OL Design

Ludo is a french graphic designer based in Paris. He mostly design websites for companies and institutions, corporate documents and motion design, and take toy photography at night.

What led you into toy photography?

I have been collecting toys since my childhood but 6 years ago, it became a passion that grew inside me... I started toy photography, at first just for fun with my phone but over the last four years I spent more and more time on this and now I guess it is a serious thing. I dug a bit more into those hashtags and found a whole community of passionate people doing the same thing I do.

What's your motivation?

Toy photography is an extension of what I see in pop culture, mostly movies because of these famous franchises that have been going on for the past few years. It is a manner to create new things that pop culture doesn't necessarily do, to pay tribute to heroes, and to shape new narratives in one single shot.

Like a Saiyan I never stop to try to learn new things and get better after each shot. This community is built with so many talented people and there is always someone you want to approach and be as good as he is.

What's your gear?

I am using a Nikon DSLR with a 40mm or 90mm lens depending on the scene I want to create. I always work with a tripod because I like to take my time, to find the right angle, the best light setup, the good posing. To light up all of this, I use some Lumecube and Aputure lights.

What does a typical photo shooting look like?

In 80% of my setup, I start by putting the room in the dark to avoid disturbing lights. I have a note on my phone with ideas. I choose the figure, the diorama or the background, some stuff to go with and after this, i spend most of the time to find the good pose — using stands, blutack, wires, magic... Next, I start my camera and try to find the good angle, move some of the background stuff.

Final step, I choose my lights and try to find the good spot and give to my scene the ambiance I had in my mind. After taking between 20 or 60 shots, I choose the good one and I edit it on Photoshop. And voilà!

Any advice for a beginner?

It’s a hobby, no pressure, no rush. Don’t think about the "likes", prefer the quality to quantity. One good shot a week is better than one crappy shot a day. Ask yourself this simple question: "Will I still like the shot I am trying to do in one month?".

Of course, failure is part of the process. But take your time before shooting, observe around you, how the light works, how real people are standing/running, how directors/artists use the frame to tell stories, pay attention to details, etc. One advice: TAKE. YOUR. TIME.

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

I am a 1/12 photographer, and my favorite photographers shoot 1/6 scale figures. I try to get the quality of those guys with smaller figures. I really love the work of bg_toyart, uncannyfigures, ultraben235, EyeOfUatu, cgerock, capes.and.rifles.

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

Impossible, I have too many pre orders on the way.

Cheers 🤘