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

Batman Mini Cosbaby by Hot Toys

When Hot Toys introduced their DC mini Cosbaby a few years back I was still unaware of what a Cosbaby is. Fast forward to the current time line and I am happy to own the Toy Story and Iron Man 2 set.  My recent acquisition of IM2 mini cosbaby set garnered another bonus, I was offered a complete set of their Batman line at a reasonable price and immediately grabbed the opportunity.

Now I am also a proud owner of the Batman mini cosbaby set. However Robert informed me that he does not have the Nightwing exclusive so I did what any nutty collector would do, go to eBay. I only got 2 hits, one seller selling the whole set and another one selling an opened Nightwing. After inquiring on the shipping fee here in the Philippines I decided to purchase the item.

Package Contents:

Each piece is packed in a small sealed box and contains the following characters: Batgirl, The Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, Batman (Classic), Batman (Modern) and Robin. For more information kindly check Hot Toys' site at http://www.hottoys.com.hk/index.php?target=categories&category_id=6 and look for the Batman icon 

below.

Collector's Perspective:

Toy collecting is addicting. You can never have enough unless your fund diminishes; otherwise you keep on buying and buying. Though I do not see the value of these to increase extensively someday, they are still worth to collect in my book. The good thing with mini cosbabies is that they are also for play and not just for display. 

I checked Amazon's site and this is what I got http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=batman+cosbaby&x=0&y=0&ih=12_3_1_0_0_0_0_0_0_1.4_161&fsc=-1.

PhoTOYgrapher's Perspective:

Cute is just one of the many words to describe a cosbaby. Since they are only 3 inches and 7cm tall you can practically bring them anywhere to be phoTOYgraphed. My good friend Jon was kind enough to lend me his PF Thor statue and I took the base to be use as a prop. The backgrounds are added via Adobe Photoshop.

Some Issues:

1.) How come Penguin, Riddler and Mr. Freeze were not included? =D

2.) Accessories for Batman, Catwoman and Robin would have been nice.

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 100mm f2.8 L lens

2 pcs. Jinbei 180 watts (each), Rectangular and Octagonal Softbox, Green Background and Pocket Wizards

Falcon Eyes Product Table

PF Thor's Base

Iron Man 2 Mini Cosbaby by Hot Toys

I recently caught the Mini Cosbaby bug and during my last trip to HK I was able to complete The Toy Story characters and bought a couple of Iron Man 2 Cosbaby figures. I was browsing through eBay the other day in hopes of completing the characters from Iron Man 2 and found a couple online. Prior to this writing I only had Whiplash, War Machine and Tony Stark face Mark IV.

My colleague Jon knew about my quest to complete the set and on one of his toy trips in Greenhills (one of our local malls here) he was able to buy the whole set (Rhodey included) for P 4,000.00 (roughly $85) after discount. He tried to get in touch with me to see if I wanted a set for myself as well but I was unavailable during that time.  When I finally came to my senses and knew of his great deal I called a friend of mine who owns a store there as well and finally after 2 days of hard thinking I grabbed the opportunity. The fact that I was able to sell a toy made the decision easier for me.

My friend gave me a great deal as well for the set that also included a Tony Stark Mark VI Taiwan Exclusive version (love the box design). Thank you Robert!

Taiwan Exclusive Tony Stark Mark VI

Package Contents:

Each box is sealed and contains one of 7 characters including Whiplash, Nick Fury, Black Widow, Tony Stark Mark IV, Iron Man Mark IV, Iron Man Mark VI and War Machine. If you opt to get 1 case then it contains all 7 characters plus the secret version, James Rhodes Mark II. For more information kindly check http://www.hottoys.com.hk/index.php?target=categories&category_id=6 and look for the Iron Man 2 icon below.

