The 100 Project | 2019 by Exclu Magazine

THE 100 PROJECT T

2019 C

E 1 0 0 P H O T O G R A P H E R S | 1 0 0 E XC L U S I V E P H O T O G R A P H S

THE 100 PROJECT T

Jack Sturman | Editor jack@exclucollective.com

2019 C

Trevor Williams | Producer trevor@exclucollective.com

Lewis Woollard | Sales lewis@exclucollective.com

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTRO

elcome to the 2019 Edition of The 100 Project : Toy Photography Showcase where we pull together the original works of 100 community creatives as the each debut a brand new shot. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition contains a wide array of artists and photographers, each with their own unique style of presentation, all working alongside an equally diverse array of figures, characters and brands from across the toy industry. Thank you for stopping by and we hope you enjoy The 100 Project : 2019. Jack Sturman | Editor

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WWW.EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM LEGAL NOTICE The material seen here-in may not be replicated or reproduced without the express permission of Exclu Media Ltd and this includes the material presented by our featured artists. Exclu Media Ltd is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or retailers seen here-in and we make every effort to contact the license holders of any properties shown within. We welcome the opinions and thoughts of a variety of individuals throughout our publishing network but these do not necassarily reflect our own views All rights reserved.

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@DADAN101 DANIEL CLEARY @FISTOFMURDOCK M AT T H E W W E A K L E Y @JAKE.THE.SNAKE_912 JAKE COYLE @ T O E I . S TA R K VISANU PONGSUANSRI @RED_DOG_5 PA U L T R E S A D E R N @JZ_CUSTOMS_PHOTOGRAPHY JORDAN SABADO @MCDOOG68 M AT T M c D O U G A L L

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@MARCOSVINNI11 MARCOS VINICIUS @JACEARTZ JASON EDWARDS @TOYSANDPHOTOGRAPHY D AV Y K U R N I A @ 5 2 9 _ J AY JERRY KUSJANTO @GALIH_SEPTO GALIH SEPTO @GIL_TOYPHOTOGRAPHY GILLES HEMMERLE @JOHNNY1300 JOHN BREALEY @RYANDEANTOYPHOTOGRAPHY CHARLES FINSTERBUSH @NUTELASABE J A N A S K A L O VA @JAKESFIGURES J A K E S PA N O @JEZBAGS JEREMY RIDER @ D E S T I N AT I O N D E AT H S TA R GARY EIDSMOE @SWITTPICS SPENCER WITT @DREWORIGINALS M AT T H E W J . D R E W @CGEROCK K E N I C H R I S H I G E M AT S U @AXELDIO_ S I LV E S T E R A X E L D I O @WONG_WINSLOW DANNY YEN

26 @D AD NA NN SYT MO Yc CA OR TR M I C K 27 @T YTOY ON_UNGURGOR HO OH 0 28 @B ANYOUT OWKI CR AOTMAPMUAT R 29 @K RR II SP LHE UY AR ND D T H E A L I E N 30 @J ETSHSEEF OC OR CL EL II NS WS I T H J E S S E 31 @H AF IRGOULRDE MR UA INZI A S H O W 32 @J OCHHNE FW_ TEOL YL AS R D E E 33 @A DB UA RMK EB HU ERAKDE T O Y S 34 @A LNBOEIRRTKOA I HS EERRFNXA N D E Z 35 @K YK L0 E0 LGE OC TR IRBYL E S 36 @F RFAR NA NK KSPMHIOT THO W E R K S 37 @MBART OT HK EE WN _ MA RUTSI SS OT 9N8 38 @K ES NA INNETTSHY NW E S T 39 @Z UZ LVVT IO HY SA D I M A T O N D A N G 40 @D YHLAAPNP YTNRI AHVI LEI RS ST P H O T O S 41 @S TAERVTEI CMU AL ANTKE D _ T I M E S 42 @K AK AD DI RZ TAOL YAZY D R U S 43 @A LBEAXD BCOE YRSFB A D T O Y S 44 @D AONN NE IYN RC IHCPHI XA ERLD S O N 45 @J OT NO AY TZ HS HAONODTIEERT R I C H 46 @P AP UA UL O. R OR OD D R I G U E Z 47 @G GR EA GL AHC TEIFCF_EBRATNTALNE FJRRO.N T 48 @C OT OL TY.OCNU LCTR A M 49 @L EL OE OJSUCAI NREEMZ AT O Y G R A P H Y 50 @J OJ CS HM PMHAOTTTOHGE RWASP H Y 2 0 0 0

@PERILSDARKESTJUNGLE ALICE SCHUELKE @ASTERTOYPHOTOGRAPHY DEWI ROWLANDS @THEMGOODOLE_TOYS ADAM SHOWERS @CELL_5000 SEAN DEFFLEY @FLIP_NOSIS B I L LY P E L A Y O @SBPHOTOGRAPHS1 SHAHZAD BHIWANDIWALA @MRAHDHIAN MOHAMMAD RAHDHIAN @MARYFOXFIREBIRD MARY FOX @KLONDIKESTUDIOS JOE POLIFRONE @KEITOYGRAPHER KEVIN TIMOTHY OEI @RUSS_BERRIE LARRY CHEUNG @R2KTROOPERS FA D H R E E S S U H A I M I @BENI_THE_KIID B E N I G N O M ATA @ELLO_ASTY ADRIANUS SINTHESA @AFOLOGRAPHY D O R I S TA B O R I @NERONIAN_ JESSE MELI @ANOTHERWORLDX75 CHRISTIAN HAFNER @ S C O T T. B L I N E SCOTT BLINE @JG_PHOTO_ART JEREMY GUERIN @ M U L LY A D I I M U LY A D I @MOEDARKNIGHT MICHAEL SCOTT @SOUTHP24 PA U L S O U T H @ R O L LT H E H A R D S I X X M AT T K I R K @COAZPHOTOGRAPHY RYA N C O U R S E Y @ T H A FA N B O Y GABRIEL ARDNT

76 @MHAOT TU STEO_MOIF _ M _ 77 @E REIRKI KSSTTUUDDDDAARRDD 78 @Q DU EI TROP YODLEEWGBAARCI OK 79 @C OS WR IINS SN_EJ EMDAI B E L L I N I 80 @H UH EU EHHUUGGHHEESS 81 @K AK AR ER NE NMMAARYTMI AN R T I N 82 @D YT AL AL KNI NMGONOERRED Y W I T H D M 83 @S HS AH UA UN NPDERTEESRTSOOYNV A U L T 84 @S TSECVRE. PRI COSY B A L 85 @G AG R3 Y3 KFYOF SR T3 ES HR J R 86 @L UJ IESD IL_UMCAKS T E R _ L U C K 87 @I VIAV ANNMT OA RT T_ PI NF E Z 88 @J AS RI REDDOMR KI D7 D3 0L E T O N 89 @S CS OC OT TT TWYAS TL UL AF FC E 90 @F IFNI NN NDAEI EDTASNC R E E K 91 @T HY AI NMG KY EI NE GT 0 K6 7E 5E T 92 @MAACT TE SSOOLUOLSO S 93 @MMA TATT TJJEESSSSUUPP 94 @N NA RI KOKNI TGHSAAIK_ K R I R A M 95 @L UL IUSI SNAOCGT IUOENI RFAI G U R E S 96 @R ERNE ND DY YKT.OSYAS P U T R O 97 @S EFPATCIHARNOF A C H R I Z A L 98 RP AA TNRTIICNK_ ACTOL AA NK LT EE YA N 99 TJ OO EY SY_ABNE INNOGT_TTIO Y S 100 @T ROENVEOSRI XW_ SI HL LOI OA MT ESR E

@DADAN101

photo I wanted to use a figure Fwhatorthatthis is just plain fun, because that’s toy photography is to me.....fun! So, I found this McFarlane Toys Fortnite figure called Peely. He’s basically a giant Banana Man. What’s more fun than that?! To make this shot I put Peely on a piece of metal hanger to make him look like he is in jumping in mid-air. I also used a fog machine to create a nice smoke effect. I took the shot with my Nikon d850 with a 35mm f/1.8G fixed zoom lens. In Photoshop, I erased the metal hanger and added yellow streaks to create a sense of movement and action. When I trying to compose a shot I generally have a good idea of what I want to create. Sometimes things don’t work out as I would like them to, but that’s where photography can be a challenge and fun. I’m constantly challenging everybody! My name is Dan and much like everyone else in this book I’m super myself, learning from my mistakes, and having Hey into photography, comics, collecting figures, and everything nerdy. I live in Maryland a blast doing it. with my wife and two boys.

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MATTHEW WEAKLEY

I live in Ohio where I find places outdoors to shot my figures. Marvel, DC, LOTR, Star Wars yeah I shoot them all.

quaman has been my favorite suA perhero since I was 5. I used my trusty Canon T6i Rebel with a Prime lens and a LitraTorch.

This is an all practical shot with nothing added to it afterward.I went to a favorite location of mine, a Japanese Garden. The location has many different spots to choose from. The area I choose to go with is a rock area that transitions into the pond. I enjoyed the way the fall colours works with and plays off of Aquaman with this shot. I decided on here specifically because of the mossy rocks and the extra colour of the pine needles provided. When I do these outdoor shots I usually scout out a location when I go for a walk and come back once I have formed an idea of what I am going to shoot there. This way I know what to bring and makes the set up easier.

@FISTOFMURDOCK E

Shot is of the 1000Toys Etherow + T his Based on the Tsutomu Nihei Manga

Aposimz. I wanted to take a Picture of a 1000toys figure as they are my favourite Toy Creators, they’re innovation and eye for detail is beyond most other toy companies. The idea behind the shot is to capture the essence of the manga but also to try different techniques. I used wire to lift the figure of the ground while I used three Lume cubes to light the figure, one with a warming filter and the others had low diffuses to keep the figure lite, I then sprayed downwards behind the figure some atmosphere aerosol to give a dusty feel. I used Light room to correct the images colours and contrast and then finished off the picture in Photoshop to remove the wire and add a filter to show the impression of him firing.

@JAKE.THE.SNAKE_912 EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

JAKE COYLE

I’m a UK based toy collector and photographer. I started this whole photography thing in April 2018 and I’ve gained so much from this hobby and this community in such a short space of time. I hope to keep improving and make more opportunities from this amaozng hobby.

@ T O E I . S TA R K

ost of my photos are inspired from M watching movies, reading comic books and from my own daily life. I

think that doing these things helps a lot to take photos because you can apply the scenes in the movies or comic books to your photography.

Hello guy my name is Visanu Pongsuansri Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Toys Collector and Comic Books Collector from Thailand you can call me Toei Stark same my Facebook account and you can follow me on Instagram (@toei.stark).

After I get an idea, I use my Sony camera model A6300 (Lens FE50 mm f1.8) to take my photos and I often us other equipment including a Tripod, Softbox light, and a Diorama for use as a background accessory to make the image more realistic. After taking my photo, I finish it off using Adobe Photoshop for effects such as eyes lights and adjusting the color balance and in Adobe Lightroom, I adjust the brightness, contrast and color tones for a more dimensional image.

