The Vision by Bowen Designs

When you think of DC there’s the Justice League and with Marvel there’s the Avengers. You get Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc. with DC and Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, etc. with Marvel. Each side has its own supporting casts as well. One of the coolest characters of the Mighty Avengers is the Android known as Vision http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_(Marvel_Comics).

Bowen Designs is a company that creates fantastic statues and busts. Together with the Shiftlett brothers (http://www.shiflettbrothers.com/), Randy Bowen re-created one of the Avengers' formidable member, the Vision.

I borrowed this statue from Jon a long time ago and decided to take some picture of it again for this blog.  If you are a statue collector and space is your concern then Bowen statues should be your preference. This statue is approximately 15 inches tall and has the classic Vision pose. This statue was released September of 2005 and has a production run of 2000 pieces. The variant version, Vision Phasing statue, is limited to 300 pieces.

Since this item is already sold out your best would be from the after market vendors such as eBay.

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

Whenever I take picture of statues I take into consideration what are the good qualities of each piece. It may be the paint job, the facial details, the pose or even the base. It all depends on what I see.

The fact that I use a macro lens for my statue shots means that any imperfections will definitely be shown in the picture.

The Vision’s classic pose is nice and the head sculpt (though simple) is right on the comic book rendition. Hats off to the combo of Randy and the Shiftlett brothers for this great looking piece. 

For more pictures of Vision kindly check my flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerpee/sets/72157622840947651/

Toy Story Cosbaby (M) by Hot Toys

During my Hong Kong trip about a month ago, I visited Hot Toys’ distributor Toy Hunters. My jaw dropped when I saaw the merchandise that they were offering. There were several 1/6^th scales of Iron Man Mark VI, War Machine, Black Widow, Terminator, etc. On the other end of the shop a huge statue of Iron man and some busts were on display.

What caught my eye (aside from War Machine and Black Widows) were some of the items on their window display. They had a complete set of Toy Story Cosbaby with a backdrop. There were 8 mini Cosbaby and three 6 inch ones (Buzz, Woody & Alien) that are so cute. I did not bother to ask if they were selling those 6-inch versions and instead bought a couple of the minis.

When my friend Jon bought Buzz, Woody & Alien (6-inch/S versions), I asked if I could borrow them for a photo shoot. It was a mistake because if you think the mini versions are nice wait till you get your hands on the big ones.

Each Cosbaby come with its own themed box design – white and green for Buzz Lightyear, Cowboy themed for Woody and blue and green for Alien. What’s also nice is the inclusion of a themed backdrop of each character in their respective packaging.

Jon bought them locally for P 2,000.00 (Woody & Alien) and P 2,200.00 (Buzz Lightyear). If you check online there are some selling on eBay.

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

The fact that these guys are cute makes them photogenic! I would love to shoot them with a plain background and digitally add a Toy Story themed background to bring them to life.  You can also use their themed backdrop as a background.

Issue:

It would have been nice if Jessie and Bullseye were included in the lineup.


For more picture of Toy Story (M) kindly check my flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerpee/sets/72157624535881283/with/4928886958/

Hover Pileder & Mazinger Head by Soul of Popynica

Those of us who were born during the 70’s very well remember who was probably the most popular Super Robot – Mazinger Z. Through the years Mazinger enjoyed TV series, t-shirts and of course toys. When Bandai started out with their Soul of Chogokin (SOC) line their very first character was Mazinger Z (GX-01). Collectors went crazy and started collecting the SOC line. It was a success and Bandai even released a black version, gold version and eventually a reissue aptly name GX-01R.

Bandai eventually released another line called SOP or Soul of Popynica. SOP launched two items that would make Mazinger collectors go crazy, the Hover Pileder (PX-01) and a Mazinger Head (PX-01X).

Hover Pileder also includes its pilot Koji Kabuto while the Mazinger Head features light up eyes when you land the Pileder on top of it. Those of you who enjoyed the series back then know what I am writing about. Once Koji’s Pileder lands on Mazinger’s head, the Super Robot is activated thus giving Koji full control.

You can still probably purchase the Hover Pileder but the Mazinger Head has long been sold out (2000 release). I bought 2 sets (one for my friend Kenneth) around 10 years ago during one of my vacation trips to Hong Kong. The Mazinger head is a rare collectible and I have been asked several times by several people if I am willing to sell it.

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

The Hover Pileder is die-cast and Koji is a bit pose able so you can do certain ‘scene’ shots. The Mazinger head is made of vinyl and you put two AA batteries for its light up eyes.

I am thinking bringing them outdoors and maybe get a good sky background. If you are doing tabletop then digitally enhancing the background is the way to go. You can do a flying scene for Pileder by tying some strings and removing them later via Photoshop. For the more creative minds like my friend Bleau who totally made my jaw dropped when he posted his Iron Man pictures, he used an LCD TV as a backdrop and then retouched via Photoshop.

