The Five Things I Couldn’t Live Without As A Toy Photographer
All the photographers I know love the gear. Most photographers already own all the gear they need. But some types/genres of photography do require special tools.
In this article I am not going to talk about cameras or lenses because in toy photography, you can make just about any camera or lens work, even a smartphone camera.
What I am going to talk about now are the add-ons — the accessories — the stuff that makes the cameras and lenses work well to deliver the results I seek.
So here they are — in no particular order, the five things I personally couldn’t live without as a toy photographer.
1. Platypod
I use a ton of Platypod gear. The Platypod Extreme is their newest plate but I also still use the original Platypod Ultra and the Platypod Max.
The Platypod Elbow lets me mount my lights and accessories to the Platypod and hold those accessories in the exact position I need to get the shot.
The Platypod Disc has become my favorite Arca-Swiss compatible mounting plate.
It mounts to cameras, lenses, lights, accessories, etc.
The Platypod Stackable Gooseneck is another item I use all the time to hold backgrounds in place or to mount small Lume Cube 2.0 LED lights to.
The Platypod Mini Super Clamp fits on the Elbow or the Gooseneck and can be used to hold flags, gobos, backgrounds, you name it.
And last bot not least; the world’s most innovative ball head — The Platypod Ergo Ball Head is my go to head. I mount it to a tripod or to my Platypod Extreme when I am shooting from low angles.
2. Lume Cube LED lights
Lume Cube has been around a long time and while I never had any need for these lights when I photographed wildlife, I now need them every day. For toy (or product, macro, still, etc.) photography they are perfect.
They are well built, can be controlled with an app that runs on my iPhone, and are small enough to work with in tight quarters.
In particular I am a fan of the Lume Cube Panel Pro and the Lume Cube 2.0. Both work with a variety of light modifiers and are incredibly versatile.
3. Fake Smoke
Atmosphere Aerosol is one of the most important things in my kit. This stuff helps generate fake smoke-like atmosphere at the press of a button. I don’t use it on every shot, but when I want to establish mood and I don’t want to have to create it in post, I just give a good spray of this stuff to the scene and it just works.
4. Boris FX Optics 2022
Optics 2022 changed my life. (Use code bourne-optics to save 20% off the retail price if you need a copy.) When I first started using Photoshop it was a real game-changer for my photography. But that was decades ago. Now, Optics 2022 is equally a game changer but specifically is super valuable to my toy photography efforts. If I cannot create an effect using something I build or buy (practical effects) then I generally can create it in post using Optics and it’s Particle Generator and Render engine (special effects.) It’s easy to use, affordable and more fun than should be legal.
5. Printed Backgrounds
I use stock photos, graphic art, AI-generated art, and some of my own landscape photographs as backgrounds in my toy photography. I stopped doing my own printing when I down-sized my home during the pandemic and I did a run of test prints with five different print houses before settling on Printique.
Printique offers incredible quality at a price point that is much lower than I expected and they also will mount matte prints on foam core which is a service that none of the competition offer or offer in a manner that is affordable. Without these backgrounds (which I often use to establish a theme or setting for my images) I couldn’t do what I do.
CONCLUSION
It was hard to pick my favorite five things from my detailed list of toy photography gear and props. If you’re interested in the full list, go to: bit.ly/toyphotogear
Remember, toys are joy.