@RED_DOG_5

his photo represents my journey Ttography. over the past four years in toy phoItâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shows progress in every-

thing from lighting to practical effects, composition and storytelling. The story basically is two droids minding their own business when they are pounced on by a drooling Xenomorph which in turn stone cold shuts down and freezes the droids with absolute terror.

Arizona based originally from Nottingham England. Collected figures from an early age and still have them to this day. Massive Star Wars Fan.Toy Photography has become my passion and has renewed my love for all things pop culture has to offer in action figures.

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JORDAN SABADO

Philippine based freelance photographer and an aspiring filmmaker who loves both traditional and digital art, also finds the passion in toy photography throughout the years of collecting.

: Thanos - I chose to shoot the Sfinityci-Fi Bandai SHFiguarts Avengers: InWar Thanos because heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the most iconic super villain in comics and movies and personally Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a huge fan of sci-fi movies specially in Marvel Cinematic Universe.

I took this shot using rim lighting which is used in portrait photography inside a studio which uses either 1 or 2 lights at the back or in a 45 degree angle. I used the following camera settings : File Type : Raw, ISO:200, Aperature: f/11 and a shutter spee of 2.5 seconds. After the shot, I adjusted certain colors and details in Adobe Lightroom Classic CC and then transfered it to Adobe Photoshop for all the final touches. Thanos as he decend to earth in search for the remaining Infinity Stones, he brings chaos and destruction as the earth in the palm of his hand.

@JZ_CUSTOMS_PHOTOGRAPHY E

love the X-Men, and Beast is my allIwanted time favorite comic book character. I to create a fully tangible shot

similar to one of my favorite X-Men trading cards from the 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that featured Beast in a lab. The setup was fairly simple with the brick walls in the background created from some scrap booking paper glued to craft foam and the table is just a small piece of scrap wood. All of the accessories in the shot were gathered from various figures I have picked up over the years. I used a custom head sculpt for Beast so he had a calm look on his face while staring at the round-bottom flask in his hand, and I played with the angles of the flasks to get some nice reflections.

@MCDOOG86 EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

MATT McDOUGALL Living life and trying to combine my love of photography, comics, and action figures into art.

@JRBONGA

my photo I used my favorite FFororcharacter, the great cowboy Woody! the scenery I used some artificial grass as grounding and some artificial plants to compose the forest scene.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a 37 year old Brazilian and a post graduate in Quality Engineering. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m married and a big lover of Disney. I started shooting action figures with Woody being my great companion in 2014 and since then photography has become my greatest hobby.

I also used some artificial tree trunks and a tree made of paper and hot glue. As a background I used a monitor with a forest scene and made the monitor dim so it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reflect in the photograph. I used a blue paper emergency light for illumination to bring the color environment closer to the monitor. For the ghost, I used an image on my cell phone with the black background. After assembling the entire scenario, I took the picture in a dark environment and set the camera using ISO 200, f / 3.5 and 6 seconds. I then made some post production adjustments with lightroom for color adjustment and final touches.

@MARCOSVINNI11

y inspiration was my favorite movM ie (Batman V Superman) with my favorite heroes from DC. I used a scene from the reference film that shows the whole imposing that Batman has.

I used a bluish light to give some of the dark feature of the movie. Without using a stand, I always try to make photos easier to use as little post-editing as possible, leaving only to edit color, light and detail in Batman’s eyes. The figures of the figures was because they were figures that I wanted to have a long time. I used a Nikon d3200 camera, and edition in lightstroom and PS

I’m Marcos Vinicius, 25 years old, Brazilian and toyphotographer since 2018. Photography has been something very therapistic for me, and that connection to the characters I’ve created bond since I was a kid is what I think is most incredible about what we do.

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JASON EDWARDS +

A portrait photographer who enjoys taking photos of 1:12 scale action figures. I find my creativity is fully released with the style as there is no limits to what one create. My work is posted to Instagram.

chose the Clown Prince Joker due to Ilours the detailed head sculpt, fantastic coof the outfit and the cool accesso-

ries, like the cane and bear used here. The background is created by printing two designs by Instaprint Diorama who kindly provided one of these exclusively for the project, creating a colourful backdrop. I dressed the scene with some small additional items and a cat to add a bit more interest to the image. To illuminate the scene I used two small led lights from the rear of the subject. One of these included a gel to give a tint of Red on the Joker, indicating the bar had multiple coloured lighting. I use the high resolution Sony A7R IV which allows me to shoot wide and the crop to the desired compostion without loss of detail. I always shoot RAW which provides me with total control over the images White Balance, Colour, Highlights and Shadows, before its final retouching in Photoshop.

@JACEARTZ E

bought this figure quite sometime Ithey ago and took some photos of it but never really satisfied me. So, when my name was drawn for the 100 Project 2019 I told myself that I needed to challenge myself to take on this figure again.

DAVY KURNIA

The idea is simple, I want this Ninja Batman to be grounded in a Samurai Age. So, I start- Toy Photographer Enthusiasts since 1.5 years ago, it is fun on how you set figures, photo ed ordering suitable diorama like the wood properties and dioramas, blending together base on your imagination. And nothing columns under the figure and lots of arrows. more enjoyable when you share your photo within same fellow photographer. I also broke 2 arrows and glued them as if Batman had slashed them apart. I used a foam base so it would be easy to stick the arrows to - You could also use glue to stick the arrow to the wood. The photo uses 3 sources of light, 1 Strong Warm Light on left back to give lining for cape, Red and Blue LED in front, to give nuance. Equipment: Canon 5D and Canon 100mm L series Lens to control Depth of Field with post processing in Photoshop Express.

@TOYSANDPHOTOGRAPHY EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

@ 5 2 9 _ J AY

chose The Flash from Mezco Toyz Irepresents One:12 Collective line as the character speed and progress which re-

Indonesian toy collector turns toy photographer.

lates to me. I first started taking pictures of my toys using my cellphone camera about 2 years ago and at some point, got into the toy photography community and joined the Exclu Magazine platform which allowed me to learn the basics of toy photography techniques. I know I still have lots of room for improvements which makes me excited about the future of this lovely hobby. Everything here is tangible except the lightning effect on the body which is done using Photofox app for iOS by applying the lightning PNG into the main picture. I use smoke from an air humidifier with a desk lamp as a backlight which when shot with a low shutter speed, creates a glowing background, enhancing the feel of the speed force. Last but not least, the Snapseed app for ios is used for fine tuning the tone to my liking.

@GALIH_SEPTO

he reason why I choose this phoTfeelings to is because I think emotions or are the most important part

of photo. It can be said that most of my works are representative of what I felt at the time. In addition, I like to insert messages in my works with the purpose that these messages can be worthwhile for the audience. Regarding this latest photo tells about Spiderman who was grim. Stand between the two choices to remain Superhero or live life as an ordinary person. I use a Sony ILCE-6300 camera with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro lens. Here I only use simple things, namely Nova Revol for building diorama, handmade billboards props, eagle head resin statue and Mafex Spiderman Comic Version for action figure.

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Just a toy junkie, poetry, music and music lovers based in Surabaya - Indonesia. I collect all kinds of toys that I think they will become ‘an actors or an actresses’ in each of my works. My simple things is “Pose & Post”.

GILLES HEMMERLE +

I’m a 36 years old toy passionate and amateur photographer. Since my youngest years, I’m just fascinated about toys. All pictures are taken and edited by myself.

y shots are inspired from movM ies, games, characters that I love. I don’t care about what is mainstream or not. I just shoot what I love and makes me happy. My Focus is to obtain shots that are as real as possible. The shot has been taken with my trusty Nikon Coolpix B500 attached to my Neewer CK-30 tripod.

I ’m an absolute Batman fan, in my opinion, the Dark Knight is the best Batman movie ever. Heath Ledger was more than amazing, he’s my all time favorite Joker. So for my shot, I used the Hot Toys Joker Bank Robber MMS79. I wanted the surrounding to match his colors ,but nonetheless it had to fit with a heist. That’s why I decided to make the shot in an underground park lot. No photo editing software used. Everything is in the shot. And...here...we...go...

@GIL_TOYPHOTOGRAPHY E

Wars fan it’s always been + A sthea Star military side of the film’s that

I’ve enjoyed the most so I wanted to capture the iconic Stormtroopers in action. The new picture is taken on a home made diorama using three Hasbro Black Series Sand Troopers with practical dust effects created using flour, sand and canned air. The two troopers in the foreground of the picture are supported by wires which were removed in post. Photography was never a hobby I thought I would enjoy but a few years ago I started posting pictures of my collection on Instagram and discoverd the world of toyphotography and never looked back. I’ve made some great friends through this hobby and hope to make many more.

@JOHNNY1300 EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

JOHN BREALEY Hi my name is John and I’m a 46 year old Husband and Dad from Mansfield. I’m a life long Star Wars fan and collector of mainly Hot Toys and Black Series figures.

@ RYA N D E A N T O Y P H O T O G R A P H Y

wanted to try a few new things for Idiorama my shot. I started by making my own for Logan to run through. To

add a feeling of action to the shot, I setup the figure, so that it looked like Logan was punching through the tree, as he was running by.

Hi! I´m Chuck. I create art with toys. I started this journey purely by accident, but I believe, that I have found my true passion. My goal is to bring toys to life by creating engaging, beautiful images.

I also used the ‘Digirama’ technique to add a background, that was light enough, so that you could later see the flying splinters from the tree better. The splinters were added in Photoshop and I also removed the joint areas on the figure. After the area was setup, I used the aerosol in the background and also sprayed water to make it look like Logan was in the rain. I also set up a Lumecube light on the left side to give him a rimlight from the back.

@NUTELASABE

these two minifigures because Iitechose they represent one of my most favorfictional worlds and I always loved Hermioneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character.

I created the shot on my induction stove which has a very shiny surface. I used some Christmas lights I had lying around for background and lighted it with the help of my husband who held the small Aputure light. I only did small adjustments in post because I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enjoy that part of the process. I like to play with the actual figures and a camera, not so much with the computer. I always loved the bokeh made by Christmas lights, it gives the photo (or a movie) a very magical look. And lately I discovered that I can create it in my own home with supplies that are just lying around. Simple, yet very effective. So I wanted to showcase here my current homemade fun. It also captures my feelings Czech Republic based (mostly) Lego photographer, fan of Harry Potter, space, Star Wars and my mood. and dragons.

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JAKE SPANO +

I’ve been taking pictures of toys for about 4 years. I’m NJ based collector of all sorts of stuff. I 3D print , make dioramas , build model kits and make custom figures.

abundance of figures with Iit brought me on my trip to the beach. I figured would look great because the figure is very detailed and had cloth goods.

