@remirixjones Do you like the photo? If so, who cares what the internet thinks? Someone out there will hate everything you do, regardless. Ignore them.
I love photographing toys. They're easier to work with than people. ;-)
I think action figures are great. There are some really talented people on this site who make a real story of what is going on with their figures. Chris Wang did a briallant shot of toy soldiers stealing socks from the washing machine, and there have been many more.
I rarely offer critique, as I don't know much technical stuff, but from a personal appeal value for me, I wish the blurred backgound wasn't there, as to me it takes away the focus of the figurines. In saying that, everyone has different tastes, and some would love this DOF.
As @pschtyckque says...your the one who has to like it!!
very cool~ i like toys and photography! it will be great to combine the two together :) i've seen some awesome lego figure on Flickr. Who cares if other people don't like them as long as you enjoy it!
@remirixjones I think it's silly to say that taking portraits of posing action figures cannot be art. That being said, for me personally, I tend to like action figures shot best when 1) The action figures is isolated from the real world, using backdrops etc., to focus on the action figures themselves or 2) The action figures are purposely placed in and interacts with the real world as in Paul's @webfoot shots above.
I had a look at some of your other action figure shots too, and as you emotionally describes the figures I have a feeling you would like your shots to be in the first category. For that the blurred background in the shot above is good as I really don't want to see the blinds. On the other hand, I would have liked to see more details Rita Repulsa's arm as that's now just a brown blurry bit taking up most of the frame, so for that I would have preferred a larger depth of field.
I believe this shot from @crimper_chun tells a similar story as your shot, but more isolated from the real world
Action figures are one of the first things I started photographing when I got my camera. They're great for practicing lighting and stuff on, but most importantly you can have fun.
I totally agree with @beeblebear - our action figures got us together as 365 and flickr buddies. I think they can be art as they can depict so much feeling in such a simplistic way ....
I think action figures can be fun.
To your pic,The large oof area in the foreground is very distracting, IMO. I think that's her arm and hand? Should be in focus, I think. Or the pic could be cropped to remove some of that oof area, perhaps everything below the bottom of her hand.
Anyway, a recent action figure pic of mine. It was for a theme about movies.
Figures are fun! Going to have to give them another go! (just not mentally prepared to go through my son's room to find them)
From waaaay back, day 20. ChopChop, never underestimate the little guy
and day 21- Cancan
there are a few more in my project, and no doubt there will be even more before my 365 year finishes.
In answer to your questions Remi-Rix, 1. Action figures are fun. If you like photographing them dont take any notice of peeps on deviant art. 2. I'm not expert. Just keep on taking photos that you like ;-)
if you enjoy photographing objects - which is all they are, ten go for it , it doesnt matter what other people coment, its your shots and time and should be fun for you
@remirixjones Of course posing action figures for photos is art! By that person's definition, photos of still life couldn't be art, either. How about posed photos of people? Personally, I find your action figure photos to be both creative and entertaining. They certainly fit in my definition of art.
As to the photo you posted here and asked for thoughts, I like the two action figure poses and the story it tells. I find the flesh tone in the foreground to be distracting, however. I'd recommend either eliminating it entirely, or going with a longer depth of field so it's less blurred. The background you selected for the shot is perfect. I like the color and pattern, and the blur is just about right for it. Overall lighting on the scene is very good, and the colors really pop. Your subject is well focused. I'd just eliminate that flesh tone foreground.
well your answer is in the thread I guess. They are a popular subject, but if you scroll down the page there's not many different pictures to be had, imho. They get less humerous as you see them repeated. As for the person who ranted at you, just do more, and tag them in. Do some super-cheese ones just to annoy them. ;)
i think they are fun to do, excellent composition practice and can be amazingly creative... altho', like anything else, once you're supersaturated they start to get old real fast...
for your shot i find the large bit that is out of focus (her sleeve i guess) to be rather distracting on my eye... but that's just me (and my wonky eyes)... playing with dof can really add to these shots so you need to do what works for you...
as for the troll - well, they're entitled to their opinion, right? but you can ignore it and as you will have seen from all the responses you got, lots of photogs like playing with toys :)
How fun, there are many that I really like and I can definitely see how it's artistic...I agree if that is what you want to photograph then GO FOR IT.......not every picture is for everyone....if they don't like it oh well....but if you do then awesome...I think I will try it myself, they look fun....
honestly, what do I think of them? they can be cute sometimes, but most them time I wish people would stop taking pictures of fake things and get to the good stuff: real peoples ;)
Thanks to everyone for their opinions. I'm still trying to see the problem with the sleeve being out of focus. But yeah, people are entitled to their opinions. My question about the DA troll was more what do you think of someone calling something 'not art'? That's more what I was getting at.
Don't ask me about Art. My photography is about science, so I call myself a Scientist. I have met artists who create art, they use a skill and ability to which I have no way of achieving when I hold their brushes and canvas yet when they hold my camera, they can capture the same moment in time as I do.
