Practical Effects in Professional Toy Photography!

[@Hippiewolf42]

It's so fascinating watching him explain something I had no interest in previously. His passion and enthusiasm is contagious.

[@lsinner80]

Johnny Wu is everything. Love his works and his passion. Can I just sit in his workshop and watch the whole entire process? 😉

[@justaddmusclecom]

Oh man, now I want to embark on another hobby after watching this. It seems like so much fun to create these really cool images.

[@TheGlassSword]

Healthy Recipe Channel Same I build Gundam models now I really want to try this with them

[@JelloFluoride]

@@TheGlassSword Do it! I want to do the same thing.

[@beckymurphy4714]

I snagged Hela, Thor & Loki on clearance, and had a blast doing photo shoots with them. I took about 30 pictures of Hela alone - with and without her cloak, headdress and "regular" head. Outside with a snow bank background. Right now I have Hela & Loki standing on my dresser, and Thor doing a "power jump" behind Hela (He's suspended from the wall on fishing line). I love coming up with different scenarios and angles.

[@lorcannagle]

@@TheGlassSword there's a great Gunpla blog called kusakusa, the guy does these fantastic long-exposure photos with laser pointers, lighting and clear plastic weapon effects to give naturalistic photos of gundam kits in action poses.

[@androgeniko]

I started recently take photos of my Saint Seiya figures with natural light and the gold cloths with sun light look really amazing I falled in love taking photos of them

[@hazonku]

I think my favorite part was just watching him & Norm geek out about photography and lighting itself. LOL The photos & process are super interesting too but watching them geek out was the best part.

[@DeeL2003]

Congrats Johnny! It's so cool seeing toy photography getting some exposure. Great job Norm and Tested!

[@BarManFesteiro]

I absolutely loved the lights, i work in theater stages and these lights are just like miniatures of the ones we use really cool.

[@coregeek]

Been following him for years. He’s such an incredible artist. Thanks for highlighting him here.

[@rowleysyukur8438]

Johnny Wu, u rock! Awesome artwork n crazy photography. This guy is talented.. 🤘

[@gungagalunga7761]

I really enjoy listening to an artist describe their process of creating. Sgtbananas... great work.

[@SuperSpeedMonkey]

Norman is easily one of the best interviewers in the business.

[@jasonyang6418]

CONGRATS JOHNNY! Really proud of you, my friend!

[@iPhonedo]

Great interview, I love this video.

[@TheEternalExperience]

My boy Johnny! Congrats dude this was so awesome to watch. Big inspiration to all of us toy photographers! God speed!

[@BoogNice]

Also, Lume Cube PAY this man! That was God level promotion.

[@mossvf6706]

Nice to see toy photography getting some love ! Nice work johnny

[@2ruthfox82]

You got love to bro, I thought of you when I seen this.

[@brickstopixel2324]

and what's exactly the problem with that?

[@brooksysdead]

😂😂😂 yes he is an ambassador for the company and he should be... He is basically selling their product to a community that otherwise may not know about the product and how well they would work for them.good for johnny

[@BoogNice]

I don’t see a problem at all. It’s win, win.

[@jsdrummer91]

I needed this.. Excellent choice in having Johnny Wu on your channel. Huge fan. This lights a spark inside me to get back to the grind.

[@damonwestenhofer44]

Haha I love how Norm just invites himself back at the end. Didn't know about Johnny Wu before, definitely going to follow. Great video guys!

[@TheSalemCrow]

As an artist in the same hobby, I appreciate Tested showcasing it, and such an amazing artist.

[@buzzmooney2801]

I haven't done NEARLY as much figure photography as I've wanted, over the years. I'm intrigued by the simple setup!

[@dr.doppeldecker3832]

Too much green for me, i actually liked the original photo more.

[@madgenus]

I feel the same way honestly, though removing the raindrop on the forehead and the unfocused thing to the right seems like a good choice to me.

[@offsetstudio5673]

Agreed, before looked much better, after felt very artificial.

[@55johnkid]

Looks realistic to me. Some light produce a different hue.

[@madgenus]

@@55johnkid Gonna have to disagree there, i don't see any sort of lighting on that scene (rainy forest during evening/night) producing that green tint realistically.