I don’t that own many figures with cloth goods but whenever I get around to photographing them they always come out great. I didn’t have anything to create practical effects so I figured that I might or might not add them in when I edit. Once I took the picture I edited it then I made the decision to add effects which enhances the photo. While I was editing the photo my challenges were the saturation and exposure levels, you don’t want them to be very high or very low. Once I figured out what I liked I went to the next step. What color blue the sky should be? I felt that a light blue was fitting so I had to mess around a bit but I got what I desired. When it came to the effects I just compared it to war movies and any photos I could find. I then had my brother look at the photo and critique it, I made the recommended changes and I was happy with the result

@JAKESFIGURES E

y shot, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Switch Escapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is inspired M from a shot I took earlier this year. This time I wanted to build upon my original concept by having multiple Nintendo based characters bursting out of the Switch and escaping the console.

Using flexible wire, clever balance and a lot of patience, I posed the figures on and around the Nintendo Switch, which is placed upon a crumpled green jumper. I positioned lights all around the scene, which included a green tint to set the ambience. The shot was taken with a Canon 80D with Macro Lens. Utilising Photoshop, I generated the feel of movement, by adding a slight blur to each character. I added VFX by creating an outer glow around the star and box, and a lens flare for the floating coin.

@JEZBAGS EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

JEREMY RIDER London based digital designer who thrives from delving deep into the dynamic and imaginative world of toy photography. Escaping into these fantasy adventures keeps my creative mind alive and feeds my inquisitive monster.

@ D E S T I N AT I O N D E AT H S TA R

ince the first time seeing Star Wars, Svorite. Stormtroopers were always my faI loved their white shining armor and their overall look. I admit to not really growing up with Star Wars like so many did.

Photographer & Videographer living in Central Oregon with a passion for Star Wars... Or more specifically, the Dark Side!

I was almost 10 or 11 that I really became excited about the movies and characters. I loved my toys growing up, so I have a huge appreciation for the 6” Black Series line. It was 2017 when I fell into toy photography and soon discovered Space Walls by GTP Toys. That’s how I chose the name @DestinationDeathStar, and the reason I selected this photo for my submission. There are some amazing toy photographers in this community, so it’s an honor to be a part of The 100 Project.

@SWITTPICS

Mezco SDCC Exclusive Commis+ T he sioner Gordon set is one of my fa-

vorite releases this year. I am a huge batman fan, and I love adding additional figures to my batman lineup. The bat symbol is also an amazing accessory, that has amazing detail and light up function. For this shot I wanted to capture a cinematic feel with Gordon and the bat-symbol. Lately, I have been working on my lighting to create emotion. I chose to shoot a closer, more intimate shot of Jim Gordon, to help showcase the amazing details of the figure and to convey the emotion through the lighting. One thing I really enjoy about this hobby is it allows me to try new things, and become better with each photo. Utah based toy photographer. I mainly collect the Star Wars the Black Series line and Mezco One:12 Collective, with a few other figures here and there. I am a huge Star Wars fan along with Batman.

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MATTHEW J. DREW

Star Wars fan/collector in upstate NY. Started collecting Hasbro Black Series a few years ago, but grew up with the toys as well. Originally an in-box collector, finally tearing into them opened the door for customizing and photography.

took many shots before getting to Idynamic this one. Of course I really wanted a shot for this feature. I started

with the popular fireworks, fire, and explosions which can create so much amazing action. However, I ultimately decided to pull back for a quieter shot. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all sat and stared at a campfire, sorting out lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems or just letting go. I liked the serenity of using The Mandalorian to convey this reflective moment in contrast to the action in a western-style setting. I set up a small diorama outdoors, late in the afternoon. I used a LumeCube with blue gel for back light, and let the fire pit add natural light to the figure. Atmosphere Aerosol was used to create a sense of depth in the background. Minimal post production to color correct. Used a Canon EOS T6 and 50mm lens.

@DREWORIGINALS E

hy do we fall? So we can learn to W pick ourselves up. To commemorate Batmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 80th anniversary, I decided to shoot the character for this shot. In this shot, I created a window frame and fixed the figure up with a wire. I set it outside and blew the smoke to create an image of a hero coming to help even in despair.

The settings used here were : Prime lens 90mm F2.8.Shutter speed is 1/800, F / 3.2.

When shooting sand, smoke, or water splashes, the shutter speed is usually 1/1250 to 1/2000, but it is set to 1/800 to capture smoke smoothly. The morning sun has a low angle and can be expressed in three dimensions. The sun made a beautiful shadow. The hero always comes to help and I hope someone helps me in my daily life. I was honored to participate in Exclu7 previously and thank you all for checking out my work.

@CGEROCK EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

KENICHIRO SHIGEMATSU I reside here in Japan.We have four distinct 4 seasons. My theme is shooting nature and toys. And I am looking for that possibility.

@AXELDIO_

shot I call “The two sides of the Tandhis same coin”. I chose to shot Batman Spiderman figures because they contrast each other and are both great superheroe characters. Their differences made me interested to create this shot.

just a man who love realizing imagination through toyphotography from indonesia. and i’m a huge fans of batman, spiderman and also I’m a gunpla builder.

From how they got power, how they handle their identity and the big differences in the way they fight crime - it’s so exciting to watch! For this shot I used practical effects and because I don’t have many proper tools I try to be more creative and I did it in the “cheapest way” - cheap LED lights and screen lights for the lightning effect. Because this shot is in RAW format, I carried out some work in post in Photoshop such as basic editing like exposure, contrast, highlight,etc.

@WONG_WINSLOW

strictly with iPhone and a few + I shoot guidelines: black and white portrai-

ture, simple lighting, simple background, minimal editing. For this project, I shot King Conan of Aquilonia by McFarlane Toys, Conan Series 2 (2005) and I kept most of my guidelines intact. The main photo was taken with an iPhone and intense LED halo light. Due to the figure’s throne and backdrop, I occupied the entire frame. It has not been edited. The alternate image was edited on my iPhone using PS Express with the “B&W / pinhole” filter. I dedicate this project to my son: You must solve the mystery of steel, you must learn its riddle and its discipline. I also dedicate this project to my wife: Thank you for supporting and tolerating my eccentricities and hobbies. I’m not a professional photographer, I just pretend to be one on Instagram. I enjoy the artistic challenge of toy photography and for some strange reason, I also find it mentally calming.

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I’m not a professional photographer, I just pretend to be one on Instagram. I enjoy the artistic challenge of toy photography and for some strange reason, I also find it mentally calming.

DANNY McCORMICK +

I’m a long time action figure collector of a variety of lines and characters. I’m a dad to an amazing daughter. I also enjoy running and have raced all distances competitively from the mile to the marathon.

chose Superman because he is and Iacter. always has been my favorite charHe’s arguably one of the most

powerful characters out there and he’s also one of the most pure, living a simple life as Clark Kent. I heard once that Clark Kent is who he is and Superman is simply what he can do. I wanted to do a setup where Superman returns back to his childhood home in the fields of Smallvile, away from Metropolis, sharing it with his one true love Lois Lane. His 100. He’s an inspirational character and always tries to see the best in humanity. He’s still that farm boy from Kansas. This is who he is when he’s not saving the world. The only effect I used in this shot was removing a thin wire stand from Superman. I waited until sunset to get the best natural light in an actual field.

@ D A N S T O YA RT E

photo I used the light paint+ I ningthis technique which is very popular in Indonesia and has a distinct sense of style, looking soft yet sharp at the same time.

TYO NUGROHO

I also placed two lamps at the back right and left corner to create a rimming effect to the figure, so the object/figure would have a clear dist look from the background. For the light painting it- Toyphotographer and dio maker. I make dioramas to complement my toy photography self I used a cellphone apps called color flash and have make them available to various collectors across the world. light which allow the phone screen to be the source of light to lit the front part of the object (since the left and right is rimmed as explained earlier). The shutter speed must be slow in order to achieve the best result for the lightpainting method which Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been using since 2017. I also created the diorama used here which is essential in toy photography, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite popular and been sold abroad to Malaysia, HongKong, Japan, America, and Canada.

@TYO_NUGROH0 EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

@NOTOKCOMPUTR

sually I tend to go outdoors for U my photos, but for this project I wanted to challenge myself so I took

an indoor shot. I used a diorama and lighting tools, such as an LED lamp and two different colors of smart lights to get a neon effect for my photo. To create snowy effects, I used simple baking powder. This photo idea is actually very simple, because Batman is my favorite DC superhero and coincidentally this Batman One:12Collective Mezco figure is also a favorite figure of mine. So I just wanted to make a Joker and Batman fight scene. I also added the snow because this showcase will be released in Winter.

Indonesia based toy photographer, figures collector (mostly 1:12), and a cinephile. I shoot for fun. Sometimes I recreate film scenes.

@ R I P L E YA N D T H E A L I E N

always love hiking and taking phoIcolours tos in the fall. The leaves change all around, so vibrant and

beautiful you forget that they are that way, because they’re dying. That’s why I chose Beth for this shot, her character, a young girl leaving home for the first time, like a bud sprouting into the World. Her innocence challenged by the summer storms as she grew stronger. Like the leaves she changed, just enough to see a bolder, brighter beauty develop. Red is the colour of extremes. It’s the colour of passion and love, violence and anger. The haunting memory of Beth’s life remains clear amidst those blurred red leaves, her violent end, and the strength and resolve in her final words that embraced the change “I get it now”

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Canadian toy photographer and outdoor enthusiast. I’ve been taking toy photos for almost two years now and can’t seem to get enough of it. I am the founder of #CdnToyPhotography, a nominator for @toypic_community and moderator for @raw_toys.

JESSE COLLINS +

A life-long Star Wars fan from Adelaide in South Australia. I’m a Star Wars action figure collector who enjoys expressing my creativity through toy photography. I also co-host the Star Wars, Go Figure! podcast.

was inspired by the line from the ISkywalker Rise of Skywalker trailer where Luke says “Confronting fear is the destiny of the Jedi”. I wanted to look back at when Luke first confronted his fear in the cave on Dagobah.

I wanted to over-exaggerate Vader and attempt to really show the fear he imposes through sheer size. I used two different scale figures and practical backgrounds. I wanted to test my Photoshop abilities to create the effects and atmosphere. It was a fun challenge to find the right light for each of the figures in my attempt to capture the “Force Vision”. It’s a scene that scared me as a child but as an adult, I continue to find ways to interpret the meanings and feelings from this scene.

@THEFORCEISWITHJESSE E

odzilla: Untold Power | Godzilla’s G power is legendary throughout his history. His atomic breath is his signa-

ture power, but his atomic pules ability hasn’t been seen too often. I was inspired to create this shot from the IDW Comics Godzilla series where he is seen using this ability. In order to make this shot tangible, I purchased an acrylic dome. I used transparent blue spray paint on the dome and drew electrical line using a silver marker. For the light streaks shooting out of his body, I used white plastic rods. I cut small holes in the dome and insert the rods where the touch the figure to give the appearance that light is shooting out of him. The whole setup is sitting on top of a glass panel and 4 white lights are lit underneath the figure. I use my tv to display my orange colored background.

