Masters Class: TMNT

 In 1983 two close friends created a comic book story like none other that had been seen up to that point. Mixing the genres of revenge, ninja clans, and of all things, mutated reptiles. The story blew up into unimaginable heights of success and popularity, and thus the world came to know the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! 

Much like many of their successful comic book counterparts, the Turtles became household names due to their cartoons, comics, movies, and of course, action figures! While many companies over the years have produced these radical pizza loving sewer skating brothers, the fandom never stopped growing and the demand for more figures never

Today on this episode of The Masters Class we are taking a look under that fabled sewer grate to see two premier Ninja Turtle action figure photographers at work, as they share their tips and tricks in producing their shell shocking works of art as well as their opinions on the figure lines. We’re joined by @figured_wood and @popandsonscollectors for this totally tubular edition. So get your pens, notebooks, and Peanut Butter Pineapple and Anchovy pizza and take your seats, because Class is now in session.

 

Ninja Turtle action figures have had many lines of figures by multiple companies over the years. What is your favorite Turtle line of figures to shoot for your action figure photography?

FW- “I really enjoy collecting a lot of the different TMNT lines cause each one brings something different to the table. I am especially looking forward to getting the Mezco turtles! Currently probably my favorite to shoot are the Neca movie line turtles. They are just so photogenic.”

PS- “Right now my favorite turtles are by NECA. I really like the traditional figures that came out not too long ago with the disguises. I’m excited to see what Mezco gives us with their set. And on the more nostalgic side I would love to get a set of the Revoltech turtles. Those take me back to when my kid was little. We would always watch the cartoon together. So, I have a soft spot for those. Gotta save up!”

From animated series to video games, movies to comic books, TMNT figures have a specific color stylization to match the source material. What are some tips you can offer to create a shot that matches those color styles?

FW- “This is probably one of the more difficult things with shooting TMNT, and I think especially the animated or cartoon heavy figures (which is why I haven’t shot those outside of close ups a lot). For the movie and the comic turtles, I really try to focus on keeping things dingy and dark with shadows, which is how I mainly remember that first TMNT movie as well as the early issues of the Mirage comics. I think to pull off a great cartoon shot it takes lots of light and bright bold colors in your dios or background. It really helps match the mood and keeps things within that style.”

PS- “Well, you mentioned source material and there’s no shortage of it. I would take time to dive into it to get a better feel for what’s used color wise, what you like, and where you can deviate and make it more of your own.”

Lighting is one of the main focuses on action figure photography to add depth, focus, and mood. What is your typical lighting setup for your shots?

FW- “My typical lighting set up is that I have no typical lighting set up. So much of it is dependent on the environment you are shooting your figures in. Is it completely open, or is there a background wall close behind, or can you see the ceiling of the dio in the shot? All these will impact where and why you place your lighting. I try to keep my lighting both dynamic to keep the visual interesting while at the same time thinking of a realistic direction that lighting would be coming from, whether that is from the sun, an overhead light, a reflection off a window or just low level moonlight. With no set up restrictions, I typically start with trying to back light my figures, then add some side lights and only at the end do I add light to the front side and only if absolutely necessary. I try to keep any front lighting as minimal and subdued as possible so for it to not look like a camera flash was used or any details get washed out. I feel like this can cheapen the look of your photography. I am starting to use more overhead and soft box lighting to keep things subtle and a bit more realistic. Best tip I can give is keep collecting lights. You don’t need to use them all but its nice to have the options.”

PS- “Generally I use three lights. I have two dimmable RGB lights from Ulanzi. They’re great, especially for the money. They’re magnetic so I usually stick them to a metal tray to illuminate from above. One far back and then one in the middle of the set up. To hit the front,I have a ring light on a stand. From there I adjust the brightness and or color.”

The Turtles are known for their scenery and locations nearly as much as they are for their love of pizza. What are some typical props, dios, or backdrops you use when creating your TMNT figure photography?

FW- “Whenever Neca gets around to releasing their sewer diorama this should get a lot easier for folks. Definitely depends on which turtles you are shooting. For the Cartoon turtles the figures tend to come packed with accessories so including those can really help fill things out. Bright and colorful is the way to go there. For the others I like to keep things a little dirty and keep them in the sewer or on rooftops. I recently completed a water tower prop that I think will come in useful in rooftop TMNT shots. I am working on a big sewer pipe dio as well using a construction sonotube. You definitely have to stay creative to keep it interesting. I have seen some great uses of Tech Deck skateboarding props and dios used with the turtles, always a cool combination.”

@figured_wood submission to the Masters Class is an excellence in execution of creating a memorable scene that puts you right into the action. 

PS- “For dios I’m a big fan of Extreme Sets. They have a couple of alley sets, a subway set and even a sewer lair. Even though you may use a set a few times over, you can keep things fresh by moving panels, adding furniture or changing the angle of your shot. All these things can help you get the most out of your dioramas.”

Three’s a crowd, four’s a mob. Sometimes in action figure photography artists struggle with fitting multiple figures in a shot without it becoming crowded or being a coherent scene.  Being as the Turtles consist of four brothers with a plethora of additional characters and foes, do you ever struggle to fit them all in one shot? And what are some tips you can offer to make these things work?