[@mikesartorii234]

Too me...she is on an alien f$cking planet so who knows what the hell it's supposed to look like! It's all subjective guys! Too me...I would've like to seen more of the gun barrel if we are being nitpicky about what "we" would like to see ;) This guy does great work and is inspiring to say the least.

[@nicoledamiata4810]

I’m trying to learn as much as I can to improve at this, thank you so much for this post 😊

[@gpholtz]

Toys, dioramas, miniatures, railroad models......Love them all!!!!

[@tcb9775]

Same. I always wanted to see micromachines in a diorama.

[@iBurnedaHouse]

This was so cool to watch, it really makes me want to do stop motion again. Or at least build stuff, so much fun.

[@tcb9775]

Go for it! And share it on YT Stop motion is way better than CGI

[@christopherwashington2460]

This is absolutely fascinating Edit : the level of detail he pays to each part of the shot is amazing

[@infinitegodman]

Seriously great vid Tested. Love the artist work space/flow tour! Keep these coming XD

[@legoat8747]

I always thought toy photography was awesome, but ever since I started loving photography and getting into it then also watching this video. Boy did it spike my interest even more!

[@toypocket6871]

Soo awesome! Super excited to get to see Johnny on here! I’m a big @toymigos fan

[@PsimanUK]

Fantastic video. A great insight into what it takes to produce such high quality photography of miniatures. I think I might have a go and see what I can produce with some of my old Star Wars figures. Thanks for making the video.

[@ColombianCasanova]

its not miniatures, its action figure photography, miniatures is something else

[@JuanDaMajikOne]

I swear, if someone was to show me these pictures before I knew that these were toys or action figures, I'd swear these were pictures of real live actors posing for him. This guy is a true artist.

[@jimmythx1]

My personal favorite toy photographer , tones of movement and life in his work.

[@ericbadder1552]

You are a loser man. Did u really just say that

[@Wicket_78]

so much talent! and great that he's doing something he's passionate about.

[@ColdsideRamrod]

It's reassuring to know that there are still people who can afford, temporally and financially, to have hobbies like this.

[@JoelsterG4k]

This was so awesome, thank you for this video.

[@KidToyTesters]

That was an awesome insight into your process. Thank you for sharing this with us!

[@sadeaton]

That is a cool form of art, thank you for sharing.

[@DavidLeeKersey]

One thing I found funny is he has a great set up and all the specialized gear but no remote trigger for the camera? So he has to twist his hand around and risk bumping the tripod to get his shot.

[@convolution223]

he's not animating so bumping it isn't really an issue

[@hansdietrich83]

@@convolution223 it can be a problem on more than 1/4s exposure

[@joannecarroll5504]

@@convolution223 - from a photographers's perspective, any time you use the button, you risk moving the camera & the security of stillness is the whole reason you have the tripod set up in the first place. I was taught to use the tripod & trigger (or timer) any time I have an opportunity to use them, as so many different types of shot in the studio are improved in accuracy by removing the Human Clumsiness Factor.

[@jasonjohnson2047]

@@hansdietrich83 If you notice he's shooting at 1/1250th of a sec. Plus the camera has IBIS. And he shoots ~150 shots to get 1 so it's probably no big deal and I'd say from his results he's got a handle on it.

[@jessical4866]

Working with a physical object to recreate a mental image has the potential to be so frustrating, it seems. Like what if you want an epic shot, you get so excited, but then the toy itself isn’t physically capable of adjusting to that position? Definite props to Sgtbananas.

[@BlackfyreProductions]

I just stumbled upon these videos and I love them! I plan on doing some photography of some of my miniatures to tell a narrative story, and this is very inspirational and educational. Thanks for sharing.

[@PunkerMike]

Congrats Johnny!!

[@ryecmd]

I like his pictures thanks for sharing because I collect figures and started taking pictures recently.

[@anchorbait6662]

Thanks SgtB! Great Tested episode as well.

[@AWARHERO]

Awesome... Nothing less then AWESOME!

[@H2o3G2a]

Why would anyone dislike this? they're both very nice and passionate, the photographer is talented and overall it's pretty fucking interesting to watch.

