Star Wars

[Alpha Whiskey Photography]

Star Wars arguably became a benchmark for toys and a sizeable portion of toy photography involves characters from that franchise. So, I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone asked me to dip my lenses into that paddle pool.
Like most people of my generation, and many thereafter, I much preferred the original movies and their practical effects to the over-saturated artifice of the prequels and the woke identity politics of the more recent trilogy.

A fully articulated Darth Vader, and much stiffer Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker, were posted out to me to have a play. I also found a small TIE fighter in a local supermarket so that became a useful prop for adding to backgrounds. Unlike The Terminator project, masked characters are a lot easier to create illusions of reality, although clearly these images are bordering on poster art.

Space and Death Star backgrounds were composited in, as were the light sabre beams. Kylo Ren's light sabre was constructed from a AAA battery wrapped in black electrical tape and some black straw for the side beams. Some BTS pics further down.

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BTS:

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MORE HERE:

Behance

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Video with music from the Imperial March.

 

[Alpha Whiskey Photography]

Thanks for the feature. I actually think the Terminator project was better but I guess more people are into Star Wars.

I realise many people don’t think of this genre as ‘real photography’ but I’ve done my fair share of landscapes and wildlife around the world, architecture, street and sport, and right now this is what I find the most challenging (and the most lucrative ). Plus it's much easier to accomplish during a lockdown

Be well and healthy, everyone.

 

[pake]

HOLY ****!!! You have reached a whole new level of awesomeness!

 

[StefanKruse]

Very cool, love that you included the behind the scenes - out of curiosity who buys these kinds of images?

 

[Alpha Whiskey Photography]

HOLY ****!!! You have reached a whole new level of awesomeness!

LOL Many thanks!

 

[Alpha Whiskey Photography]

Very cool, love that you included the behind the scenes - out of curiosity who buys these kinds of images?

Collectors, private individuals, parents who want bespoke posters for their kids bedrooms (but probably for themselves!). Collectors value things that are unique and rare, presumably why so many of them keep their limited edition items sealed in their boxes. If they have a large print of something from a popular franchise that no one else has, then it has value for them and presumably they can go on to sell it for more at a later date. Not all of these images are bought, some are my own indulgence. The first two, the Kylo Ren ones and the TIE fighter were the chosen ones.
I don't use online platforms like Displate, for instance, (people contact me directly) but they have a lot of folks there selling posters made with toys.
Also get requests from automotive accessory companies for the model car stuff. They don't always have the budget that the big automotive makers do to get an actual car (plus another for spares), driver, fuel, location, photographer etc. So even if they pay me it's still a saving for them. Plus we can do virtually anything with the model cars (like explosions and skids) that you wouldn't dare to with a real one

 

[Erich_H]

Aaah! I'm missing Darth! Kylo Ren is just a wimp. Bad guys aren't what they used to be!

But then, I'm a big fan of Ashurbanipal, too.
Pile up the severed heads, says I!

“The rest of those living I destroyed…and their carved-up bodies I fed to dogs, to pigs, to wolves, to eagles, to birds of the heavens, to fishes of the deep.”

 

[StefanKruse]

Collectors, private individuals, parents who want bespoke posters for their kids bedrooms (but probably for themselves!). Collectors value things that are unique and rare, presumably why so many of them keep their limited edition items sealed in their boxes. If they have a large print of something from a popular franchise that no one else has, then it has value for them and presumably they can go on to sell it for more at a later date. Not all of these images are bought, some are my own indulgence. The first two, the Kylo Ren ones and the TIE fighter were the chosen ones.
I don't use online platforms like Displate, for instance, (people contact me directly) but they have a lot of folks there selling posters made with toys.
Also get requests from automotive accessory companies for the model car stuff. They don't always have the budget that the big automotive makers do to get an actual car (plus another for spares), driver, fuel, location, photographer etc. So even if they pay me it's still a saving for them. Plus we can do virtually anything with the model cars (like explosions and skids) that you wouldn't dare to with a real one

Very interesting thanks for sharing! That is a cool niche and I do get why people would love something unique - not any different from buying a Landscape, Street or wildlife print in my mind.

I cant recall from your prevoius post wheyher you have shown some of the processing you do i.e. backgrounds, lighsabers etc? but that would be cool to get a behind the scenes look at too. Do you have to walk a thin line in terms of copyrights etc for stuff like this? I imigine you cant add logos etc. but where is the line?

 

[Alpha Whiskey Photography]

Very interesting thanks for sharing! That is a cool niche and I do get why people would love something unique - not any different from buying a Landscape, Street or wildlife print in my mind.

I cant recall from your prevoius post wheyher you have shown some of the processing you do i.e. backgrounds, lighsabers etc? but that would be cool to get a behind the scenes look at too. Do you have to walk a thin line in terms of copyrights etc for stuff like this? I imigine you cant add logos etc. but where is the line?

The videos on youtube show more of the editing sequences if you want to see that, the progression from the original to the finished picture. Links are provided at the bottom of the main post.
These are all unique products created by me. Just as unique as the thousands of individual graphic artworks/photographs of toys of famous characters taken by thousands of other photographers/artists. If there were any rights issues then the thousands of people selling their own pics and graphic art of movie icons and characters on countless online platforms (such as Displate and Etsy) would surely be disallowed Since I'm taking these images myself of the client's own models/figures for them to display in their own home I don't think I'm stepping on any copyright issues. I'm photographing projects for the clients that ask for them rather than profiting from the brands/properties themselves. People send me their stuff or ask me to purchase it for them, I take the pics and they pay me for the work. Simples

 

[StefanKruse]

The videos on youtube show more of the editing sequences if you want to see that, the progression from the original to the finished picture. Links are provided at the bottom of the main post.
These are all unique products created by me. Just as unique as the thousands of individual graphic artworks/photographs of toys of famous characters taken by thousands of other photographers/artists. If there were any rights issues then the thousands of people selling their own pics and graphic art of movie icons and characters on countless online platforms (such as Displate and Etsy) would surely be disallowed Since I'm taking these images myself of the client's own models/figures for them to display in their own home I don't think I'm stepping on any copyright issues. I'm photographing projects for the clients that ask for them rather than profiting from the brands/properties themselves. People send me their stuff or ask me to purchase it for them, I take the pics and they pay me for the work. Simples

Thanks, I never knew such a market existed (never heard of Displate and Etsy). Again thanks for sharing and enlightening me

 

[Danny_SWE]

The force is strong in you! Most impressive work. I have done my fair share of photoshopping and can say it is not easy to get this good result. Well done!

 

[Kalifornier]

Fantastic! Looking forward to more series.