@remirixjones art is in the eye of the beholder, no? there are all sorts of works of art that sell for bazillions that i don't "get" and have no interest in trying to "get" - but someone clearly thinks they are art, right? one person's garbage is another's art and vice versa and so forevermore!
@remirixjones - Its all about factors that can have values, light can be measured, ISO can be set, f-stop has values. You get the mix right with assistance from a mass-manufactured machine. In some cases, the machine sits on a tripod and is remotely activated - even less human contact. Also, 90% of the photographs here and around the world are of things that exist, we don't create them, we find them. We don't create the image, we stop time for a brief second.
The Artists I know, have spent years like me learning their craft, when they apply paint to paper or canvas, they are creating an image that no-one has ever seen before. Except for those hyper-realism freaks... I would gladly pay hard earned money to enter a gallery and stand quietly in front of an oil, an acrylic, a watercolour and say wowee, how much skill and ability and time has gone into that? Even if I stood alongside Van Gogh, used the same paper as he, and the same paint as he and the same brushes, I could not in my wildest dreams reproduce what Van Gogh would. But if we stood side by side and aimed at the same view, with the same camera and the same settings, we would both produce a very similar image.
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I love photographing toys. They're easier to work with than people. ;-)
I rarely offer critique, as I don't know much technical stuff, but from a personal appeal value for me, I wish the blurred backgound wasn't there, as to me it takes away the focus of the figurines. In saying that, everyone has different tastes, and some would love this DOF.
As @pschtyckque says...your the one who has to like it!!
I had a look at some of your other action figure shots too, and as you emotionally describes the figures I have a feeling you would like your shots to be in the first category. For that the blurred background in the shot above is good as I really don't want to see the blinds. On the other hand, I would have liked to see more details Rita Repulsa's arm as that's now just a brown blurry bit taking up most of the frame, so for that I would have preferred a larger depth of field.
I believe this shot from @crimper_chun tells a similar story as your shot, but more isolated from the real world
I did/started a series a few years ago that others took on too.
search images with the tag 'crazy arse australians' and go to page two to see mine and other's interpretations.
Here are a few:
Oh yeah another with Danbo. Took a few the other day with him and his girlfriend, only haven't had time to edit and upload yet.
"I.... Feel .... FABULOUS!!"
"Slightest bit of sun ... and you get a full moon"
To your pic,The large oof area in the foreground is very distracting, IMO. I think that's her arm and hand? Should be in focus, I think. Or the pic could be cropped to remove some of that oof area, perhaps everything below the bottom of her hand.
Anyway, a recent action figure pic of mine. It was for a theme about movies.
From waaaay back, day 20. ChopChop, never underestimate the little guy
and day 21- Cancan
this is one of my favs
there are a few more in my project, and no doubt there will be even more before my 365 year finishes.
In answer to your questions Remi-Rix, 1. Action figures are fun. If you like photographing them dont take any notice of peeps on deviant art. 2. I'm not expert. Just keep on taking photos that you like ;-)
WHAT WOULD YOU NAME THIS ACTION FIGURE?
You are in charge of your own art. Art is subjective, so yeah, people might not call it art. Does that make them right? Nope.
if you enjoy photographing objects - which is all they are, ten go for it , it doesnt matter what other people coment, its your shots and time and should be fun for you
Bender Joe Goes Camping...not really an action figure but what you don't see is how great of a mountain biker he really is.
And I agree with the others, I think the out of focus foreground in this shot is too distracting. Are they meant to be in an embrace?
However, a short lived project on the 365 was Lazy Smurf and Hawaiian Lego Lady.
As to the photo you posted here and asked for thoughts, I like the two action figure poses and the story it tells. I find the flesh tone in the foreground to be distracting, however. I'd recommend either eliminating it entirely, or going with a longer depth of field so it's less blurred. The background you selected for the shot is perfect. I like the color and pattern, and the blur is just about right for it. Overall lighting on the scene is very good, and the colors really pop. Your subject is well focused. I'd just eliminate that flesh tone foreground.
for your shot i find the large bit that is out of focus (her sleeve i guess) to be rather distracting on my eye... but that's just me (and my wonky eyes)... playing with dof can really add to these shots so you need to do what works for you...
as for the troll - well, they're entitled to their opinion, right? but you can ignore it and as you will have seen from all the responses you got, lots of photogs like playing with toys :)
i have several toy shots... here is one...
So I thought I'd have a go, albeit without any actual action figures:
The Artists I know, have spent years like me learning their craft, when they apply paint to paper or canvas, they are creating an image that no-one has ever seen before. Except for those hyper-realism freaks... I would gladly pay hard earned money to enter a gallery and stand quietly in front of an oil, an acrylic, a watercolour and say wowee, how much skill and ability and time has gone into that? Even if I stood alongside Van Gogh, used the same paper as he, and the same paint as he and the same brushes, I could not in my wildest dreams reproduce what Van Gogh would. But if we stood side by side and aimed at the same view, with the same camera and the same settings, we would both produce a very similar image.