First off...

JoeDios has a different definition of what a diorama is to most people. Or even the concept of diostories and just pictures of our figures which could be considered Photos, Pieces, Works or whatever.

So like, if we go with the traditional definition, I think professional dioramas have been around for a long time. It was all used for advertising purposes.

I'm guessing the next step of toy fans doing this came from semi-professionals doing it. ie; those who had money, a place to do this stuff, and that they could use a film camera well. In other words, Wizard and ToyFare with their MegoTheater or whatever it was called. But that in the early 90s? Dioramas were also used for reviewing of toys.

As others have said, the advent of digital photography and the internet has puashed it forward. Some of us remember Luke Ellison busting out his photography back in 2002 when JvC came out. Fred Meyer, Justin "The General Hawk", Todd Weinzrl, and other early adopters of the JD pretty much made up the standard that dioramas were diostories to them. Photos covered both dioramas (in the traditional sense), photoshopped/manipulated works and well, photos.

I pretty much got into cuz of Luke Ellison. I saw his works on the JBL and realized, "Hey, if he can do it, so can I!" Then I got an invite to this place and while there are few of us old farts still here (Mr. Outrider prolly been here the longest, correct me if I'm wrong). And then when Luke did his first story (with a few others doing their thing), I was hooked.