool light fixtures there and would love to see a night scene with them included!  How would you light something for a photograph that should look like those fixtures, which seem as though they do have power but are weak, are in fact lighting the scene? I'd love to know, and I'd love to see ReverendSpooky attempt it!  

To be completely fair to Spooky, it would be very difficult light up a diorama like that the way I would want to do it because of scale and because it has a ceiling and walls on both sides. To respond to you statement about reality I will only say that there is very little real in any commercial photo. Photo lighting, as I have already stated, serves to alter the reality of the scene and light is used define elements of the photo in such a way as to make them really stand out.

My thoughts are that if one really wanted to light up a set like the one in these photos, it would have to be built with this in mind, and the discussion is making me reevaluate how I might want too build some of the dioramas I've been thinking of building, particularly the indoor ones. It's all wonderful food for thought.

Aww, yeah, it's true that some basic photography skills are helpful in this hobby, especially since the main way many people tend to share their customs and/or collections is via online platforms.  I very rarely share these things with people in RL, other than my husband -- not out of embarrassment but simply because there isn't always much interest. And even when people are interested, they may not quite understand the level of work that went into a figure, photoshoot, or display. One of many reasons why it's so nice to have a community like this who 'gets' it.

That said, I think people here also understand that not everyone is going to master every single skill set all at once....however tough that is for me to remember in relation to myself, at times, lol!

Regarding the lighting in the photos above, I can understand the critique of it, though I also agree with Peaches in that I found it gave a natural effect... as though one were standing in the scene with the characters. Sometimes a garage like that might be a bit murky when inside it, even with the ceiling lights and windows, so for me the lighting was not overly distracting for that particular scene/sequence. ETA: Photogsblog's additional comment re: 'altered reality' with lighting in photoshoots is a really good point and something I will also bear in mind! : )

It would indeed be neat to see night or darker photography with light contrasts, as it's something I'd be interested in too, for educational purposes. Though I'm more than happy to be along for the ride, wherever ReverendSpooky takes us.

skywalkersaga wrote:Aww, yeah, it's true that some basic photography skills are helpful in this hobby, especially since the main way many people tend to share their customs and/or collections is via online platforms.  I very rarely share these things with people in RL, other than my husband -- not out of embarrassment but simply because there isn't always much interest. And even when people are interested, they may not quite understand the level of work that went into a figure, photoshoot, or display. One of many reasons why it's so nice to have a community like this who 'gets' it.

That said, I think people here also understand that not everyone is going to master every single skill set all at once....however tough that is for me to remember in relation to myself, at times, lol!

Regarding the lighting in the photos above, I can understand the critique of it, though I also agree with Peaches in that I found it gave a natural effect... as though one were standing in the scene with the characters. Sometimes a garage like that might be a bit murky when inside it, even with the ceiling lights and windows, so for me the lighting was not overly distracting for that particular scene/sequence. ETA: Photogsblog's additional comment re: 'altered reality' with lighting in photoshoots is a really good point and something I will also bear in mind! : )

It would indeed be neat to see night or darker photography with light contrasts, as it's something I'd be interested in too, for educational purposes. Though I'm more than happy to be along for the ride, wherever ReverendSpooky takes us.

I think one of the things I might do at some point...once I've built up my figure collection a bit--I'm working on figure # 2 now and shortly expect to be working on 3&4-- is to shoot some diorama and other photos using different sorts of lighting....both flash and cheap LED lights along with lighting diagrams to explain how I shot them, and post them.

On the issue of doing things on the cheap, I'm reminded of a late glamor photographer named Peter Gowland. I was known for designing and building much of his equipment, including his own Camera's such as the Gowlandflex. But early in his career, he also built his own lighting equipment cheaply by installing lamp heads into empty oil cans and such. It's my opinion that the same can be done on to scale with modern LED lights and a bit of imagination in building accessories for them. I may try doing something like this come summer.

holy smokes, that looks awesome.

can hardly image the time and sweat you put into, but it really paid off.
this is a piece of art and fits the theme perfectly.

plus, always nice to see people giving the 1/6 theme proper room, due to its massive size it ain´t an easy task.

oddly enough, as much as i love customizing and "playing"/modifying my figures, building backgrounds almost felt like a chore, so all the more credit to this marvelous piece

cheers

I love where the whole photography conversation has gone, and it's given me a ton of food for thought.  ThePhotogsBlog, hearing that I've gotten as much right, and especially hearing it from you on this, is pretty mind blowing to me in general.  And your comments on lighting, along with Blackpool's recent lighting suggestions and tutorial have got me mulling over A LOT for my next shoot.  

