I'm glad to see that someone else has a workspace that looks as cluttered as mine when I'm working. I go through stages where either I'm working on a Dio-chapter and the whole studio looks like a hurricane hit or when I'm not and it's beautiful and organzed.

My big problem is becomming the size on my sets and lighting them.

Well, if you are only going to have 80 Joes than having 22 of them being Crimson Guards ain't nothing to be ashamed of.

Welcome aboard..

Meh, it's the only having 80 which I dislike. Still eBay seems to be pretty good to me (got a few Joes, and new HISS arriving soon. My second MAGOT (with two Worms) arrived last week). At this rate it'd take me many many years to build up a sizable army.
And thanks guys.

If you think that's bad you should see my painting table - it's a six seater dining table covered with stuff. You can see it in my 2004 X-Mass special in episode 3 I think, but that was when my brother was moving out so it's neater now - but not much.

Well, Luke just showed me that this site had a forum, so I wanted to post in it!


What kind of tools and such do you incorporate into your photography?

I use a camera. It's a... the brand is... well, it's silver. I don't have it handy right now or I would read it off the camera :)

Do you create actual effects in the real world? Or maybe Photoshop is your forte?

I use a lot of photoshop, but I hope to do more real world effects. I used incense candles in the last chapter of Whispers of War to make a hallway foggy looking.

Do you consider yourself an amateur (maybe semi-pro or pro) photographer or do you only pick up the camera to create your Dio-stories?

I am the most amateur of amateurs. I know nothing about photography. I just try to take pictures that I think look good.

What's the strangest (or Hardest) thing you've ever done to capture a perfect shot?

Not much... For one, I have yet to take an outdoor shot! I plan to do some for ch 5, so I'll get back with you then...

Considering I have been spending the last chunk of these years in set making, the last time I got to do camera related work was for some fantasy miniatures, for a book on the subject by another author. But since I am in the middle of a double wick candle burn, others and my own, I am having to really relearn, and polish off the old tools. So really, don't know if I can even qualify, but I love the Actor's Studio and I love the dios of my fellow authors.



What kind of tools and such do you incorporate into your photography?
Surprisingly, I don't even own a pedestrian version of Photoshop. I have a smaller lesser know product called Photosuite, which I used to make the armor lamp effects of my ALIENS dio many years ago. Now, I'll have to really stretch the product since I am doing Stargate:GIJOE ARMAGEDDON.

Do you create actual effects in the real world? Or maybe Photoshop is your forte?
Funny thing, since I do SFX for kids plays and for some wargammers, I find that I may be able to rig these things for Joe sized ideas. I guess trial and error will tell.

Do you consider yourself an amateur (maybe semi-pro or pro) photographer or do you only pick up the camera to create your Dio-stories?
Depends on what anyone would qualify as any of those titles. I have been a wildlife photographer, capturing active wolf packs at the Bronx Zoo in NYC for six years. I did some runway model photography for larger BBW girls at close of classes at Barbizon. Like most parents, I always tried to get that once in a lifetime shot that your kids set up, be it funny or heart warming. So It grossly depends. I still pick up my camera, which is an old Pentax K1000, but I love this dinosaur because it is one of the few cameras left that does not have an elecromagnetic shutter. So no batteries, no problem!

What's the strangest (or Hardest) thing you've ever done to capture a perfect shot?
Light. Plain and simple. One of my disabilities is that my eyes are extremely photosensitive, which means dark is my friend, and light not. This of course, doesn't work in the reverse, especially with regards to dioramas. That's the hardest. So I can say with shame that so far, no shot on any dios I have done are perfect. But I do like the look of posing some background fodder on a scanner with my Lara Croft custom for her pic on the site. Something about the eyes and stance.

But hopefully, with better protective eyewear and some new tricks, I can finally join my fellow creators in earnest.

What kind of tools and such do you incorporate into your photography?
When I first started, I did everything outside. My first dio was really long but at the same time, it was one huge learning process. By the end, I was close to where I was at a few months ago. Due to weather and the garden not growing and being too shy to go out on location to shoot, I've started making sets. Cheap sets but I'm still learning. If my latest set works out, it should look really cool. If not, well, back to the drawing board.

Do you create actual effects in the real world? Or maybe Photoshop is your forte?
I tend to learn toward the cartoony w/ effects. Pre-made goofy explosions and laser blasts. I use a combination of Photostudio and PictureIt. I don't have Photoshop. :(

Do you consider yourself an amateur (maybe semi-pro or pro) photographer or do you only pick up the camera to create your Dio-stories?
I believe if I actually practiced and learned my camera, I'd be better. I just learned how to work the MACRO setting a few months ago. I'm learning about lighting and basic composition.

What's the strangest (or Hardest) thing you've ever done to capture a perfect shot?
*shrug* I'm still trying to get there with the 'perfect' shot. :o