Collector’s Perspective:

Toy collecting is addicting. You can never have enough unless your fund diminishes; otherwise you keep on buying and buying. Though I do not see the value of these to increase extensively someday, they are still worth to collect in my book. The good thing with mini cosbabies is that they are also for play and not just for display. I was also happy to acquire the Tony Stark Mark VI which was exclusively released last July at a Toy show in Taiwan.

Amazon is selling the Taipei exclusive for $15.99 (http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Man-Cosbabies-Exclusive-Version/dp/B003XUI9SY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1281176273&sr=8-1).

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

There is only 1 word to describe these figures – CUTE! The cuteness level alone already makes these mini cosbabies worthy to be phoTOYgraphed. A Captain America statue was recently loaned to me for pictorial and when I saw the base I figured it could make an interesting diorama for the toys. Check out the pictures below…

Since they are small bringing them outdoors for a location shoot is hassle free. I will definitely bring them out the next time I plan a trip. I mostly did tabletop shots and digitally added backgrounds via Adobe’s Photoshop.

Some Issues:

1.) The quality of paint job done is not consistent or I am probably just nitpicking.

2.) Detachable weaponries for War Machine would be a welcome addition.

3.) They should have included Mark V.

For more pictures of IM2 Mini cosbabies kindly check my flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerpee/sets/72157624535884069/

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 100mm f2.8 Lens

3 pcs. Jinbei 180 watts (each), Softbox, Grid and IR Trigger

Falcon Eyes Product Table

PF Captain America's Base

Captain America PF by Sideshow Collectibles

Sideshow Collectibles is a company known for producing and selling fine quality statues. Over the years I followed their extensive lists of statues from a friend who used to collect statues before. I’ve come to appreciate, drooled and wished that someday I may own at least a couple of them.

Approximately 3 years ago I borrowed his Captain America PF (Premium Format) for a photo shoot and was awestruck when I saw the statue. That was probably the best statue rendition of Captain America that I ever saw. Eagerly anticipating the movie of the star spangled avenger next year I borrowed the statue again from my friend for yet another photo shoot.

Package Contents:

Captain America stands over 19 inches tall and is packed together with a base (with Ultron’s head). Sideshow does well with box designs and this one is no different from their other ones. The bottom of the box also indicates the edition number of the statue, which is limited to 1,100 pieces.

Collector’s Perspective:

The limited production alone is enough to convince you that this is a collectible. Sideshow’s Premium Format line combines polystone statues with fabric clothing that makes them realistic and they are 1:4^th scale.

The SRP of this from Sideshow’s website is $249.00 but is already sold out. The only way to get this is from a secondary market. Amazon lists this statue, a new one for $1,299.00 and a used one for $850.00. 


http://www.sideshowtoy.com/?page_id=4489&sku=7161&ref=search0109

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000UPZGFY/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000UPZGFY/ref=dp_olp_collectible?ie=UTF8&condition=collectible

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/?page_id=4489&sku=71611&ref=search0109

Sideshow released another version of this, similar to the WWII Captain America. It has the same pose but different shield and instead of stepping on Ultron’s head, he is stepping on a military helmet. Another difference is his mask, which only covers half of his face. The production is limited to 875 pieces and it retails for $279.99.

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

These statues are not designed for tabletop phoTOYgraphy unless you have a big setup. Cap’s over 19 inches tall and I would prefer to bring this to a studio or maybe outdoors. My setup is not designed for big toys so I improvise whenever I can.

The details and paint job are superb in all aspect. The statue looks magnificent and the sculpting of the face is very good. I like what they did with the base incorporating Ultron’s head and letting Cap step on it. No matter what angle I take Captain America looks magnificent!

If you have the extra time then a composite would definitely make this statue stand out. I am pretty much a newbie at this craft but you can check my colleague Bleau Aquino's stream. I guarantee you will be amazed and inspired. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11178052@N03/4826904365/

Some Issues:

1.) The white fabric on his arm turned a bit yellow already.

2.) I would probably prefer if his head were tilted a bit downwards to convey his victory over Ultron.