Peaches is really right on what a colossal beast of a skill photography is, and truth be told, I have no background, training or real experience (outside of a lifetime love of it).  I think of myself as a customizer 1st and foremost, and have always thought that anything 3D is ideally experienced in person.  Any skill that I've picked up is been out of the necessity of wanting to try to share that work, and to do it in a way that is aesthetically interesting in it's own right, and to convey a bit of the story and sense of the characters I'm trying to get across.  So knowing next to nothing, everything is constructed with nothing more in mind than for it to look realistic, and the built in lighting made to look good in person.  It never even crossed my mind building it how it would effect photographing it.  I just assumed, like most things in my life, that I'd figure it out somehow.  But that's where it gets really tricky.  Because I want to take "good" photos, but I also want to present the actual work of the diorama.  Do I take a dramatic shot with a shallow depth of focus, or do I want the background that I spent hours on clearly in focus?  Do I light things to just highlight a figure, or do I want everything clearly visible so you can see everything there? So I think the natural look (Peaches and Skywalkersaga, I'm so glad that look resonated with you both) is what I wind up with by trying to satisfy as much of that as possible.

But the more I end up shooting, the more I really do want to up my photography game and improve. It's become a big part of the process, and I do think there is a lot you've mentioned that I can still make work, even in an enclosed dio. ThePhotogsBlog, I think the Peter Gowland story really illustrates that a little imagination and ingenuity goes a long way towards making it work.  

skywalkersaga wrote:Aww, yeah, it's true that some basic photography skills are helpful in this hobby, especially since the main way many people tend to share their customs and/or collections is via online platforms.  I very rarely share these things with people in RL, other than my husband -- not out of embarrassment but simply because there isn't always much interest. And even when people are interested, they may not quite understand the level of work that went into a figure, photoshoot, or display. One of many reasons why it's so nice to have a community like this who 'gets' it.

I think this is EXACTLY where I'm coming from, on the reason I went down the phography road how amazing it is having this community.  Skywalkersaga, I couldn't agree more.  

And Peaches, I shoot on a Canon Rebel and love mine.  Totally recommended.

Tjolnir wrote:holy smokes, that looks awesome.

can hardly image the time and sweat you put into, but it really paid off.
this is a piece of art and fits the theme perfectly.

plus, always nice to see people giving the 1/6 theme proper room, due to its massive size it ain´t an easy task.

oddly enough, as much as i love customizing and "playing"/modifying my figures, building backgrounds almost felt like a chore, so all the more credit to this marvelous piece

cheers

Thank you Tjolnir!!!  Considering the epicness of your Fallout dios, that means a lot.  And I completely agree on the tedium of backgrounds.  Truth told, I HATE carving bricks.   I hate it so much.  There are so goddamn many bricks in this diorama, and it's the MAIN reason it took so long for me to sit down and do.  But I LOVE old brick building so much, so it just had to be done.  There's a lot I wholeheartedly love working on, but I think sometimes there are parts of this hobby that are really is about wanting the results more than you hate doing the work. I know you get it.  

There are a lot of us with limited lighting experience for our photographs, but I honestly like your style. There is a certain aesthetic that makes all of your photos uniquely yours, and that’s what’s cool about them. I understand the desire to learn new techniques and figure out a balance, but I also agree that it’s nice to see all the details that you put in to your work. I have a feeling if you had figured out a way to light your garage in a more ‘realistic” manner, that many of us would still be asking to see it all lit up anyway to admire all those details.

ReverendSpooky wrote:I love where the whole photography conversation has gone, and it's given me a ton of food for thought.  ThePhotogsBlog, hearing that I've gotten as much right, and especially hearing it from you on this, is pretty mind blowing to me in general.  And your comments on lighting, along with Blackpool's recent lighting suggestions and tutorial have got me mulling over A LOT for my next shoot.  

