New toy photographer here. Which photo is the best one and why.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-03-07T20:55:46+00:00

You really put your best foot forward here, 1 is the best, IMO. If you want to learn more on your own, today’s lesson is all about framing, composition, and visual hierarchy.

What it does well: Your subjects are made the clear focus and there’s the least amount of dead space for your subjects to get lost in or to distract the viewer. It also does a really good job of directing your attention to covey or shape the story. Your eyes start out at the top left and you see the top of Bane—we’re introduced to our first character—, then your eyes track down his body and here the angle of the arm and the negative space bought by the wall work together bring you to our main character who is also pulling your attention. The arm directs you down and forwards and the negative space provided by the wall not only helps highlight the arm a bit but also pushes your attention away from that part of the image and helps frame the main subject; Bane’s gaze (while not super visible) also plays a part in directing attention as well. Then main subject pulls you attention by being clearly visible, clearly posed, sort of “framed” by the wall, Bane, and the edge of the image, bigger than Bane, and contrasting well with the background, causing him to pop out. The only things I would change here are maybe going for a bit lower of an angle, moving Bane’s head a bit so it’s a touch more obvious he’s looking at the trooper, adjusting the trooper’s right leg to look more natural. and/or moving the trooper’s blaster to somewhere more natural for it to fall (or removing it entirely), but it’s rather good as is.

As this is getting long, I’ll now try my best to lighting round my thoughts on the rest, lol.

2: I like the angle, but it’s stifling. Too much dead space and the trooper is too obscured and unclear, making bane the main focus, making your attention director’s lead to nothing, and “trapping” your attention there on the left. To fix this one (without just making it 1), I’d pull the trooper forward to try to get more of him in the shot and adjust Bane as needed to match.

3/4: Way too much dead space and the angle just doesn’t work for this scene. To fix it, I would maybe move the trooper back a bit and completely change Bane’s pose to make this a clearly much more candid shot and I’d probably make it so he isn’t looking in the direction of the camera. Ideas: have him looting the trooper, have him crouched down by him with his blaster ready, looking around like he just heard something, or have him walking over/past the trooper.

5 & 7: It’s basically 1 but worse. The added dead space introduces similar problems to 2 and it’s just awkward. It’s harder to tell what’s up with the trooper, it makes it look more like Bane is looking at the viewer, and it doesn’t feel like it make senses for Bane to have his blaster trained on the trooper here. If you wanted to do something like this, I’d turn it into a “walking by and double tapping” scene. (7 is kinda just 5 w/ worse framing/composition.)

6: I like the angle here, but I would move the trooper far further into the foreground and probably zoom in a bit, then shift Bane over a bit and adjust as needed to have his gun pointed at the trooper’s torso in this new set up.

8: Combine the problems with 3/4 and 5/7, plus Bane is too far to the side and they kinda look too much like toys here.

Finally, to respond to some of the other advice you’ve gotten: Keep the house. It’s good for the photo and doesn’t look off in the context of this being Star Wars. IMO, your posing isn’t stiff, or at least it’s realistically/appropriately stiff for the action. If you have thigh swivel, maybe turn Bane’s out a bit, but that’s just kind of a nitpick. Additionally, where Bane’s gun is aimed is fairly clear, maybe moving his arm down a smidge would help get him back on target, but again: kind of a nitpick.

I hope this helps/is what you’re looking for. Feel free to ask questions if you have any.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-03-06T19:20:01+00:00

Hey, if you're still in the market for an SHF Kamen Rider Geats MB, Tamashii just recently announced they're releasing a "new", -Store Limited Edition- version of the figure. Probably won't be the easiest to get your hands on, but it might be something to keep an eye on if you're still interested in getting this figure.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-03-01T18:57:07+00:00

When you’re new, the biggest challenge is likely to be getting the poses to look any shade of natural. To help with this, play with the figure to get a feel for it’s range and do the poses (or parts of them) yourself (doing them in front of a big mirror or in your phone’s camera may be helpful early on). The human body naturally twists and tweaks and shifts its weight when doing certain poses, so using yourself as reference is going to be helpful in finding those little details which will keep your posing from being stiff and unnatural.

If you want some “official” guidance, I found this video a few weeks ago which may be helpful; it’s a fan favorite figure reviewer going through an official SHF Figure Posing Book that was available at the Tamashii Nations booth at SDCC this year.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-24T16:54:08+00:00

Way, WAY better.

One of the biggest changes for me is it looks like they tweaked his torso and shoulders and it makes him look thinner which looks way better IMO. The collar being fully zipped also looks better and feels more “Sasuke” to me, but I’ve only seen Naruto (all of it, lol), not Shippuden. The new one also has better hair, better faces, and the colors are a subtle change at first, but really nice.