@FIGUREMANIASHOW EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

HAROLD RUIZ I’m a Canadian toy photographer living in Taiwan. I’m a life long Godzilla fan. I take inspiration from my childhood heroes like Godzilla, Superman, Batman and Optimus Prime. I use tangible objects in all my photos and rarely use Photoshop FX.

@ C H E F _ T O YA R D E E

this photograph and subject Inesschose matter to raise awareness. Homelessis a global issue that with proper

allocation, I believe, could be resolved. Especially when it comes to our Veterans. I had another photo planned. I was going to do something Star Wars and a little more streamlined.

I had it worked out, but on a recent visit to NYC it all changed. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m inspired by that city and decided to incorporate it somehow. The moment I stepped above ground, I was struck by the image of a young Veteran sitting in the rain and everyone passing by. I knew then, what I was going to do. The following day I got to work on the props and started to bring it to life.

NJ based private Chef with a love for photographing toys in worlds I create.

@BURKEHEADTOYS

wanted to do this shot since get+ I ’ve ting into toy photography. Now was the time and I wanted to do it practically. A friend told me about an effect known as Pepper’s Ghost. I used GIMP photo software to create an image to mimic Iron Man’s HUD. That was the hardest part, since I’m not adept at using such software.

Once I had the image I wanted, I exported it and brought it up on my phone. I set a piece of rigid plastic on top of my phone that was tilted to a 45 degree angle to capture the reflection. I placed Buzz’s head on a figure stand on one side of the plastic, my camera

on the opposite side and turned off the lights. After a couple of days and several frustrating sessions of posing Buzz’s head correctly and trying to avoid the imperfections from showing I’m just a guy, standing in front of a toy, trying to take a picture. After 2 years, I’m still just up in the plastic, I was finally able to say Voilà! shooting any kind of toy, trying to make people smile.

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ALBERTO HERNANDEZ +

Born in Puerto Rico, currently residing in Orlando, Florida. I live and breathe pop culture and really enjoy talking, arguing and debating literally any subject from Star Wars to Batman, Jim Lee to Francisco Goya and so on.

y grandmother had a collection of M Venetian carnival masks hanging from the wall. When there was full moon, the light would go through the skylight in the ceiling and those masks shined in the dark in such a creepy manner that I was afraid as a kid to even go to the kitchen.

So, I applied my anecdote to photography, used my T.V. for the background a Viltrox lamp for the overhead lighting with two lume cubes at low light in order to get subtle details to pop from the sides of figure. The goal was to replicate the mask effect on the figure placing the head at an angle that the shadows would drown out the eyes giving it, in addition of the mask effect, a very menacing visage.

@NOIRKAISERFX E

my exclusive shot, I wanted to + F or have an action scene that told a story and made use of practical effects. I settled on an arch-nemesis fight between the recent Marvel Legends Wolverine and the Sabretooth released last year.

I love the expressive battle-damaged face of the new wolverine, which complements Sabretooth’s snarl very well. Instead of using Wolverine’s traditional metal claws, I opted for the bone claws he came with to make the scene feel more barbaric and ‘bare-bones’. The display is a piece of insulation foam with sticks and twigs jammed in it. I achieved the snow by using a fast shutter and sprinkling powder overhead. Once I found a shot that had an even distribution of snow, I tweaked some levels with Snapseed.

@K00LECTIBLES EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

KYLE GORRY I’m a toy photographer from New York with a lifelong love for Marvel, Star Wars, and DC (mostly Batman), which are the three main pillars of my collection. This hobby is my excuse to play with toys as an adult.

@FRANKPHOTOWERKS

Skywalker is my favorite characLeduke ter of all time. For this shot, I wantto combine modern, vintage, and

customized toys in a scene that takes place in the middle of an unwritten story about Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jedi adventures. I lit the Crait version of Luke (customized with an improved paint application by @actionjoe77) with two Neewer LED lamps.

The lamps were positioned to create bokeh off the Kenner droids in the background. I dropped a LumeCube with a blue gel inside of my childhood Millennium Falcon and caught the light escaping the ramp with Atmosphere Aerosol. The ethereal blue light plus the bokeh helped make the scene more fantastic. I shoot with an 18-135 mm Canon lens, which is great for macAustin-based photographer of vintage and modern Star Wars 3.75 figures. ro. In homage to Ahch-To, everything was set up on my kitchen island!

@BROKEN_ARTIST98

recently been collecting these + I have Lightning Collection Power Rangers

due to the figures being so articulated. I had recently shot a crossover photograph using the red Dino Charge ranger against Darth Vader so I thought why not do a crossover with the white ranger from season two of Power Rangers up against the Predator. I do a lot of work in post instead of using practical effects because you have to use a bit more imagination for it which you can see here in this image. I do a lot of brainstorming for my photographs as I want to plan out what it will look like in camera and then onto post which could either take days or a couple of weeks to fully decide on what to do. The key aspect of my toy photography is to try and tell a story with these figures.

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Currently living in New Zealand and have just finished my Bachelor’s degree of Art and Design, I’m hoping to continue my photography journey by doing a Master’s in Creative Industries.

KENNETH WEST

Designer/Musician/Illustrator/Toy Collector/Stop Motion videos/Toy Photographer/ Pirate.

wanted this photo to really convey Isented the sense of hopelessness often prein the world of Walking Dead. I

wanted to focus on Rickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s firearm as it was as integral a part of his character as anything, and is a necessary tool of survival in this realm. The zombies are obfuscated in the background, but are an omni-present threat nevertheless... All work is in shot using various lights and posterboard. I like to use a warm light on the fluorescent orange background as it gives a nice subtle glow to the overall photo. I painted the heads and put together the custom zombies with various bits and 1/6 clothing that I had accumulated over the years. The shot itself was taken on my IPhone 10. I shoot almost exclusively my phone as I enjoy the versatility it offers as well as having various apps at my disposal for any touch ups I may want to do.

@SAINTSYN E

Spider-Man for all my photos + I chose here because Spider-Man - specifically Spider-Man Civil War (Marvel Legends by Hasbro) - was the first figure I used when learning Toy Photography. For this main photo I used the Spider-Man figure which is a version of The Amazing Spider-Man from the MAFEX line by Medicom Toys, with articulation which is, in my opinion, very good for making various poses according to our imagination.

Then I added some scourge figures - from Marvel Legends by Hasbro - as enemies of Spider-Man in this photo. In the photo session, I made my own diorama so that the view in Hong Kong can be reflected in my photo. After taking the photo shoot, I finished the photo using Photoshop by doing enlightenment details from the lights in Hong Kong.

@ZVTOYS EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

ZULVI HADI MATONDANG Hi, I’m Zulvi from Indonesia. I’m a Toy Photographer and Diorama Maker. My hobbies have started since 2018 and increasingly focused since I joined several Toy Photography forums. “My duty is only to influence, the rest is up to you”.

@HAPPYNIHILISTPHOTOS

or my exclusive image, I wanted a Fmotion shot that was dynamic, conveyed and looked like it could be taken right out of a film. I settled on a group image using Star Wars Black Series Death Troopers.

Using an area that was recently burned by a wildfire gave the setting a rich, destructive feel. I sprayed some Atmosphere Aerosol to add to the barren, damaged, feel of the environment setting the scene of this squad sweeping a recently scorched battlefield. I selected this shot because the smoke showcased the light of the setting sun beautifully while the figures looked natural and presented the appearance of movement. In post, I color adjusted to accentuate the warm natural lighting, darkened the overall image for mood and added a tiny bit of Since my first Star Wars figure at the age of two, I’ve been telling stories with toys. film grain, to give the shot the “still from a film” Now, I’m a SoCal toy photographer and film school grad just trying to make my vibe I was going for.

student loan payments.

@ A R T I C U L AT E D _ T I M E S

in idea in my head for an art + H ad commission from comic artist Javi-

er Fernandez, which I absolutely loved his finished artwork of Batman just punching out Joker. I wanted to express that commission in my medium with action figures. I utilized a combination of practical effects(sprayed bottle for rain) and Lume Cube lighting to capture his art from my commission in photo format. My quest as a photographer is to capture a photo fitting of the Dark Knight. Figures used were Mezco Sovereign Knight Batman, Mezco Joker, Mezco Bat Signal, Neca Street Diorama backdrop, and rooftop diorama by me @articulated_times. Mint on Card Collector turned Toy Photographer. Have been running @Articulated_ Times for just over two years now. Truly Enjoy being part of a community of very creative people telling stories, sharing ideas, and progressing as photographers.

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KADIR ALAYDRUS +

Just a boy at heart, channeling art through the wonderful media of toy photography.

ut of all the different types of figO ures and methods I have used throughout my time doing toy photography, I found that combining different part of figures, and utilizing Light Painting and Focus Stacking to be a blast.

It brings out the exquisite details in the shot. Here, I used those technique on some custom weathered down figures on one of my favorite diorama to date, with a dash of composite effects for that cherry on top. Ever since I discovered the wonderful world of Toy Photography about a year ago, it has been quite the welcome experience, and the imaginative sky is truly the limit. The palette it offered me to express my ideas and channel art is very welcoming, from the freedom of articulation, diorama creation and down to the intricate lighting, the possibilities of pouring my ideas into this vast canvas are endless.

@KADZTOYZ E

is an updated version of one of + T his my first toy photo attempt, before I

really started. I wanted to reshoot it using the technics I learnt these last few months, and recreate something that could be real, to give the impression that Groot was enjoying his music by himself. I used props I already had (proud owner of this old walkman) but not too many, as I wanted to focus on him. Two small Ulanzi lamps were used (one in the back and the other on one side), and my iPad with a colored image for the color, a bit of Atmosphere Aerosol and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it. Finally, a tiny bit of color grading on Photoshop to give the feeling I had in mind.

@BADBOYSBADTOYS EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

ALEX CERF Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Alex, a french 35 years old kid with a lot of imagination that never stopped playing with his toys. The only thing is that, since April 2019, I also take them in photo.

@ONEINCHPIXEL

he majority of my photography is Tdecided digitally based. So for this shoot I to go the tangible route and

Photographer. Geek. Collector. Father of three and married to a very patient wife.

keep post production to a minimum. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a huge Mike Mignola fan and his artwork was my inspiration for this shot. I made the gravestone out of foam and painted and weathered it with acrylic paints. The snow is a powder that you add water to and it expands. Lighting was kept to a minimum with an LED strip at the back of the set under the snow and a ring light to the right of the set. The snow fall was plain flour scattered from above. After the RAW image was taken I added the smoke effect and did colour balancing in Affinity Photo on the iPad Pro.

@TOYZSHOOTER

this character because I love + I chose Batman, “The Caped Crusader”. Mez-

co did an amazing job (as always) on this figure. I wanted to pay tribute to this pillar of pop culture, not with a photo where he fights, but a photo that characterizes him well, damaged and determined. I use a brick wall ,that I made myself ,with two lights, a light string for the top of my wall and an Aputure’s light with a filter to soften the lighting on the figure. For the snow present on the figure, I used flour and in post production I used the application “lens distortion” to give the effect of falling snow. I had fun with this picture between finding the right pose and lighting that suits me. As main equipment I use a sony a6000 with a Sigma 30mm f1.4 lens.

