Found any treasure from this year’s Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong? Apart from displaying the collectible toy figures at home, many hobbyists also take and share photos of them on social networking site with like-minded friends. Check out this article to learn how to take more expressive photos of toy figures with simple techniques!

You need a camera to take photos of toy figures, of course. As for the lens choice, lens with high magnification and close-up capability is preferred, and you may need a macro lens for miniature toy figures. Also prepare the following tools:
• Backdrop paper
• Flash or desk lamp
• Tripod
• Brush (for sweeping off the dust on the toy figures)

In general, keep the background clean and simple such as using a black paper to outstand the toy figure’s appearance and shape. Depending on the mood you want to create, you can also use backdrop paper in gradation colors or metallic shade. For example, a blue backdrop paper can bring out the feeling of a blue sky. For more advanced approach, we can set a scene for the toy figure to enrich the photo’s content and story for more realistic and impressive result. For example, we can use a forest or war zone for background when photographing Gundam figures. Just bear in mind that the scene and size should be in proper ratio to avoid overshining the main subject.

What kinds of light sources are good for toy figure photography? Natural ambient light is the most basic one. Place the toy figure near a window and use the natural light as side or back light. To have greater control on the light direction, we can use a desk lamp instead. Attach a piece of parchment paper on the lamp to soften the light. This can prevent casting hard shadow on the figure. Besides, put a reflector (either a piece of white paper or foil paper) right opposite to the light source to add some fill light for the shadow area to bring out the details.

Some toy figures such as Saint Seiya and Transformers have a strong metallic finish. We can shoot with flash to highlight the reflective nature unique to metals. By triggering an off-camera flash to add a side light or back light, a greater sense of depth and mysterious mood can be created. When the metallic area is illuminated from the back or top, light will be reflected from the metallic surface, resulting in a highlight area in the photo. Increase the photo’s contrast ratio further if a stronger sense of metallic feel is desired.

The size of a toy figure is tiny. This means a higher magnification will be used in shooting, resulting in a shallow depth of field. To retain the sense of realism, use a smaller aperture such as f/8 or above to increase the depth of field and keep the details of various parts in clarity. For miniature toy figures, we will need a macro lens. When shooting up close, even a slight hand shake will result in loss of focus. Therefore, in addition to using a small aperture, it is better to mount your camera on a tripod.

We can try different framing such as close-up, half-length or full-length when photographing human toy figures. Close-up feature shots can be used if the toy figure has a delicate and realistic facial expression or posture that can show the character. For toy figures with movable joints, we can try different postures such as holding a gun or sword to make it look more dynamic.