54 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
THE MISSION
Create your own
miniature filmset
Dan Mold captures a cinematic-style image using portable LED
lights, a smoke machine and a plastic Iron Man action figure
01 STRIKE A POSE
Superheroes are known for their dramatic
poses, and we couldn’t think of anything
more dramatic than the famed superhero
landing. We used an action figure of Iron
Man, which boasts good articulation,
making it possible to set it in place.
02 HULK SMASH
Iron Man’s suit is pretty tough and he’s
probably going to land with a thud. Use
grey card to represent concrete, and draw
cracks to show where he’ll collide with the
surface. Tiny squares of card can be stuck
to it, representing broken bits of concrete.
03 USE THE RIGHT LIGHTS
Continuous lights are ideal for this sort
of work as you’ll want to take a series of
images in quick succession, which isn’t
practical with a flash. We mounted two
Lume Cube lights a Manfrotto mini tripod
behind Iron Man to backlight him.
STEP BY STEP ACTION FIGURE PHOTOGRAPHY
Direct your own lights, camera and action by building a bespoke miniature filmset
oy photographers are
master illusionists.
They suspend disbelief
by making their
subjects seem alive, or by
fooling the viewer into
thinking they’re not looking
at a pint-sized plaything.
This niche genre of
photography is becoming
increasingly popular,
especially on social media
and here we’ll show you how
to create a photo with that
same creative energy.
Manufacturers are making
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PROJECT 4
VIDEO ALSO ONLINE
http://bit.ly/photoplus163
Create a cinematic
movie-style image
using continuous
LED lights and an
action figurine
Time needed
Two hours
Skill level
Advanced
Kit needed
- Tripod
- LED lights
- Smoke machine
- Shutter release
cable
VIEW^ TH
E^ VIDEO