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French Otaku based in Paris. New to the scene ,I’m trying to share my passion through toy photography.

PAULO RODRIGUEZ +

A team leader and a Tokusatsu, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Pokemon and Digimon fan. I value discipline and logic, and love things that are unique, eccentric and different.

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always admired samurais, the Idisciplined way they are depicted as honorable, and courageous. These are traits that I look up to. When the Bandai Tamashii Nations released their Meisho series, I was immediately a fan. This shot shows samurai Captain America, Iron Man and Spider-Man against samurai Darth Vader who have all the Infinity stones.

I wonder how things would go in this universe. I used a Fujifilm X-T100 with a 50mm f/1.1 prime lens for the shot, an Extreme sets Dojo diorama, edited through Lightroom to give it a cinematic feel and I used Photo Editor to remove the stand carrying Spider-Man. I try to imagine things that we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t normally see. I thought how would it be if the most powerful Sith Lord turned into a samurai warlord and have all the Infinity stones.

@ PA U . R O D E

this shot I wanted to get a nice scene. + F orI primarily shoot portraits. One thing I want to improve on is getting a nice scene to fit in the Instagram Crop size. It has been a challenge but a fun one. I chose to use these figures because both Commander Cody and General Kenobi are some of my favorite characters in Star Wars. These two characters have stuck out to me since stumbling upon Genndy Tartakovsky’s version of The Clone Wars in 2003. I edited this photo using a combination of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. For Photoshop, I needed to remove the metal wires holding the figures in place. Lightroom is where I do the bulk of my editing. I start with my own preset I’ve made based off of a basic orange and teal preset. I’ve made some changes to the tone curve to drop the shadows and a bit of the highlights. I also touched a bit of the sliders in the lighting and detail sections of Lightroom. That way my picture really pops and when you see it, you will know it’s me. I hope you enjoyed my page and I look forward to hearing from you over on Instagram!

@ G A L A C T I C _ B AT T L E F R O N T EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

GREG HEFFERNAN

JR.

Philadelphia area collector, gaming, action movie guy with a hobby for taking photos of toys I never grew out of!

@ T O Y. C U LT

wanted to create a scene that encapIraphy. sulates the reasons I do toy photogMarvel has always been a huge part of my life, so I wanted my piece to focus on the family that started it all, The Fantastic Four. I set the scene of Marvelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first family exploring the cosmos.

Hey all, my name is Colton Cram. I am a photographer, graphic designer, and Marvel enthusiast, based in Alabama. I love creating scenes that capture the imagination in the same way that a comic or film inspires the mind.

Their exploration throughout time and space symbolizes the creative opportunities granted in the world of toy photography. If you can think it, you can capture it in a picture. I made a custom diorama and projected an image of space behind the figures. I used two lights to set the dramatic mood. In Photoshop I heightened the effects and created the projection coming from H.E.R.B.I.E. I hope my image inspires you, just as Marvelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creations have inspired me.

@ L E O S C I N E M AT O Y G R A P H Y

a villains guy and Shredder is one + I â&#x20AC;&#x2122;m of my top favorite characters and figures. I wanted to capture his ferocity and grandeur, so I thought I could shoot him in an attack action pose; wanted that intense slow motion-almost paused-end move, just a slight moment after a fatal blow.

This shot was made using one of my favorite techniques, the Digirama, and a mixture of practical (atmospheric smoke) and digital effects (sparks) in Photoshop. Took three versions of it with different but complimentary lightings, and proceeded to merge the images, which allowed me to get the right lighting balance. Then added the sparks and a final special layer to unify the color palette, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wrap!

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Professional Photographer, gamer, movies and tv series addict, avid book and comic book reader, and passionate musician. An artist with a fascination for creating cinematic-style scenes with action figures by means of photography, and digital and practical effects.

JOSH MATTHEWS +

Texas based Star Wars fan, Collector of 3.75 inch Figures, Avid Photographer and Medical Student!

fter collecting Star Wars for ages, A I finally decided to try my hand at toy photography over a year ago. Over the past year, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned the techniques of digirama, colored lighting, and photoshop. For my feature on The 100 Project I used these techniques with a 3.75 in. Black Series Captain Rex to recreate the Battle of Umbara, one of my favorite arcs from The Clone Wars.

I used a red LED to illuminate most of the figure with a white LED to fill in the shadows, creating a dual-toned look reminiscent of the episodes. I focused the figure against a screenshot, creating a nice bokeh. I then took the image into photoshop where I digitally added Rexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blaster bolts, the green Umbaran blaster fire, and haze.

@JCMPHOTOGRAPHY2000 E

figure collecting late+ M yly newest has been the Mythic Legions

by Four Horsemen Studios. So when Twikk arrived it was grab the camera and head outside. Unfortunately, the weather turned overcast with icy wind. Focusing on what I admired the most, the amazing sculpt and coloring I took advantage of the eerie weather. Drawing off the natural lighting, I only used two Lume Cubes one with a red filter and a soft white to achieve the desired effect. The picture was taken on my Canon Rebel EO5 T5i with a 100 mm f 2.8L macro lens. I chose to go with an off centered close portrait shot due to the wide horns on the figure. I am very pleased with the overall effect. rall

@PERILSDARKESTJUNGLE EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

ALICE SCHUELKE I am an amateur photographer and diehard toy collector residing in the Southeastern United States. Photography is my creative output and enjoy going on adventures with my figures. I primarily use natural outdoor lighting or Lume Cubes for indoor shots.

@ASTERTOYPHOTOGRAPHY

rom the moment I watched Doctor Finspired Who for the first time in 2005 it me creatively in many ways.

I’m a 21-year-old action figure collector from North Wales. They have always been a massive part of my life and influence my creative output, which motivated me to pursue my dream of getting a Media Production degree.

Character Options company began releasing action figures, which I’ve continued to collect as they have been release, which sadly isn’t very often anymore. This shot utilises the Dalek Saucer Pilot figure.

I’ve wanted to take a Dalek shot for a while, and as I’ve featured my Cyberman portrait here also, this was the perfect time. I shot on my Canon 2000d with a blue LED light panel which is a signature in many of my indoor shots, a kind of sci-fi twist on the classic black and white photographs. I’ve used a diorama as a backdrop, as I want to move into doing more indoor shots in future.

@THEMGOODOLE_TOYS

have been collecting toys since I was Ilittle a kid. Going to the store with my brother and parents and going

down the toy isle checking out the new Batman and TMNT toys at that time. Then begging and pleading on how good I can be so I can get one. Worked 90% of the time, haha. Now as an adult I still continue to peruse the toy isles and see whats out and what I may need to get. Fast forward to now and getting into toy photography, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found a new joy and new apprication of how they make me feel like when I was a child. And it is addicting! This community is great as well. For this photo I used a custom I did of the DC character The Red Hood. I tried to capture the characters brooding mood and bring that feeling to plastic form.

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1:12 toy collector. Creating content from the kid in me that will never grow up.

SEAN DEFFLEY +

Graphic designer by day. Collector, actor, amateur toy photographer by night. Apple product enthusiast. Cinema junkie. Lover of cats. Eater of Arby’s.

been collecting 1/6 figures Iintohave since 2005, but didn’t start diving photography until earlier this

year. I’ve shot and posted much of my collection since then but there are a few favorite pieces that I’ve been saving to shoot for something special. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to focus one of those figures: Sweeney Todd. For this shot I used my computer monitor as a background and cool LEDs to capture the muted tones and cold feel from the 2007 movie. I also tried to avoid heavy editing in post, making only minor edits to this shot after it was taken. I think the result is a clean portrait of a beautiful figure that I’m very happy to present to you. Enjoy!

@CELL_5000 E

majority of my toy collection is TsuperheMarvel Legends. Not only are they poseable, the character selection is massive. I love Marvel’s villains and I especially love Spiderman’s rouge gallery. Nothing gives me more joy then seeing a villain get the upper hand in a fight. Even though, we know that the hero always comes out on top in the end.

In this photo and my series of photos, I try to capture the webslinger at his most vulnerable moments. I use the characters facial expressions to my advantage. I want my viewers to feel the emotion without me every saying a word (or a caption). That is why Spider-Man is my favourite comic book character. No matter how many times he falls, he always gets back up.

@FLIP_NOSIS EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

BILLY PELAYO I’m a fun guy. A Canadian based toy photographer and content creator reppin’ the North. Catch my “flip side” vlog on youtube. Much love to my family: Lai, Ben, & Low. Doing it for ya’ll. And remember, we don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

@SBPHOTOGRAPHS1

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Mumbai, India based Toy PhoIportraits tographer with a passion for creating and breathing life into action figures by pushing the boundaries of my imagination.

Mumbai, India based Toy Photographer with a passion for creating portraits and breathing life into action figures by pushing the boundaries of my imagination. My inspiration comes from cinema and I love creating as much of my image in-camera as possible.

My inspiration comes from cinema and I love creating as much of my image in-camera as possible. I started with toy photography back in 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2014 and have been creating content ever since. It is a truly freeing experience to come up with a story and see it come to life using your own hands and then seeing the completed product either as a digital or printed file. I build a lot of sets for my photographs and while I may not be the best at detailing them I make use of light and shadow to achieve the results I want. Toy photography lets me stay connected to the child in me and I feel that is a very important aspect of being an artist because there is no imagination unlike that which stems out of the child in you. All in all its been a great ride so far and I look forward to what the future brings.

@MRAHDHIAN

ince I love Kamen Rider, Super SHeroes, Sentai, Ultraman and other Japan I choose my Ultraman Brothers

Theme for my shot - Creating Ultraman and Ultra Seven facing the enemy. I’m using a custom fabric cape, that I made myself, to give a more dynamic effect. I’ve made Morales, Peter, Hulk and Cyclops cloth too for use on other photos. With my old camera, Fujifilm Finepix (S5700 f/13.6, ISO 100, 3.0 seconds), I used light-painting from my smartphone screen around the sets, inspired from my fellow toy photographer like Darwis Lim, Ovic Yulkarnaen, Umam Khan, Tyo Nugroho and others. Simple light on background with LED lamp, giving more warmth so it’s feel like on fire. I shot it several times with different lightpainting angles, blended it in Photoshop to make the light equally on the figures and adding some glowing effect on Ultraman’s eyes.

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Love to make the toys more live through simple photos and customized fabric cloth. Live in Indonesia as a graphic and UI designer.

MARY FOX

I’m an action figure photographer....I give small plastic people big lives :) where I build sets or let them run wild in our world.

combining different worlds and Ioflove drawing inspiration from a variety sources. For example, with Marvel

and Star Wars now under Disney’s umbrella, I began thinking about the potential for an epic crossover event in which a space traveling Avenger stumbles into the Imperial Empire. As for shooting techniques, I was influenced by the cowboy shot popularized in the spaghetti westerns of the 1970’s. I used an iPhone telephoto lens to compress the shot and give it that signature closed in effect. I prefer creating everything in camera so that there is very little editing or adjustment in this shot. I love that I can immediately know if I’ve got the shot or not.