For more pictures of PF Captain America kindly check my flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerpee/sets/72157624536211145/

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 100mm f2.8 Lens

Benro A300 Tripod

3 pcs. Jinbei 180 watts (each), octagonal and rectangular softboxes, grid, green background and Morris IR trigger

Falcon Eyes product table

CI Boys by Jan Calleja

Customizing is a norm in the vinyl world because it gives artists a chance to showcase their creative skills. These Do it Yourself (DIY) vinyl’s can be drawn, colored, brushed, sprayed, etc. whatever the creative minds can think off. Some even go to extensive lengths by sculpting and adding accessories to these figures.

Jan Calleja is one of those artists. His 2 CI boys named Zu-1 (engineer) and Zu-2 (doctor) were both concept mechas. Originally he was planning to do a series of these boys but eventually the project evolved into a bigger one.

Packaging:

His custom made 7” CI Boys arrived at my office bubble wrapped inside a sturdy box. These 2 figures had the same concept but totally different in design. Jan used just about anything he can find for his customs. I see decals, nuts and bolts, tubes, lenses, etc. 

Collector’s Perspective:

People put a lot of time and effort into customizing these masterpieces so I do consider them as collectibles. I am quite amused with his designs on these 2 CI boys – they look like scuba divers with CCTV cameras on their faces (love the camera like lens accessory Jan).

According to Jan, Zu-1 is a bit special because parts of it were made from scraps of BMW. To translate what he told me, the were neighbors with BMW Philippines before so they get "to sift through their garbage."

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

These CI boys are already sold so I am taking careful consideration not to bring them anywhere for pictorials. I am once again confined to just doing table top work of these boys. Though these boys pale in comparison to his OptiMunny prime (these were one of his earliest customs), nevertheless I have to say the Jan is a creative genius.

The usual perspective shots will give these boys life.

Some Issues:

1.) The alphanumeric stickers on the boys could be improved. Some are good while others look out of proportion. I do not know if these were deliberately designed like that.

2.) In my personal opinion these boys would be better with a base. Unlike Prime who looks magnificent as is, you can bring more life to these boys by adding a base to it.

Like what I wrote above, these CI boys were one of Jan’s earliest customs and he has gotten better (check out his Prime in my posts) a lot since then.

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 100mm f2.8 Lens

2 pcs. Jinbei 180 watts (each), Softbox, Grid and Morris IR Trigger

Benro A300 Tripod

Falcon Eyes Product Table & Gray background

Series 1 Collectable Mini Figures (Part 2) by LEGO

I did a blog about these mini figs awhile back and during that time I only had 2 of the 16 pieces of series 1.  When they finally arrived here my bro informed me about it and he literally scheduled a mall visit before going to work. When he got there at Hobbes, Bonifacio High, he was able to only get a few. He was informed that their other branches have ample stocks and determined to complete his set went to Powerplant Mall that night. 

I admired his determination because he reminds me of myself that I am willing to set aside certain priorities to get toys. He knew that I wanted a set for myself as well and armed with his printout that tells him what characters are inside each sealed pack; he started opening several packs until he was able to complete the set. Even the sales people were amazed at how he was able to complete the set and even helped him.

Then I received a call from him saying that I owe him money because he got a set for me as well. Yahoo! ! !

I love all the characters that they did except the Zombie (I cannot for the life of me find a zombie to be cute). My favorites are The Robot, Forest Man (archer), Scuba Diver, Indian Girl, Ninja and Astronaut. Heck I like them all except for the Zombie dude.

Each pack retails for about P 200.00 (roughly $ 4.50).  I can’t wait for series 2 to arrive and hopefully we will be lucky to complete the set as well.

If you want to be inspired with taking pictures of your LEGO collection then check out the streams of my colleagues:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gpayne85/sets/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smokebelch/sets/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40195501@N06/sets/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kthai/sets/

*Note: This is the chart to check what characters are inside each pack. Check the barcode carefully. Good luck =D