[@BushidoPhoto]

I'm a professional photographer and this was inspiring even to me!

[@pictureeyecandy]

Well, this was very interesting. He got hooked by taking his first photo of a toy. I'm am wondering if he does only toy photography? Hopefully, toy manufactures start using his photography's for a new release of the toy models on their boxes or packages ( Product Photography ). His practical effects and using light to get it as perfect in the camera was awesome. I figured he did some digital effects like rain and overlays but he did not.

[@BGsModelWorkshop]

This was so cool guys! Thanks to Johnny Wu for sharing!!

[@LeeGinSing]

So nerdy. So awesome.

[@GurnningGunners]

As an artist I find his work beautiful, amazing stuff

[@hhanonymous]

Great interview about his process...too bad he didn't also show how he does practical effects with sparks and smoke.

[@tested]

Stay tuned!

[@warlord13000]

Wow SgtBananas is on Tested!!

[@shelleynobleart]

Killer fantastic episode! Lighting goals. Brilliant work! Thank you so much for the tools and process share.

[@BERENICECG]

Great video and you have an amazing talent. Where did you get the trees?

[@LindsayDaly]

Honestly it's refreshing to see someone actually using Photoshop for photo editing, I feel like everyone uses Lightroom nowadays; I'm trying to get into it but I don't do a lot of photography so I'm not really used to it yet.

[@mikieson]

all ive ever used was photoshop.its just the first thing i was introduced to many years ago. No pro here but i can get around it..

[@elophantastisch]

Well Photoshop is meant for Photo manipulation while lightroom basicly is for color grading etc.

[@hanyoukimura]

I mean you can do it all in Photoshop, I do, but Lightroom is ideal for color correcting and processing large batches of RAW files.

[@hanyoukimura]

This man is an hero. Combines two things I really enjoy.

[@icunary]

As well as batch editing, Lightroom is very good with cataloging and organizing your photos from a shoot. Making quick edits on multiple photos, etc.

[@snoopu2601]

This is way cool I always like toys, I always go to the toy section in the store to see what they come out with new.

[@RawHeadRay]

You could film motion video of the set with the practical effect going off live, (without the character in shot) then green screen the character in to the video to either create a fully animated moment or a simple 6 frames giff.

[@waynesbutler]

Johnny definitely has his chops together when producing these great shots . My personnel favorite though is Deanknight 333 , his photography is poster worthy just like this guy ..

[@BoogNice]

Salute!

[@MauroRaptor86]

ACBA in a 4,3 millions subscribers channel. It should be like a dream for you Boog!

[@sebastianhoyos1961]

My man boog is loving the plug lol awesome

[@thephotoviper]

Great spotlight on an awesome hobby!!!

[@gilbertcharpentier4938]

Very very good job sir i love !!!

[@LanzaroteShowcase]

Awesome video. Inspiring. Check out a couple of Aputure MC lights as well, could be a nice addition to the lume cubes.

[@mamangcamping]

Wow the man behind sgt bananas! Great video

[@Shilly_JD]

Thanks! Norm and Tested!! Very cool!

[@cftyler5041]

What an amazing guy and an awesome job/hobby

[@marottamonster]

I’ve seen some of your work here on yt and it’s just amazing. I wanted to ask what would you recommend in the way of a “basic” dslr for photographing figures. I thought my iPhone would be good, but of course an actual camera 📷 would be better.

[@garybarnett7284]

Johnny: Why aren't you in Hollywood and/or working for Mattell? You sir are truly awesome!

[@HOPALONGCHIEFKIWI]

I want to do this. Where do I start? This is so inspiring. AWESOMENESS!!!!

[@gratefuldoge8598]

Man these photographers are everywhere it's been super trendy 2017 and shit

[@Sl20]

All I see is two little boys talking about soldiers and toys love it !!!!!!🔴🫢🤫

[@MrChief101]

Now that was fun-- good guy. Thanks, Norm!

[@NecroDingus]

This one's a banger. Great job.