@MARYFOXFIREBIRD E

very new to the toy photography + I am community, but I have found my

home away from home. I have always loved toys, and collecting them. I have also loved photography for a very long time.

JOE POLIFRONE

It was only this year that I considered combining the two passions. After a friend suggested I look into the Black Series line of toys, I went onto Instagram and started searching hashtags, which Toy photographer primarily shooting Star Wars and Marvel action figures. opened up the toy photo community to me. I was inspired in a profound way. I wanted to be a part of this welcoming, and collaborative community of fans, and creatives. My first image was Darth Vader, so I think that it is only appropriate to use him for this amazing project. If I use effects, I try to keep them practical, and in camera. I will use Photoshop for sabers, buttons, and visors. For this particular image, I incorporated a smoke machine. There are too many people to list one by one, so I would just like to say that I am humbled, and honored to be a part of this community of incredible people.

@KLONDIKESTUDIOS EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

@KEITOYGRAPHER

aspire to create shots that Ition,always look like a snippet of a scene in acwhere the viewer is introduced to

Star Wars junkie from Indonesia who mainly shoots Black Series & model kits. I love creating fiction within the fiction.

a story already in motion, much like the original concept of Star Wars storytelling. And for this shot I used my model kits to create a scene I remember from my X-Wing gaming days, blowing the shield towers to take down an ISD. Shot them separately, with practical lighting, painted in the explosion and combined the shots in Procreate. This was a fairly simple setup, I shot my 1/48 X-Wing kit in front of a green screen, lit from the back with a lumecube, with some extra side lighting from an Aputure led during a long exposure (4-5 seconds). the 1/5000 ISD was also shot in front of a green screen, with the Lumecube & snoot pointed at the shield tower. I composed both images on Procreate on my iPad and proceeded to paint in the effects, along with some additional motion blurs to capture the movement better.

@RUSS_BERRIE

only shot this figure one other + I have time but that was over a year ago. For this submission, I wanted to shoot outdoors since a majority of my shots are taken indoors using digiramas and post-editing special effects. This shot was taken on the sand dunes in Half Moon Bay.

I used a combination of hot glue and red food coloring to create the blood splatter and a can of Atmosphere Aerosol for practical effects. During post-editing, I made some color adjustments to somewhat resemble the sepia tone from the movie 300. To achieve a cinematic shot with a sense of realism, I placed the subject with the sun rays shining slightly from behind. I do not like when the light source is directly in front of a figure, because you lose the shadows and the depth of field. EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

Creating cinematic toy photography using digital backgrounds, dioramas, and special effects.

FADHREES SUHAIMI

Hey whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up guys, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Star Wars and toy enthusiast from Singapore and also a 1:12 scale toy props maker.

is my concluding shot for my Tthishis Batman & Black Mask series. For shot I wanted to show how dif-

ferent lighting will reflect on his suit. I use blue lighting as key, red as background and cool light as fill. Overall I like this figure and the built. This is a great addition to any batman fans. To achieve the desired lighting for these shots, I used smart LED bulbs with the ability to change the colors and brightness via my smartphone. Post editing was done in Adobe Lightroom. The highly detailed diorama used in this shot was done by @reko_ch.

@R2KTROOPERS E

to get a shot that all DC fans + I wanted can relate too. That moment where James Gordon turns on the bat signal and while waiting, turns on his cigarette and you instantly know that Gotham is in trouble. I used a simple diorama that has lights included, the bat signal that comes with James Gordon Mezco and Batman sovereign knight Mezco.

Most of the shot was with practical effects, I only decided to add a small yellow light to simulate that James Gordon was turning on his cigarette.

@BENI_THE_KIID EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

BENIGNO MATA Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Mexican, 29 Years Old, I love Comics, Horror movies, Pizza and i love my girlfriend. iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a huge fan of DC, LOTR & Star Wars. I love Legos & Videogames. Playstation RULES!

@ELLO_ASTY

potting Enemy from Far - Batman is Sparticularly always the favourite hero for me, The Knightmare design from Batman v Superman. Mezco has realised this design well into 6 inch figure. With additional custom cape, this figure is definitely one of my primary collection in the shelf.

Action figure enthusiast from Jakarta, Indonesia. Collect 6 inch figures, mostly S.H.Figuarts, Mezco, and Black Series.

I usually plays with simple lightning set up, practical effect, and a very minimum postshoot editing. For this particular shot, I use three points lightning with two source of light also act as source of fire effect. Final touch for the shot is a simple darkroom editing to bring similar mood to all my photos. A part from Mezco, S.H.Figuarts and Black Series are my main collection. I mainly collect Star Wars of main movies, Marvel movies and DC movies.

@AFOLOGRAPHY

a big fan of the sitcom FRIENDS + I am and The Simpsons. This year I had to

buy that fantastic LEGOÂŽ Ideas set of the Central Perk, that was published to pay homage to this sitcom, that is now 25 years old. I thought of a couch gag within the Central Perk cafe with the Simpsons. The Simpsons are taking seat on the couch and the chairs around the table where Rachel, Ross, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe and Joey usually sit. There were two light sources on the right and left side from above. Equipment: Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Canon EF S17-55mm f/2,8 IS USM Lens. I used Lightroom for post processing. I am Doris Tabori from Hamburg, Germany. LEGOÂŽ and photography are my passion so I started as @afolography on Instagram combining both of them and sharing my pictures with you.

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JESSE MELI

Rochester, NY Mezco enthusiast

started my toy photography journey Isessed around 3 years ago. I became obwith taking photos of figures. The Tie Fighter you see in the image is the Black Series Tie Fighter and it was gifted from one of my closest friends Bennet.

Many thanks for all the support over the years. The Mandalorian figure is the 6” Hasbro Black Series figure that I custom painted from inspiration because of Jason and Zay, the cape was made by Harker Customs. I felt like this image is a prime example of my photography because it takes from everything I’ve learned over the years. Even right down to not having a Dio. I used a vape for the smoke and a spray bottle of water for the particles. You get this sense of struggle, and that’s how i like to shoot toys.

@NERONIAN_ E

meets Nosferatu Since + D aywalker Mezcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blade comes out, I had the

idea to use him together with Nosferatu from Aztech Toys, a company that changed into Mezco Toys in 2000. I liked the idea that modern times Blade catches the 100 years old movie vampire. Was not easy to bring both together, cause Nosferatu is 7 inch and Blade 6 inch tall - but on the stairs this looks balanced. Placed both on the Matrix stair dio and then searched for the best position for the light as I wanted to have the shadow of Nosferatus hand at the wall. Decided to use spotlight and some fogspray, gives the scene some mood like in a dark castle. In post process I only edited lights, contrast, colors, clarity and haze.

@ANOTHERWORLDX75 EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

CHRISTIAN HAFNER Advenced aged, based in Bavaria, semi-professionell photography for over 25 years, starts toyphotography and toycollecting 2 years ago. Nikon fullframe-addicted. Love the endless creativity in this metier, the neverending input for new ideas.

@ S C O T T. B L I N E

this using a combination of Ipostshot practical effects and overlays in (mostly burning debris that was

cropped out sadly), though the majority of the shot was created with matches for fire and orange glow, some falling debris, and then blending images in Photoshop.

I chose Goku because I liked the idea of experimenting with pink and teal in a shot, and I had just picked him up from Bluefin. I wanted a shot that my oldest daughter would love. We both love Dragonball Z and she thinks Sidious (she refuses to call him Palpatine) is just about the baddest villain there is. This oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for you kiddo.

Professional programmer living in WV and taking pictures of toys as a hobby for two years now. Most shots focused on anime, Star Wars, Robotech, and Marvel. So, you know, almost everything.

@JG_PHOTO_ART

a huge Star Wars fan so I felt like Ito’mitinvolve was important for my submission the storied franchise. Darth

Vader is so iconic and arguably cinema’s greatest villain and most tragic figure all at once. I really wanted to do a tribute to him in his most iconic form, emerging from the shadows and wielding his crimson lightsaber blade. I incorporated a mix of practical and post work in Photoshop. I used some Atmosphere Aerosol to add a bit of smokey ambiance and one of my trusty LumeCubes to add the red glow from the lightsaber on Vader’s body and mask. For the background I used my monitor with a background of a Death Star corridor to create the effect of him making his way down a hallway. Finally in post based collector and photographer. I’m a long time collector, primarily Hot Toys, I added the lightsaber effect and adjusted some Virginia the Black Series line and NECA. Most of my collection is made up of Star Wars, Marvel of the lighting and shadows. and DC.

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MULYADI

Once I laughed at a friend who still buys toys, and right now I’m addicted to toys too. And right now also addicted and still learning toy photography and I am really happy that my work got reposted by Stan Lee himself.

tan Lee, the man behind all of MarSconsist vel of which almost all of my toys of - and guess what, one of my

shots was reposted by him! I wasn’t expecting to get reposted by him, I just created a show and somehow I got a direct message from him asking about reposting it! Please check it @therealstanlee to see my picture on his feed. My original photo for this project uses 2 flashes, one flash from the left of the figure and ssing snoot, I made the light focus on the figure’s head. Another one is from above using a mini soft box. I use a small aperture to minimize the ambient light so I can get dark backgrounds and focus on flashes of light. And this shot is my tribute to Stan Lee - May he rest in peace.

@ M U L LYA D I I E

Disney owning major compa+ W ith nies and studios the idea was that

a Lightsaber could take on the force of an Optic Blast from the leader of the X-Men Cyclops. Shot was constructed to have burnt charred logs to show scene battle damage, the snow to pop the reds. My effects for the Lightsaber and Optic Beam came from Free Stock photos then enhanced and shaped to fit the purpose in editing. Overall this great piece came together that was fun to setup,shoot and edit.

@MOEDARKNIGHT EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

MICHAEL SCOTT Navajo from the 4 Corner Area who wanted to show that make believe can become reality with Toy Photography.

@SOUTHP24

t has become somewhat of a personIlightsaber al signature of mine to post a lot of slices and decapitations on my Instagram page. I started out in Toy Photography almost 4 years ago after the release of The Force Awakens and for some reason I gravitate towards custom figures and saber fights.

I’m a Canadian Toy Photographer focused mainly on Star Wars Black Series figures and custom projects. I post a lot of my own figure repaints or custom figure and diorama builds.

So it was only fitting to share both in this shot the Yoda is a custom painted Black Series figure that also features a custom cloth robe. I chose this figure, like I do for many of my shots because I hadn’t used him for a while. I often just grab two figures and set up a scene. This was shot on a Canon Rebel T5, with a Lume Cube mini providing some light and a bit of practical smoke. The saber and cut were obviously added afterwards. I’m very honoured to be part of this project and hope this shot captures a slice of quintessential southp24 action!