FW- “It is definitely a struggle and just natural to want to fit everyone in frame. I do think if you can set your scene up dynamically you can show just two of the brothers and your audience will infer that the others are there just out of frame. But what I have found to work best in bringing everyone in the same shot is to utilize the full amount of your framing. For example in a portrait style shot, I’d want to use that extra height and show my turtles at different levels, say different rooftop levels or some jumping. Other times it may be necessary to just focus on one of the turtles, but have the others in the background. This can also lead to more depth in the shot, something I’m always striving to do. If all else fails just shoot the Last Ronin and problem solved!”

PS- “This is something I definitely struggle with. I’m not very proficient in the technical aspect of cameras. I don’t know if there’s a lens that would help or what. Maybe it’s that I’m shooting on an iPhone or I probably just haven’t hit that stride yet. But that’s part of the fun. You just keep trying, keep paying attention to what you like and practice. Don’t quit and you’ll make it.”

Crossover Calamity! Aside from the figures of everyone’s favorite mutated ninjas, there has been no shortage of crossovers involving the Turtles. From Stranger Things and Street Fighter to Power Rangers and Cobra Kai, do you ever get into any of these crossover mashups? Do you feel like the market is over saturated with these unlikely pairings?

FW- “I haven’t done any specific crossovers although I think when done right in toy photography they can be a lot of fun. The closest I have come is including a turtle in a general 80s icon group shot. They market is definitely feeling oversaturated with some of the specific crossovers you mentioned, which all come from Playmates. It does seem to be their go to as they try to continue to use the same underwhelming oversized turtle molds again and again. Its sad to see the main license holder and maker of our childhood toys struggle to bring interesting versions to market as these other toymakers continually bring very creative releases. I’ve got opinions!”

PS- “I’m not too crazy about cross over figures to be honest. There are a couple that I thought were good. The Batman crossover that Gamestop had I thought was well done and the Universal Monsters crossover NECA is in the middle of is outstanding! Great sculpts and playability!”

Speaking of crossovers, one of the most successful crossover events in recent history in both comics and collectibles has been the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Have you delved into this crossover in any form? Have you ever done any photography of these mashups?

FW- “I have not sadly. I did not grow up with MMPR so those are definitely missing from my collection, but as a big fan of the IDW TMNT run I have been wanting to check out that crossover. It’s moving back to the top of my list now. Thanks!”

PS- “Not really. I did buy the Power Ranger Shredder figure though. The draw for that was that it’s still relatively close to the original concept. So to me it passes as Shredder in a different suit. I haven’t taken any “official” shots…YET! Just kind of practicing with it to see what gets my attention.”

With a veritable army of rogues in the TMNT universe, there have been countless Turtle foes to choose from in action figure form. What are some of your favorite villains to shoot from TMNT? And do you ever enjoy shooting the villains solo without the good guys?

FW- “Oh for sure – any good villain can and should be able to stand on their own. In that vein I think some of my favorites have been the Neca Movie Shredder, Neca cartoon Krang in Android Body, and the Neca cartoon Mousers, which I named my 2022 figure of the year!”

PS- “There’s so many villains! Personally I think that’s where the energy is at with these older properties. The villains just had a lot of personality. So for turtles I enjoy the mousers. They’re like mini T-Rex’s and when you get a few of ‘em in a shot they create a tension by outnumbering your heroes. For a little more drama, a more “elite” villain does the trick. Especially when the good guys are on the ropes. Giving a bad guy the spotlight doesn’t hurt either.”

@popandsonscollectors submission to the Masters Class shows off an the intense culmination of a fight between Leonardo and The Shredder. 

Lastly, what is your favorite TMNT figure to shoot for your masterful action figure photography?

FW- “I think currently it has to be Neca’s Last Ronin figure. Either version is great and you really want both to have all the head and accessory options, but I like how vulnerable the unarmored version looks.”

PS- “Right now, while I am enjoying NECA’s turtles, I really like the third party “Spring Samurai Turtle”  that 5K Toys was selling. The sculpt is probably one of the coolest renditions we’ve gotten so far. The articulation is great and comes with accessories to change the look of him. I’m looking forward to the rest of the crew being released! I know that’s the last question but I just want to take a second and really thank you and everyone that stops to even so much as just look. It’s very appreciated and I hope you all have fun in this hobby. That good feeling beats technique, equipment, attention, etc. Let it all make you feel good. Thanks again!”

I want to thank @figured_wood and @popandsonscollectors for joining this episode of the Masters Class and for sharing all of their tips and tricks behind their process of creating their Cowabunga inducing action figure photography. Be sure to head over to Instagram and follow both of their accounts for more amazing work!

Here at the Masters Class we strive to give you all the tips and tricks and advice on action figure photography from the best of the best in the community. Without the artists being willing to participate and share their knowledge of the hobby, the Masters Class would not exist. However! We here don’t always know what it is that you might want to see or learn! So if there is a subject you want to see covered here at the Masters Class, whether it be a style of photography, genre of figures, specific lines of figures, or camera and editing advice, reach out to us on Instagram on @the_uc_collabs with what you want to see! And if you’re an artist that would like to participate and share your skills, also reach out to us to become a part of an upcoming episode!

Masters Class will return with episode 24 on February 17th with a Class that has never been seen before! This will be the first of a new type of collaboration putting two artists together for only ONE picture! @the_uc_collabs page admin @unworthycollector and Masters Class alumni @clintastic4 will be working together on an episode focusing on photoshop editing of a picture to push the boundaries of the ever talented Clintastic4’s photo shop skills. You’ll not want to miss this installment. 

So until next time, Class is dismissed. 

~The Curator