How to Use Laser Pointers for Dynamic Action Figure Lighting

There’s so much to love about MatthewK’s photo reviews. I spent some time talking with him about his setup and process, and one thing we discussed was how he creates lighting effects for things like laser beams or jet pack flames, like you can see in the “Space Ace” portion of MattK’s Masters of the Universe Classics Vykron review. The secret, he told me, is tiny LED lights – that and a whole lot of patience. Basically, he sets up in darkness, opens the shutter on his camera, triggers his flash for the basic lighting, and then draws the lighting effect he wants. The patience is key, because it takes a lot of tries to get it just right.

Since I am a pretty impatient guy, I thought I’d try something simpler. I found some action figures and accessories that I could try lighting with a couple of simple laser pointers that my wife picked up for me. So, while you won’t be getting laser beams in this article, you might still find some pretty cool looking action figure pictures – I’ll explain how I set up each shot so you can try it for yourself.

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Flashback: Mezco Hellboy Movie Figures are Still Awesome

Long story short, I was reading the latest Hellboy TPB, The Storm and The Fury, and that got me nostalgic for the first Hellboy movie, and that got me to break out the old Hellboy movie toys by Mezco – at least the ones that I could find. I’m sure the others will turn up, as I have some toy reorganizing to finish up in the next week or so, but for now, here’s some shots that I took. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did shooting them!

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DC Universe Classics Legion of Doom

I’ll admit that when I was a kid watching reruns of the Hanna Barbera Super Friends cartoon, I never really gave any thought to the Legion of Doom. For me, it was all about the Super Friends. The bad guys just existed to give the good guys a reason to display their heroics – and in hindsight that may have been the basis for the show to begin with.

Growing up with these characters in comics, cartoons, and movies, it slowly started to change. The bad guys became more interesting. I started understanding their motivations, and even started rooting for them. DC Universe Classics, with an assist from its predecessor DC Super Heroes, has let me reassemble the Legion of Doom in plastic form. Stack them up against the DC Universe Classics Super Friends, and tell me you don’t want the bad guys to win!

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Playmates Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shellraiser Quick Pics

I recently picked up the new Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shellraiser and had to snap a few quick pics. These kind of show off how this vehicle is practically a small playset for your figures, as you can find a place for each of them plus a bad guy and make a really nice display. The last pic shows just how large this thing is – it barely fit in my lightbox!

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