The results? See it for yourself.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11178052@N03/sets/72157622502501738/

Issue:

1.) I was wondering why SOP never continued this line, it would have been nice to see a head versions of Great Mazinger, Boss Borot, Aphrodite, Venus A, etc.

The Scarlet Witch by Sideshow Collectibles

When my friend Steve tipped me about his upcoming statue purchase, I was curious and decided to take a peek at Sideshow’s website. Just to give a little background, Steve is a collector of female exclusive statues of Sideshow Collectibles, particularly the comiquette line. He started with the Adam Hughes versions and currently acquired The Scarlet Witch, which is my favorite female statue to date.  I am positively drooling over this exclusive piece, which comes with a concept art by artist Mark Brooks.

Wanda aka The Scarlet Witch is packed in Sideshow’s traditional Styrofoam and a beautifully designed outer box. The head, arms and cape are separated from the body. A small version of Vision is included as well. The round base is stored in a different section of the styro.

Sideshow is selling 2 versions of this, a regular and exclusive. The only difference between the 2 are the number of pieces (1500 regular & 400 exclusive) and the concept art that comes with the exclusive version. The exclusive version is selling for $ 219.99 and the regular retails for $ 204.99.

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/?page_id=4489&sku=2000231&ref=search0109

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/?page_id=4489&sku=200023&ref=search0109

PhotTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

Out of all the female statues that Sideshow has produced, the Scarlet Witch is so far the best for me. I love how the face was sculpted and the green painted eyes is perfect. Whenever I look at statues I am very particular with the face because the expressions say a lot about the character and Mark Brooks captured Wanda’s very well.

It’s a shame that I do not own this (darn you Steve for making me drool) otherwise I would always go back to my display cabinet and look at this fine piece. The addition of mini Vision is excellent! The whole concept of the statue, Wanda holding a remote control while Vision is running away gives it a humor that I appreciate. It tells a story.

I did several high key shots with Wanda to show the beauty and form of this masterpiece. I am not a fan of The Scarlet Witch but given the chance (and money) to buy only one then this would be it. 

Issue:

1.) My only issue with this is the paint job on her face. There were two visible lines on the bridge of her nose and some stains inside the teeth. You will not able to notice these unless you look real close, in my case a macro lens.

The Setup:
Here is a picture of what I did with one of the pictures above. If you notice my white background was not long enough to cover the entire statue so a little bit of editing was made. Basically I used 2 lights for the entire session, one fitted with an Octabox and the other with a big softbox.

For more pictures kindly check my flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerpee/sets/72157624660876754/with/4919296272/

The PhoTOYgraphy Gears Pt. 2

From time to time I will post some of the gears that I am using for everyone to see. Recently I acquired an adapter and Octabox for my ‘strobist kit’ setup and I am quite happy with what I got.

Basically you have 3 parts:

1. Light stand

2. Adapter ring

3. Octoabox (95 Dia.)

The vendor (http://echostoreph.com/) sells several other attachments to the adapter ring but I chose the Octabox for what I need. You can also attach a wireless trigger on the mount prior to your flashgun for a strobist setup.

Here are pictures of the setup:

Here are sample pictures:

ISO 200, Manual 1/1, Aperture 16

ISO 200, Manual 1/1, Aperture 16

ISO 200, TTL

The Way of The Dragon by Enterbay

When I first saw Enterbay’s Bruce Lee figure I was blown away with the uncanny resemblance to the late martial arts superstar. It was like Bruce Lee was alive once more! This is probably the best Bruce Lee figure that I have ever seen in my entire life and I would like to applaud Enterbay for producing such a magnificent figure.

Unfortunately this is not mine, however I am currently the designated keeper of this fine piece and was given unlimited photo opportunities as well so I am going to enjoy giving Bruce the pictorial that he deserves.

This version, which is called The Way of The Dragon, is very nicely packaged with several extra hands, 2 nun chucks and a chopstick. You can do a variety of poses with the extra hands. This is what I like with Enterbay; they make sure you get the best out of your money. The box itself acts as a backdrop (wall design) that makes it a cool accessory. Good job people!

It’s already sold out ($ 250.00) at Enterbay’s website so your best bet is the secondary market. My friend bought this for around $350.00.

http://www.enterbay.com/web/productInfo.php?f=list&id=99&type=1

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

When Enterbay produced the Bruce Lee figure they probably had in mind us photographers. In my personal opinion, there is no Bruce Lee figure out there that can compete with what Enterbay has done to the legendary martial arts superstar.