[@PD-ku5xo]

Johnny Wu (aka SgtBananas) needs his own KZbin Channel lol

[@gusbisbal9803]

The reason he has so much light is because of his fast shutter speed. He should of spoken about that. At F-stop 2.8 I am surprised his ISO is so high (1600) with that much light. I guess his shutter is 1/1250.

[@jeremyude]

He did talk about it at 13:45. The reason for the fast shutter is freezing water drops in the air without motion blur.

[@gusbisbal9803]

@@jeremyude He should have spoken about the amount of light that is needed when dealing with super fast shutter speeds. That was my comment.

[@JohnSmith-cj9cx]

@@gusbisbal9803 , Man! The guy is just giving an interview about his artwork and production process in general (that's what the video is about). He doesn't have to give a full class about the science and theory behind every single aspect of photography (there are other videos for that). He never claimed to be a college professor, he just describes what he does the best way he can. If you want to contribute with your knowledge, you are welcome to do so, but there is no need to complain because people don't do things the way you would have done it.

[@gusbisbal9803]

@@JohnSmith-cj9cx wait... are you complaining that I am complaining? Yeah i think you are. He is an advanced photographer. He could of explained that perfectly. This is a photography video. If your not going to explain the photography then you leaving out your method.

[@simonblackwood4672]

Awesome... I went straight over and followed

[@OneSixShooter]

Congrats, Johnny!

[@Burtronic]

One thing I always remember being taught by a pro photographer was, if you have time, take three steps left and three steps right, just to see if there’s another angle. Not all shots are gone just like that.

[@leesway]

i really love his story

[@BigManila]

Love it, nice work! This video inspires me to get better 🤩

[@coleccionoperfumes]

This is AMAZING!

[@revjagar2961]

This just inspired me!!!!

[@NotThatBob]

Here's a guy who knows how to play with toys! Brilliant.

[@vladimirgreen124]

Very nice fotos 👍 Good job 👏🏼

[@SeSeMittens]

Wow, this is so cool! I want to try this myself 😊

[@rickjasonaloro5632]

One of the Best!!

[@jordynscreams1614]

I love the mini forest...

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

This is something that I would love to get into. I collect action figures, anime figures, model trains, car and build kits as well. I would love to photograph them so they look real (or as close to real as I can get).

[@LindsayDaly]

Those tiny lights are the cutest thing I've ever seen. Wish I could carry those babies around instead of full-size ones lol

[@dudepersonvids]

You absolutely could, if you want to drop ~$150 for a pair of them. The Lumecube Air just came out and actually does better color than the original Lumecube for about $10 less. Probably not powerful enough for a key light in many life-sized situations, but could be useful.

[@NeverNotMaking]

Wow! Truly inspirational work!

[@vladepast4936]

The guy is an artist...

[@creatingwithcatherine8680]

That’s so cool! 💕

[@jasonj87]

I do the same thing.....I know I have ALOT to learn. Just the matter of having the right equipment and amazing figurine posing ideas. Sucks on the prices on figurines on amazon.

[@ZapytajFotografa]

Inspiring! Thanks

[@Ben-pr9ew]

So interessing! And good vibes un these video👍🏻..

[@Artist_196]

Fantastic, so inspiring!

[@humansrants1694]

I'm tempted to get a Lumecube 2 pro kit does the snoot work while also using the filter. I want something to use as a passing red laser blast light of a figure.

[@Bassquake76]

In the words of the Nerd Crew.. veery cool!

[@phototec]

AWESOME video, I'm not into these toys, can someone tell me how you get toys with such realistic faces? Do these toys come that realistic right out of the box or does Johnny Wu have someone paint them? Thanks

[@leok8091]

First thing that came to mind after starting this video was the 2010 Marwencol documentary. Second thing was, his pictures are so much better.

[@UNITGJ]

Great stuff! Personally I would have added some dirt etc to the figure itself for that added detail/realism but I understand keeping the figure mint might be a factor. Awesome stuff.

[@mams1701]

Where did you get those trees and outside props? What are they made of? Those are amazing! Great work!! 😆

[@CarlConstantine]

I also follow Sgtbananas on IG. Fantastic work.

[@sdjohnsononyoutube]

This was so awesome & inspiring