Peaches is really right on what a colossal beast of a skill photography is, and truth be told, I have no background, training or real experience (outside of a lifetime love of it).  I think of myself as a customizer 1st and foremost, and have always thought that anything 3D is ideally experienced in person.  Any skill that I've picked up is been out of the necessity of wanting to try to share that work, and to do it in a way that is aesthetically interesting in it's own right, and to convey a bit of the story and sense of the characters I'm trying to get across.  So knowing next to nothing, everything is constructed with nothing more in mind than for it to look realistic, and the built in lighting made to look good in person.  It never even crossed my mind building it how it would effect photographing it.  I just assumed, like most things in my life, that I'd figure it out somehow.  But that's where it gets really tricky.  Because I want to take "good" photos, but I also want to present the actual work of the diorama.  Do I take a dramatic shot with a shallow depth of focus, or do I want the background that I spent hours on clearly in focus?  Do I light things to just highlight a figure, or do I want everything clearly visible so you can see everything there? So I think the natural look (Peaches and Skywalkersaga, I'm so glad that look resonated with you both) is what I wind up with by trying to satisfy as much of that as possible.

But the more I end up shooting, the more I really do want to up my photography game and improve. It's become a big part of the process, and I do think there is a lot you've mentioned that I can still make work, even in an enclosed dio. ThePhotogsBlog, I think the Peter Gowland story really illustrates that a little imagination and ingenuity goes a long way towards making it work.  

The late Peter Gowland, who was already very successful in the early 50's when my own father was still learning photography is my favorite photographer. I had the pleasure to exchange emails with him in 2006, when I was in my first semester of photography training. Gowland died in 2010, but his website can still be found online at www.petergowland.com and you might find it inspirational in a number of ways. First, there is the fact that he was well known for making his own equipment; The Gowlandflex for instance was designed to rectify a problem with current 4 x 5 cameras in that you could't keep track of a moving or jumping suspect the way you could with a Twin Lens Reflex like the Rolleiflex. Hence Gowland invented a TLR made for large format film.

But what you'll find more inspirational perhaps is that he had no formal training in photography, though he did learn a lot about lighting while working on Hollywood film sets. When i asked him what advice he might have to give to some first year photo students, one of the things he told me was to learn all the technical stuff so well that you don't even have to think about it and this something that makes a lot of sense. Photography is an art, but it has always been a very technical one and is much more so today than it was when Gowland was active. It's true that it's a lot easier learning to use photo and lighting gear not to mention Photoshop from people who already know, hence why I put myself through a tough and challenging night program in commercial photography while working a day job. But there is no rule that says you can't learn what you need to know to improve your lighting technique on your own. Professional gear like Lume Cubes are one approach, but as I like to say, pro photo gear has only three prices; expensive, exorbitant and un-afforfable. If you know what you are doing, no-one will be able to tell the difference between photos shot with a $300.00 Lume Cube kit and a pair of $15.00 Ikea lamps and some home made accessories. If you don't know what you are doing, the results will exactly the same, but your wallet will be a lot lighter.

Keep doing what you do and let inspiration take you where it will. We all love your work.

All in all, ya gotta admit, this one is a ton of fun! Please share more pics when you get the time!

Checking out that site now, @ThePhotogsBlog, thanks for that inspiration!

Very nice seanic pictures, funny Christmas cards and children. Looks effortless, but those action shots are sharp! Wish I were perceptive enough to get all the nuances in those pictures!

That is an awesome display diorama Reverandspooky.  I love all the little details in there, and it really aids in the story telling.

I also thought I would toss into the ring some of the old shots of my DAK stuff that I used backgrounds with to add to the background discussion.  

These are posters I bought off of the net.  I just searched desert posters and these were some of the ones that came up.  
The bases are wargaming desert mats.  

This setup gives too straight a line between the backdrop and the ground surface really though and the colours here could be matched better to improve the illusion.  

I am not a photographer so there is no special lighting here, just my normal house lighting and these are all snapped on my iPhone 8.

These backdrops sit behind these displays all the time, and I have included a couple of wider shots at the end to show the relative size of the posters etc...















Paul

Wow, just wow!

That's such a lovely way to display your figures, scalawag! I really enjoy set-ups like yours where the figures are in an actual 'scene' and have enough space to spread out a bit and be interacting with props and each other. While of course the poster/picture backdrop has its limitations when compared to a physical diorama, it does photograph nicely enough, especially considering the fact that it's 'just' the regular lighting in your house. Thank you for sharing. : )

There are so many creative ways to give a sense of a background in dioramas like this, and I'm looking forward to whatever 'optical illusion' ReverendSpooky comes up with.