The inclusion of several extra hands lets you do several trademark poses of Bruce Lee. Never have I seen so many hand accessories in a toy.  The eyeball rolling system, which is a trademark by Enterbay is awesome. You can adjust how the yes will look simply by moving the levers inside the head. Imagine that menacing fighting look of Bruce Lee and you can duplicate that.

The box that turns into a backdrop is an excellent idea by Enterbay. At leas the box is not store forever in the attic.

The Setup:

Here is a diagram of how Bruce was phoTOYgraphed. I basically used 2 lights here, a 400 watts Rimelight and a 180 watts Jinbei, both fitted with a rectangular and octagonal softbox.

For more pictures kindly check:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerpee/sets/72157624707861324/

Thor PF by Sideshow Collectibles

Sideshow Collectibles’ Premium Format (PF) line is another level in the statue industry. The PF characters are a combination of polystone material and ‘fabric costuming’ that makes them realistic. Scale-wise, these are statues that are over 20 inches tall so just imagine how majestic they would look inside your house.

I recently borrowed this awesome statue of Thor for a pictorial and blog as well. This is by far the best statue of Thor that I have ever seen and even though I am not a fan I would definitely love to own one.

The PF Thor has a production run of 1,250 pieces and comes with his Mighty Mjolnir and a small base. The articulation's amazing and the fabric costume clothing compliments the god of thunder very well.

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/?page_id=4489&sku=7205&ref=search0109

This statue is already sold out so the secondary market is your best bet. Amazon is selling this for $599.99 (contrary to its original SRP of $324.99).

http://www.amazon.com/Sideshow-Thor-Premium-Format-Figure/dp/B001JPWXJG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1281536586&sr=8-1

PhoTOYgrapher's Perspective:

I have a difficult time shooting these statues because of their big size; Thor is approximately 30 inches tall. My lighting setups are designed for action figures and small statues so I had to do some modifications for the big guys.

Statues are memorable to me because this is where I honed my skills in lighting. I have spent a lot of time and effort in making sure that I could give my best representation of these collectibles.

I just started practicing digital composites or super imposing as some would call them and am enjoying every minute of it. Had I been fortunate into having my very own studio or a big setup then the pictures that you will see are more or less the usual stuffs that I do – light painting, rim lighting and some high key images.

It's going to be a hassle (and danger) bringing these statues outdoors because just one scratch and the value goes down. 

Issues:

1.) Though the pose is different I would prefer to see Thor's face when he is in display instead of looking up.

2.) The base is terrible. Sideshow made an awesome base for Captain America so how come Thor gets a simple boulder with drawings?

Manny Pacquiao X Bloc28 Mad Mickey by Mindstyle

In the world of boxing today no one is more popular than our very own Manny Pacquiao. He is the only boxer in history to win 7 titles in 7 different weight divisions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manny_Pacquiao). No boxer in Philippine history has achieved what ‘Pacman’ has and once rumor came out that there was going to be a toy version of Pacman (first ever) fans and collectors eagerly waited for it.

A friend of mine who manages Mindstyle Philippines (http://www.mindstyleph.com/) recently made the rumor a reality. Recently Pacquaio opened a novelty shop in one of our local malls called Team Pacquiao and aside from clothing and accessories this is where you will be able to get Pacman's first ever toy, which is distributed by Mindstyle Philippines.

"In celebration of Team Pacquiao opening their new store in Level 3, Sports Loop, Robinson Galleria Mall, Manila Philippines on August 8, 2010. We are pleased to announce the release of the new Manny Pacquiao x Bloc28 Mad Mickey Figure Set."

The Manny Pacquiao and Mad Mickey figure set are approximately 13 inches tall. The first version to be released is a Team Pacquiao Philippines Exclusive and has a limited run of 300 pieces each.The Pacquiao x Mad Mickey set retails for P25,000.00 (roughly $530.00). "These figures come in a beautiful packaged gift box together in a Team Paquiao shopping bag. The figures include a collectors card, officially available at Team Pacquiao Stores in the Philippines and MINDstyle Philippines." 

http://www.mindstyleph.com/2010/07/manny-pacquiao-x-bloc28-mad-mickey.html

PhoTOYgrapher's Perspective:

I find it more difficult to pull off a dynamic photo of a vinyl than with statues or action figures mainly because of their forms. With statues a simple lighting setup would give me dramatic results; vinyls on the other hand have very simple shapes, which makes it a bit more challenging to achieve what I want.

If you are into composites like what I currently trying to do then the usual table top setup is sufficient. However I would love to bring these plastics outdoors and do a shoot with a real background to lessen my time on Photoshop.

Issue:

1.) My only issue with this is the selling price. In my personal opinion the set is too expensive, however this is officially the first figure of Manny Pacquiao and collectors knows that this is probably a good investment.

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 100mm f2.8 L lens

400 Watts Rimelight & 180 watts Jinbei

Pocket Wizards

Falcon Eyes Product Table