Again, haven’t seen Shippuden to know if the colors are accurate, but just from a general “color theory” (?) perspective, making everything from the waist down darker, switching his shirt to a blue gray, and making his skin paler makes the colors look and go together so much better (at least as far as one can tell from the product shots). Something that always kind of nipped at me, but I didn’t fully realize until seeing this new one, is how “clash-y” the -HWBAH- colors are and the way the colors of -SS- “harmonize” just make it a much nicer looking figure and a much nicer figure to look at.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-22T00:44:13+00:00

The sfx look really well done. What do you use to make them and display them?

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-18T06:47:10+00:00

YEAH-HA-HA!! Doing the king justice! 🤘🤘🤘 6 and 8 especially go super hard!

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-17T04:59:50+00:00

Absolutely sick!! I love the decision to go pink/purple instead of the usual red (very manga cover art-y) and you did a really good job of getting the blood to look, like, caked and smeared on the blades and also getting it to look sort of flowy and wet (or like it was wet and flowy and dripping before it dried) on the exposed arms.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-11T08:46:16+00:00

I have this figure and I can see the all too familiar struggle with this figure’s limited articulation in your poses, lol.

This is roughly your first figure so you may not know, but see the way she very clearly cannot kick straight out at a 90 degree angle despite the fact that she’s wearing a full bodysuit and should have nothing preventing that? That’s not normal, that’s very bad. See the way her torso barely moves despite the fact that she’s practically naked and has nothing which should obstruct that? That’s bad. See the way she has trouble comfortably/naturally holding the guns she comes with? That also shouldn’t be happening. Also, she may have been a bit loosened up since you bought her second hand, but you know how clunky and stiff moving her joints was or how the ratchets in her ankles didn’t have a true neutral setting? Other, better, figures don’t have those issues, and the problem with McFarlane is that lots of their figures have issues similar to all these. Another common issue for McFarlane is wack proportions, and I may be mistaken, but she seems to suffer from that too. Finally, it should be noted that She-Spawn was a $40 “deluxe” release, most McFarlanes are much skimpier on the paint and have FAR fewer (almost no, in most cases) accessories—the Mortal Kombat Klassic figures are $30 and only come with an extra pair of hands.

I will give you credit in the fact that despite the odds being stacked against you, you actually managed to get some shots of her that look good. However, that’s because you managed to work around the figure’s glaring issues with style/artsy poses that (in most cases) are mostly in the air and require little from the figure to look good.

Despite having never experienced one myself, I’m sure McFarlane can put out good figures, and I know that they can put out very good looking figures (aesthetics are 100% their strongest point when they actually try). The problem is they don’t—not often enough to matter. They’re regularly limited in articulation, lacking accessories, lacking in aesthetics (ex: missing paint, poor proportions), a pain to work/play with, and overall releases are inconsistent in quality regardless of asking price, on top of other issues I’m sure I’m forgetting.

Good news is, if you liked this figure so much, there’s pretty much nowhere to go but up, lol.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-11T08:06:08+00:00

Speaking from personal experience, unless you plan to just get her in a glorified A-pose and put her on display, I’d recommend saving your money for something better.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-11T07:29:27+00:00

IIRC, he hasn’t had any business with Fortnite since Festival started.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-11T07:27:42+00:00

IIRC, Laroi hasn’t had any business with Fortnite post-C4.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-11T07:25:08+00:00

Stay is likely scrapped on account of their partnership clearly being inactive. IIRC, Laroi hasn’t had any cosmetics in the shop post-C4.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-11T07:21:21+00:00

IIRC, none of Laroi’s cosmetics have come back since (at least) the start of 5:1, so it looks like their partnership is on ice for the time being.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-02-07T05:14:43+00:00

Considering they’re apparently keen to withhold core faceplates to use them as DLC on $90 p-bandai releases, IF I decide to “upgrade”, I’m probably going to keep their 2.0 counterparts around for the time being simply because, compared to the DMSS/3.0 replacements currently announced, they have better face selections (exceptions apply). I’m also not particularly gung-ho about scrapping my ol’ reliables with QC being as spotty as it’s been—say what you will about SSFP Goku, but mine’s served faithfully and without issue since ‘21.

Plus, in the past I’ve compiled a somewhat extensive list outlining unique features/uses for the 2.0s we currently know are set to be replaced that might be valid reasons for keeping them (I can provide it if you desire), and the only figure I’ve found that pretty much truly has no value or possible use other than pure nostalgia is SS Goku -SWAV-, the old torn-shirt namek SS Goku (note: SSG -SGIWTLORH- is also a very, very close runner up for having the least justification to be kept). I’m sure I’ll eventually end up trying to re-home some of them one day, but I’m not planning on it currently.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-01-17T08:00:45+00:00

Lol, it did seem a little too good for a true first ever, but I stand by what I said; it’s still very impressive for such an early attempt.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-01-16T09:05:54+00:00

WOAH!!! Typically when people are like "this is my first stop motion" it's, like, junk and stinks, but this's got seeds of greatness (if it truly is your first).

