Toy Lovers

About

John


Brightstatusmedia

John grew up in the Philippines and moved to the United States when he was 17 and currently residing in Las Vegas Nevada.

What led you into toy photography?

I was always interested in photography and started shooting modified cars and car shows. When I got married one of my bro in laws is a funko pop collector and also posts a lot of funko pop in his IG.

I started collecting Marvel Legends whenever I see one in the clearance area and also Star Wars Black Series. And then one night I just tried shooting figs and enjoyed it.

What’s your motivation?

Most of the time I really get motivated when I have a new figure. Sometimes when see them on movies and tv shows and wanted to reenact my favorites scenes.

What’s your gear?

At first I was shooting with my Canon 5d mark 1 with the Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro lens so I can get really close without cropping. Then I upgraded to Sony A7III and with the Sony 90mm f2.8 macro lens. I also have a lume cube air kit that I use for my lighting.

What does a typical photo shooting look like?

I setup my figs for posing and then I just put random diorama pieces in the background to add something to the empty spaces. Then set up my lights.

Any advice for a beginner?

My advice is to learn how to light the shot properly. Make sure white balance is done right. Do your best to pose the figure in a natural human like way. Learn to use practical effects instead of digital effects.

Who is your favorite toy photographer at the moment, or the one who inspires you the most?

Noserain and sgtbananas are really talented toy photographers. Their work are just phenomenal.

Finally, If you had to keep only one toy, which one would you choose?

One toy that I would like to keep is Ant-Man. Since he’s supposed to be tiny I can put him in about any place and he can blend in.

Cheers 🤘