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Action Figures and Toys Pictures
and Photos
Photos
of the Figures - Scenarios
- Tongue
in Cheek
- Christmas
Photos
- Captain
J's
- Other
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CJ, or Captain J, works to make some truly incredible pictures. Here you'll find the very
best, and these two links have information about how to create sets for your own pictures. Enjoy!
how to build
indoor sets - how to build outdoor sets
-----> Spotlight on... Tooth and Claw <-----
-----> Spotlight on... New Earth <-----
-----> Spotlight on... Father's Day <-----
-----> Spotlight on... The Girl in the Fireplace <-----
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I've found that the two main competing considerations for these kinds of photos are showing the detail of the toys and props vs. achieving a realistic look. As soon as you try to use certain kinds of lighting to show a lot of detail, you lose some realism, and as soon as you try to pull back the lighting a bit, you lose detail, of course.
So what happens for us is that we first stage the toys and backdrop (or I do, really) then we think up whatever lighting we believe will be the most visually interesting and bring out the most interesting details of the toys, where my girlfriend really has the most skill.
It's not easy, but lots of fun, very relaxing, and very gratifying when you love the result and share it with other Fans and they enjoy looking at them.
Cheers, CJ
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The first challenge was matching the colour and angle of the light and shadows to match with the printed backdrop. I think I did it--with difficulty. The doll had to cast a shadow against the mantle and the wall (to match with the clock's shadow) but not against the lower part of the backdrop with the fireplace proper, or it would give it away. My girlfriend would have probably had an easier time of it, but she was off lighting something or other for Disney, like that's important! Well, at least they pay her.
The doll never looked like it really was in the same space as the backdrop each time I tried it. The problem is that the photo backdrop of the wall with the eponymous fireplace is taken at an angle. So I had to remember what I've learned about "forced perspective" from watching too many DVD extras where this comes up, reading about the chalk drawings of Julian Beever, etc.
The doll in the picture is actually turned at an angle relative to the backdrop to an extent that looked rather ridiculous, except when looking through the camera. You can't even see that in the picture, but it is. Because of the angle of the camera, the perspective works and it looks like the doll is actually part of the backdrop. (I hope.) The fact that there's an extension of the flooring that you can fold and stand the doll on seems like it would make things easier, but it also really complicates the perspective issues. The camera has to be positioned just so.
The last thing to deal with was getting the fireplace to "glow" a bit and not look too dim and fake. An extra spot on the fireplace not only made it brighter, but also reflected onto the doll just as the light from the fireplace might do if it really was there. I'd like to do this one again someday, making that effect even brighter and more noticeable. In the JPEG version, I can see now that it still looks a little too dim.
Yes, I realize that using Photoshop to bring the doll together with the background would make things easier in many ways. But where's the fun in that? Well, ok, fun for people that enjoy using Photoshop, but I'm much more interested in lighting and photography and want to take these as "real" pictures--using Photoshop only for small corrections or to extend backdrops just a bit where needed. More challenging, but more satisfying.
I just want to say that I think the 12" Clockwork Man is one of the coolest toys of any kind ever. The picture looks great because the product is great. I don't know if it will show in the JPEG version, but in the original file you can actually see the detail of little floral patterns embroidered into the Clockwork Man's clothing, and then there's all the detail in the trimming, and in the mask. Good lord, for what is ultimately a children's toy these Clockwork Man 12" figures are like little works of art, IMO. And the inclusion of the backdrop just makes it even better. A pleasure just to contemplate for the hour it took to get a good photo.
Here are some tips on taking photos of the TARDIS, all from CJ's girlfriend:
- Make sure the room is dark. Set the camera to allow for very low light.
- Direct an ordinary directional spot (household lamp is fine) down through the open top of the TARDIS at different angles. Make it very dim.
- Watch for stray shadows that don't make sense.
- Try different camera settings 'til the green light doesn't glow too brightly.
- See if your camera has a specific setting for taking pictures of small objects at a short distance, and if you can use it in combination with the focus-setting that allows foreground and background to be in equal focus at the same time--all the better. My girlfriend's camera allows for both settings at once, while mine doesn't, so we use hers.
(with thanks to Babyjelly for the background in this and many pictures, and Seb for the idea to have Boe
hiding away to show how unimportant he was back then. How little we knew!)
As with the 12" Clockwork Man upthread, I resisted the temptation to create my own backdrop, even as that might have made things a bit easier, since part of the idea is to showcase the toys as products in the best light possible (no pun intended). So, for all these pics I'll always try to utilize whatever just comes with the product. Obviously this photo just makes use of the doll itself, and the printed backdrop--with flooring extension flap--that comes in the box.
This one was a bit easier than the Clockwork Man since the backdrop photo isn't taken at a funny angle, so there are no tricky perspective issues. To sell the background as real and "place" the doll within convincingly, the only concern was to carefully match the lighting to that of the background, while making sure there's no glare from its glossy surface.
To get this effect, this picture uses three lights--one cold LED to make the translator ball appear to glow and to match the background shadows (take a look at the bolts, hinges and control panel on the door), another smaller LED to light the Ood's face dramatically, and a just touch of warm light from a third incandescent with a filter, to try to somewhat match the lighting feel in "Impossible Planet".
So, for "Rose", of course there was no literal scene like the above at all. However, what I've tried to capture there is the idea that Rose and the Doctor are separated from one another, with Rose facing the Autons and the "mysterious" Doctor and his TARDIS are off to the side observing the action rather than taking part. I think this captures the spirit of "Rose" better than trying to stage a literal scene.
For the backdrop, I've used a printed photo of contemporary London at night, not connected with Dr. Who. I don't Photoshop in these backgrounds, as I feel that misses the point and also tends to look less realistic in some ways. So all the backgrounds you'll see in all these pictures are actually physical backdrops present when the photos are taken.
Girlfriend achieved the lighting which gives a night-time feel to go with the background, and I imagine this one as if the flooring the characters are on is some parking lot or something on the bank of the river, and you can see across the river to the London skyline.
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