@ R O L LT H E H A R D S I X X

really been wanting to re-shoot + I ’ve this Enterbay quarter scale Termina-

tor T-1000, so I figured the 100 project would be a perfect opportunity to do that. T-1000 is one of my favorite pieces in the collection and he’s still such an amazing sculpt for an older figure. The camera really loves the sculpt on this guy and the details are insane on both sculpts. For this shot I used my Nikon D7200 with my 40mm Macro lens. I used my table top LED lights with colored gel filters to imitate Police lights and a few more LED white lights around the figure to cast the best shadows and bring out details. I also used Atmophere Aerosol for some ambiance. The shot is not inspired from an actual scene from the film but more of a tribute to the character. The photo is supposed to show you what he really is while also showing Hi, I’m Matt Kirk from Asheville North Carolina. I’m a toy collector and photographer. I you what he’s pretending to be. mostly shoot portraits and close ups but sometimes I like to do elaborate sets.

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RYAN COURSEY +

Student of history by day, toy photographer also by day. I’ve been photographing toys since 2012 and have loved every second of it! I can’t think of anything else that allows me to be in my favorite worlds and eras.

hen I found out I was going to be W in this year’s edition of The 100 Project, I immediately set my favorite figures aside. This past year I’ve been exposed to the great toy community on Instagram. It’s really helped me push myself and improve and I wanted to do something to show that.

But when the skies cleared up just a little, I just had to fall back on an old favorite. Armed with nothing but a camera and excitement over the upcoming The Mandalorian and Rise of Skywalker I set off. Sometimes it’s as simple as just a camera, a figure and a giant pile of dirt. For this particular figure I tried to take some that was quiet and reflective, showing Rey’s inner turmoil as we reach the end of the Skywalker Saga.

@COAZPHOTOGRAPHY E

horror. I love creeping fog and + I adore creatures lingering in the dark. As a

kid I tried to capture a character and story with my toys and toyphotography gives me the opportunity to look a little less ridiculous while doing it. Marginally less. The amiibo used here is not articulated but preposed badass enough to face a classic giant beast. Add some popping lights, mixed diorama pieces made by my wife @fabistoybarn, lay out a thick rug of fog and get close with your macro, angle it a little to add some dynamics. Some minor color corrections in post via Ps RAW but that’s basically it. No high art or concept but lots of fun and that’s what my child at heart wants to have.

@THAFANBOY EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

GABRIEL ARNDT German based toyphotography with an affinity to movies, video games and DC Comics. Coffee lover, chain smoker’n’vaper and child at heart

@HOUSE_OF_M_

chose to shoot this figure because IKasady I absolutely love this custom Cletus head that you don’t see a lot in the toy community, beside the fact that Carnage is one of my favorite villains!

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” New Jersey born and raised - An art, comic book and toy collector with a passion for writing and storytelling through a lens.

As far as the set-up goes, it’s one of my street dioramas flipped on it’s side to create the image of Carnage walking up the wall. Surrounding him are practical decorative Halloween spider webs, and the window is illuminated by my always trusty Aukey color changing light. As far as post editing goes, I added a bit of shadows as well as some exposure to the window he was standing near. Since the head sculpt came separate from the figure, it is held to the body with blue sticky tack positioned and angled low enough because I really wanted to drive home that smile only a mother could love.

@ERIKSTUDDARD

my exclusive shot, I chose to + F or shoot the Mezco PX Batman Sovereign Knight. I chose this figure because I love the detail Mezco puts into their 1/12 scale figures and this figure is absolutely brilliant.

This photo was taken with a Nikon D800. For lighting, I used a variety of Lume Cubes and a small LED flashlight. The background is the Neca Street Scene Diorama. To create the practical rain effect within the shot, I used a small spray bottle coupled with Atmosphere Aerosol to help add depth and texture. I completed the shot in post by using Photoshop to color balance and sharpen the image. I am a Mississippi based toy photographer and lifelong Batman fan.

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QUITO OLEGARIO +

Star Wars super nerd based out of Honolulu, Hawaii who collects mainly 6” Black Series figures.

I’m still riding that ‘The ManSI’veince dalorian’ high thanks to Disney+, been shooting a lot of the Mando lately and for this exclusive, I decided to shoot him as a Jedi because, well... why not? This figure from the Hasbro 6” Black Series line has quickly become my favorites.

The sculpt, paint application and articulation are all on point, all I needed to add was a cloak and lightsaber from a Mace Windu figure. For the scenery, I used a scrap piece of plexi glass for the flooring, and a foam cobblestone wall and some palettes I had made a while back for the background. Plopped down some blue tack to help the Mando stand and utilized a couple of lumecubes for lighting and some atmosphere aerosol to help set the mood. Lightsaber effects were done in post via Photoshop.

@DERPYDEWBACK E

Star-Lord? That’s answered + W hy simply, Peter Quill is one of my favorite Marvel heroes. The legendary outlaw was also the first Hot Toys 1/6 scale figure in my collection, it really means a lot to me.

CORINNE MABELLINI

I love his helmet, so it was clear to me that I wanted to take a portrait picture with him having the helmet on. I kept the setup pretty Hi! Most of you know me as Coco, the toy photographer from Switzerland. I am a huge simple. As background I took the Death Star fan of Star Wars, Marvel and other pop culture. Mainly I collect the 1/6 scale figures from wall panel diorama backdrop from the ‘Hot Toys Hot Toys, but also Lego and way too many other figures. Stormtrooper Deluxe Version’. For the lighting I used my Lume Cube LEDs with the white diffusers to soften the lighting on his face, and an Aputure Amaran LED with a blue gel, to give the helmet a cool shine. I shot the picture with my Canon EOS R, mounted on a tripod. As for all my shots I used my trusty Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. In post-production I cropped the picture and used a VSCO-preset to give the image it’s final touch.

@SWISS_JEDI EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

@HUEHUGHES

image is a battle scene between TRisehis Rey and Kylo Ren inspired by The of Skywalker. I wanted to capture

I am an avid toy collector, video editor and visual effect artist. I create cinematic toy photography using practical effects with everyday materials.

a moment in time right before combat ensued. All of the effects in this shot were created practically except for the light sabers and lens flare. The environment was constructed using construction paper for mountains and baking powder for the ground.

A lot of my photography is inspired by nature. Landscapes, sunsets and clouds all have a place in my photos which create rich atmosphere. I create as many effects in camera that are possible using old cinematic filmmaking techniques. I also like to use rich colors and cinematic lighting to help draw in the viewer.

@ K A R E N M AY M A RT I N

Spike...come on. Name one + I mean person who doesn’t inspire to be as blasé about life as our favorite bounty hunter. As someone who overthinks every situation, I greatly admire Spike’s “whatever happens, happens” attitude.

This shot was created with the use of Lumecube lighting, as well as a fog machine, with minimal sharpening and color correction in Photoshop. I wish I could handle what life throws at me with the fluidity Spike does.

I am a photographer from Santa Clara Cuba, currently living in Florida. I have always enjoyed photography and toy photography has been my favorite outlet to date.

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DYLAN MOORE

Eat, Geek, Bartend, Mostly I just talk Nerdy. I’m a twenty five year old Toy hunter and action figure Photographer from The Ogden Valley. Keeping things sweet as honey here in the beehive state Fam. Thank you to all for the support and love over the years- Cheers y’all Dylan W. Moore TNWD UTFT

hat’s up everyone; It’s your Nerdy W talking Neighbor here checking in live from the beehive! Where to start?...Growing up on the Rami FlicksI drew inspiration for this photo from some GRADE A CLASSIC BIG SCREEN MOMENTS from my child hood “Feels Good” and boy did it when I finally got the shot I was happy with!

This photo came to me in a dream actually, Spider-Man waking up/ seeing his reflection and Embracing what once was and what is now. The power of the symbiote. When I woke up I immediately started hunting down these Mezco Spidey figures( having had one previously I knew it would be perfect for the photo) and three different renditions later I finally felt I’d found balance between Practical Mirroring and CGI that I was stoked on; I hope you all enjoy as much as I do. Dedicated to all my Webb heads.

@ TA L K I N G N E R D Y W I T H D M E

Punisher is one of my all time + T he favorite comic book characters, so choosing him to be the focus of my shot was a no brainer. The concept of this particular photo had been marinating in my brain for quite a long time and so the 100 project was the perfect motivation to make it finally happen.

I shot this photo with a semi customized Mezco Punisher and my Canon 650D on full manual with 2 LED lamps and a Daiso flash light. Everything in the photo is practical and no post process work was done to the image.

@ S H A U N D R E S T O Y VA U LT EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

SHAUN PETERSON Northern California action figure collector, photographer, and customizer. When Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not nerding out with my figures, I enjoy cooking, reading comics, and spending time with my love and our two cats (Binx and Delta).

@SCR.PICS

ue to the personal significance of D being apart of this project, I knew I wanted to submit a photo that defin-

My name is Steve Roybal and I post my toy photography and custom work at @scr.pics on Instagram. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m 16 years old and have been shooting since November of 2016. I focus on creating realistic, cinematic photos using practical effects.

itively represented me and my work in toy photography. I believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to push yourself and hone your craft in order to move forward, as well as the idea of not settling for less than what you are capable of, so every photo I take, is done to the best of my ability. The figure of focus is a custom piece I made myself, in order to bring to life the specific image I had in mind. The concept for this photo had actually been in my head since I first started, so you can say that it serves as a culmination of three years of practice and learning.

@G33KYFR3SH

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been shooting a lot of + L ately, Power Rangers and wanted to keep

that streak going! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been enjoying this line a lot and reliving some of my favorite moments from the show and the latest comic book run. This shot is the start of an epic showdown across the multiverse as they face off against Lord Drakkon. A simple shot but it is still difficult to execute and get the tone of what is meant to be the start of a future action sequence. I managed to capture this shot with a diorama that I built thanks to the many master diorama builders that inspired me to create a forest scene. I focus a lot on perspective in both action shots and vanilla shots to evoke tension or suspense. I wanted to make sure that the lighting made the colors on the rangers popped in the picture similar to the SoCal collector and photographer, heavily into all sorts of fandoms! Mostly shoots 1/12 pages in the recent comics and television show. scale figures from various lines ranging from Hasbro to Figma.

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LUIS LUCK

A Star Wars die-hard fan who enjoys collecting and taking pics of action figures. Lives in Panama City, Panama. Works as a computer systems engineer, developing new computer systems for the IT department of the Panama Canal.

decided to shoot the Mandalorian Iversion, Black Series 6â&#x20AC;? figure, the carbonized because it looks awesome, it is the hot figure of the moment, it has great articulations, it is very posable, and it can be easily combined with existing Black Series figures and accessories. The shot was done with a Canon 5D Mark III camera with a macro 100mm f/2.8 lens attached.

Aperture and speed for the shot were f/3.5 and 1/30s, respectively. The diorama used was The Ubiquitous UB-01LS. For the shot, the Carbonite casts were placed inside the diorama. Lighting inside the diorama was done using 2 iPhones, one on each side. The Mandalorian was placed outside the diorama. Lighting on the figure was done using 2 iPads, to the left and right of the figure. Post processing was done on an iPad Pro and involved mainly cropping to square format and applied vintage and vignette filters with the Snapseed app.

