I mentioned that I wanted to experiment with lens flare for drama when I posted the quick fixes for common lighting problems yesterday. Here is my first no-planning-involved attempt, using the Square Enix Play Arts Kai Batman (who is totally awesome, if you actually need me to tell you that). I’ve intentionally set up one of my LED book lights
My setup time for pictures is usually pretty quick, because I find it more efficient to start snapping and correct on the go, than trying to get it perfect right off the bat. With this before and after shot of the Square Enix Play Arts Kai Arkham Asylum figures (they are really awesome, by the way), I’ll highlight some lighting issues you might come across and give you some quick and easy solutions for them.
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.
Continue reading “How to Use Laser Pointers for Dynamic Action Figure Lighting”
Yes, I took a picture of Hello Kitty for AFP. But this isn’t just any Hello Kitty – it’s Chun Li from Street Fighter in her Alpha costume, and she’s flanked by the most awesome Chun Li action figures ever made – by Square Enix and SOTA. Surely that buys me back some of my gangsta street cred, right? 🙂
Continue reading “SDCC 2012: Toynami Street Fighter Hello Kitty Mashup Plush Exclusive”
I really do love the Square Enix Play Arts Kai Street Fighter figures. They’ve got great sculpts and paint, and the articulation scheme really gives you some awesome poseability. As I was fiddling with the four that have come out, Chun Li, Akuma, Ryu, and Cammy, I was reminded how much I loved the SOTA Street Fighter figures, and how many of those came out during its all too short toy lifespan. Even though their scales don’t match, I wanted a shot of them together, so I put this together, showing off the newcomers from Square Enix in the foreground, with the SOTA line as the backdrop.
Continue reading “Square Enix Play Arts Kai and SOTA Street Fighter Pics”