Lights, Camera, Action Figures: Having fun with Action Figure Photography

When I was a kid, I loved action figures - and no, I'm not talking about dolls. They’re “action figures”.  I’ve managed to keep a few around during my career, from cubicle to cubicle and office to office. Wherever I was getting work done, there's always been an action figure or two (or ten) right there.

Now, I started messing around with photography and started to get good at it.  I photographed people, places and things for years until the day Bandai, one of the big guys in the action figure world, decided to hire me to photograph their action figures. Yup, I was getting paid to play around with action figures (and camera gear). Awesome.

"It challenges my creativity in a way that’s different from my 9-5. It’s a mix of technical and creative skills"

So yeah, I’m a grown-a$$ man that still plays with toys, but not in the way you think. t's one thing to set up a 6” action figure on your desk, but it's a whole other thing to compose a shot and capture them in a way that brings them to life and tells a story. It challenges my creativity in a way that’s different from my 9-5. It’s a mix of technical and creative skills, an understanding of how the camera and lights work with each other and a basic understanding of physics.

--Gary M. Smith

For more shots, you can check out my Instagram