@JEDI_MASTER_LUCK E

received Bucky Barnes fig+ I recently ure from Hot Toys and still figuring

out how to apply the techniques I used on my 1/12 figures. Lighting is my primary concern since a bigger scale would mean adjustments to my usual settings. I used an off-cam flash which i placed on my right hand side and LED lights around the figure. Here are my settings: iso 200 f29 1/8secs. Edited on LR and PS. Remember that every setting and shooting/editing techniques are not applicable to every photo. You just have to experiment, its like drawing, just have fun and enjoy. Remember that the tools youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using should not define your artistry.

@IVANTOT_PF EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

IVAN MARTINEZ Your man from Japan of The Exclu Magazine Team. Also an official photographer/videographer of Kansai Music Conference based in Osaka featuring Artists around the world. Drummer and a runner.

@SIRDORK730

his was my first time experimentTelements ing with multiple different practical in one shot; water and fire. I

tried to lite a “crackling ball” firework and splash water with my air gun at the same time and capture both effects in one image. I wasn’t able to capture both in one photo, so I layered them both together in photoshop to create one multi-elemental battle scene. The trial and error of this photo shoot helped me extend my limits with photoshop and know what to anticipate in future shots! I was pretty happy with the result of what was my favorite type of Storm Trooper running through a wet explosive battle!

I’m a fanboy, toy collector and amateur (at best) Photographer who loves to experiment with practical effects. I learn from trial and error to create the best and most action oriented photos I can with as much practicality as possible!

@SCOTTYSTUFF

is a shot of some of my 3A Ash+ T his ley Wood figures of the band Die

Antwoord I usually try to add a few custom sets and props to mix it up a bit. Practical effects with a tiny bit of color adjustment and fixes in post. Most of my time is spent building sets and props for my shots , for this shot I used a vinyl background left over from a commercial TV job and lit the scene with a work light with a piece of diffusion to soften the light.

Toy and Doll collector and photographer who likes to recreate as well as mash-up pop culture.

EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

FINN DEETSCREEK +

Based in Akron, Ohio. Die hard Spider-Man fan with a love for all things comics and pop culture!

used mainly practical effects to Ilight achieve the look of this shot, I used painting behind him to get the

desired look. I then took it into Photoshop and made some artificial bokeh to give the photo more depth and enhance the image. The Goku figure used is very photogenic, so it made the whole process much easier. I love shooting highly posable figures because it gives you the ability to really go crazy with your setups. I like to focus on lighting first and foremost because I feel it’s what draws the viewer’s eyes to your photo. Normally I try to keep my lighting as practical as I can, but sometimes you want a look you just can’t achieve without digitally adding it. I love experimenting and figuring out new techniques, I learn a lot from my friends in the toy community!

@FINNAIDAN E

received my SH Figurarts Avengers + I just Endgame Hawkeye and was taking some shots of the figure. So I went through my shots and finally decided to submit this one as my new shot for the Project. Now for those of you who are following my IG account would know that I tend to shoot a series of shots based on a particular figure and there would always be story around these shots.

THAM YING KEET Toyphotographer from a little town known as Taiping in Malaysia who loves collecting

So basically, its about Hawkeye trying to escape 1:12 scale action figures and taking cinematic style shots of his toys. from a special forces unit member. I used a back alley diorama made by @zyroszdio for this shot. There wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any effects needed for this shot but the important part was to nail the posing of the figures and to make them as natural as possible. So I had Hawkeye in a running position and with the bow on his right hand placed towards the wall in order to balance the figure. The special forces unit member was positioned behind Hawkeye and I also placed a dumpster in front of the camera just to add more depth to the shot. I tilted the camera also just to add more intensity to the shot.

@YINGKEET0675 EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

@ACESOLOS

or me, scaling is everything and Fciding something that I look for when dewhat of other people’s work to

Made in 1977, grew up 80s. Sydney based collector and lover of toys. Also Known As Instagram’s @starwarstheblackseries, @toytribe amongst others...

share on my social pages. I look for environments that can fit the story of my subjects and need those locations to fit the scale of my characters. Few figures, in my opinion, look as good as the Mythic Legions do when it comes to Toy Photography.

They lend themselves to just about any natural setting, be it lush, baron, hot or cold. This was the first shoot I had done with the use of practical effects (Atmosphere Aerosol in this instance) and the Skeleton Legion Builders felt like the right Legions for this project. My only regret is that I don’t have another four skeletons to further build the presence of this undead army...

@ M AT T J E S S U P

Funko shop exclusive Mandalo+ T he rian Pop was an easy choice for me. This photo is an expression of my appreciation for the series. As in most my shots Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve used a variety of items and elements. The backdrop is an archway from Dagobah Customs. Bokeh effect is made from glitter Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve spray glued to posterboard. A trick I use in many shots. The Mandalorian himself is standing on a vintage Kenner sandcrawler playset base. I experimented with a variety of filtered backlight colors. The subtle green really felt good to me. I finished by going into Adobe Lightroom for post edit color adjustment. Green hue and saturation were reduced as well as some minor clarity reduction.

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Star Wars fan and pop culture enthusiast. Lifelong Star Wars collector turned Funko enthusiast. Indoor and outdoor photography in Upstate New York.

NARONGSAK KRIRAM

Crazy little Thai based in Frankfurt! Passionated chef and MezcoLover. Practical effect, Digirama and more.

ne of the main reason I have this O passion was the Ronin 5 figure from Mezco Toyz. I’ve always loved the

Samurai world so there was no doubt that I would choose him for this Exclusive shot. I customised him with paint and I had to put on the Old Man Logan custom headsculpt from @sfabs_workshop - Wolverine is one of my favorite heroes since childhood. Practical effects, Digirama’s and Photoshop - All the techniques I’ve learned in the past are in this shot. My Cam settings for this shot was F3.5 , 1/600 and ISO 400 and I also turned down the brightness on the camera to -1,7. I used five lights for this shot, some AtmosphereAerosol and final editing on PhotoShop to combine all the layers of the shot into one.

@NIKKITHAI_ E

Marvel Legends Groot Evolution + T he set was my first purchase in a soon-

to-close Toys “R” Us in South London. What I like the most about the Marvel Legends line is the overall improvement in detail throughout time. Most of my photo sessions consist of trying to rediscover a figure and what details can be shown. I have always been keen on experimenting with macro photography so It only made sense for me to go back to this tiny figure for this issue. I used my kit lens with a 3 light setup and built the diorama with a simple wooden floor and some 1/12 furniture. My aim is to keep going closer and closer until the lens hits the figures and I have to pose them again.

@LUISACTIONFIGURES EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

LUIS NOGUEIRA I am a Portuguese-born Graphic Designer based in London. The focus of my collection and photography is 6” Marvel Legends MCU figures. I like long walks on the beach as long as I can bring an action figure with me.

@RENDYTOYS

made the photo because my new Nota II waned Studio accessory had just arrived and to use it immediately. Therefore, I felt inspired by the Avengers EndGame scene where Captain America said “Avengers Assemble”- Imagining the movie backing sound makes my body hair stand!

Rendy Toys motto is: to be happy, to have fun, to poison and to be poisoned, because through action figures, I can find happiness, and let my imagination loose. I hope everyone else who sees my work can be happy too, or at least intrigued by this particular hobby.

The camera which I use is a Sony Alpha 6000, and this is the coolest Camera and a highly recommendable mirrorless model. I shot in ISO 100, to prevent blurriness and I had to use a tripod for stability. I also shot in F:8 : enough to give clarity for the front figures while still giving the “bokeh” feel in the background, and to blend the diorama/props with the paper background. Also, SS 3.5” was used because I used the “light painting” technique, so it has to be under 0. For lights; 3 back lights, 1 fill light, and the main light source is from the “light painting” with the focus point on the Captain America. E

@FACHRO

Thor is an epic transformation of BEndroTheGame. God of Thunder in Avengers: He’s getting fat and becoming alcoholic under his depression period. However in the final battle, he’d proved himself worthy.

That’s why I choose Bro Thor as my exclusive shot. I want to capture how Thor returns to the best version of himself in End Game. I used Build-A-Figure Marvel Legends Thor with custom head and robe from local sculptors. The shot was taken using Sony A5000 with Nikon 50mm f/1.4 Lens and Light Painting technique applied. All shots are tangible, without digital effect. I also want to feature my favorite Egg Attack shot in archive image Exclu Top 100 as this shot was showcased in Taipei Movie & Toy Convention 2019.

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A Tax Auditor in Directorate General of Taxes of Indonesia who is enthusiastic in Toy Photography. Joins several global communities to elevate the skill in art and to expand social networking.

PATRICK COAKLEY

29 year old living in Central Indiana. Trying to grow as a photographer and collector. Lover or Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Aquaman.

“I told you I’d catch you”. I’ve always loved Boba Fett and Han Solo. But, what truly stands out is their implied relationship. It’s more than just a hunter chasing a target, there’s a history between them. I wanted to try to capture that in this shot. Is Han conscious in carbonite? What exactly went through Boba’s head? How’d he feel about Solo being frozen indefinitely, stuck on a wall, to me mocked until time’s end? Perhaps, we’ll never know. The lighting was created by me with a single blue lamp, and three small candles for the glow. I did minor touches to the texture and lighting in lightroom, which I’m still learning. The candles set of my smoke alarm and sent me into a brief panic. Worth it.

@ R A N T I N _ AT L A N T E A N E

characters without fully de+ I prefer veloped back stories as it avoids any

preconceived notions of their morals, abilities, or limitations. I feel Robox, and to a certain degree, Gomez, capture this aesthetic nicely. Is this present or future? Who should I be rooting for? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all left to interpretation and imagination. The two figures were able to hold their own poses by using their positioning as a counterbalance to each other. The hint of green light is filtered from a Lumecube Air slightly out of frame to the left. Minimal exposure adjustments were made leaving the photo primarily untouched. The diorama and accompanying props were built and painted by me, including the paint applications and weathering on Robox.

@TOYS_BEING_TOYS EXCLUCOLLECTIVE.COM

JOE YANNOTTI Father, husband, Jersey boy, and Mezco One:12 enthusiast. Relax - Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just toys!

@ONESIX_SHOOTER

efore I saw the excellent “Joker”, I Bclothing/sculpt picked up this 1/6th Arthur Fleck set. Taking the feel

Merging two of my interests; photography and pop culture collectibles was the start of my entry into toy photography. Since then, this hobby has become a big part of my life and has led to professional work.

and some known elements from the trailers, I created a scene to tell the story of Arthur’s spark of inspiration for becoming the Joker. The overall feel comes from some of the glimpses of shots from the trailer, but otherwise is not a direct scene from the movie.

Aside from the cigarette smoke, this is all done in-camera using a reflection of the TVs (on my iPad) on a piece of glass in front of the figure. I created the graphic of the TVs and neon sign in photoshop from several stock shots and some screen grabs from the trailer of the clowns, etc. Getting all this to work visually and tell the story I wanted was a satisfying accomplishment.

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