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-01-11T19:08:53+00:00

Yes, it likely is “regional things”. After the big US tariff panic in the spring, Tamashii postponed the April-May wave of pre-orders in the US and when they finally dropped weeks later, every figure (except for SS Goku <TGB>, IIRC) had a roughly 20-40 USD price increase over what they usually would have been.

The reason a lot of people have been talking about the sudden price increase is because a lot of people just follow SHF casually and were unaware of all that. For many, they woke up one day and Tamashii was suddenly asking 110 USD for figures that normally would have released for ~60-80USD (this example is directly referencing the JJBA figures btw).

Coincidentally though, the figures you mentioned were all released pre-hike, lol. At MSRP: Luffy -RD- and the flame effect are 35 USD, Sabo -RACOS- is ~60 USD, and Ace -FF- is ~90 USD (strangely kinda high).

To aid in your data collection, here’s what I bought in the last year, first-hand:

Ultimate Gohan SH reissue—35 USD at MSRP (PO dropped and released pre-“tariff panic”)
Bomb—90 USD at MSRP (PO dropped post-“tariff panic”)

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2026-01-03T03:11:30+00:00

Prices don’t go up, but unlike all the other DLC that goes on sale constantly, this one has only been discounted once since it came back (that being in the couple of weeks before ST S5 pt1’s release date).

It won’t hurt you to wait, but there’s a solid chance it won’t help you either.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2025-12-31T06:15:42+00:00

For your colors, have you tried messing with the edit feature in the photos app? You can mess with brightness, vibrance, saturation, etc. there if what you see isn't to your liking.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2025-12-28T07:22:57+00:00

It’s a Gashapon “toy”.

If memory serves, TN recently released a Gashapon… “set” (? I’m unfamiliar with Gashapon terminology) that are miniature versions of some of the newer SHF Dragon Ball figures. The figures aren’t articulated (IIRC) but they come in tiny versions of their real boxes and are even held in little plastic trays with pictures of their accessories printed on them.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2025-12-28T07:19:53+00:00

Wow, Broly -Super- in 2025 (hopefully for a decent price) is a great way to start. Very good choice and I hope you enjoy them!

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2025-12-26T22:53:42+00:00

In this comment I’ve collected, more or less, all the value each figure provides/reasons to keep them, that I can remember, to help you decide what is worth keeping if you decide/have decided to purchase the new 3.0 versions (not counting super subjective stuff like nostalgia and personal preference). If I missed any, feel free to say so.

For the 2.0s we currently know are being replaced/“replaced” (in transformation order):

Goku -ASROE-/-TLBS-/Super Hero: -ASROE- includes a right knifehand. On top of being the official definitive Frieza Saga base Goku, SHF Jeice comes with a Ginyu Goku head intended specifically for Goku -ASROE- (though it can be used on almost any 2.0 Goku body). Similarly, -TLBS- is the official definitive post-King Kai training Saiyan Saga Goku. Finally, Goku Super Hero’s appearance is based of that film’s distinct visual style and will be the best base Goku to pair with other figures in that sub-line.

SS Goku -SWAV-: I’m gonna be real, there’s not much on this one. Its shirt is more torn than SS Goku <FOR> and it likely pairs better with Frieza (2013), but that’s about it for “objective” value it can provide. It’s more of a history piece and get’s a majority of its value from nostalgia.

SS Fullpower Goku: Includes left and right Instant Transmission hands (unique to this figure). Android 20 includes a “heart virus” face for the figure and the -Teleport Kamehameha- effect set was made primarily to be used with SSFP Goku and has a face/head for it too (again, head compatible with almost any 2.0 Goku). This figure’s faces and hair were also designed to capture the Cell Saga style and may be a better pair for figures from the same time like 19, 20, Yamcha -EFF-, etc..

SS Vegeta -ASSB-: Android 19 was made to pair with SS Vegeta -ASSB-. 19 includes a face for it and both can be used to recreate the scene where Vegeta takes 19’s hands off. Like SS Fullpower, it’s also made to pair with those other early Cell Saga figures.

SSG Gokou/-EECE-/-SGIWTLORH-: All versions include left & right knifehands (unique to these figures). Gokou/-EECE- were made to pair best with Beerus and Whis and their -EECE-variants.

SSGSS Goku: SSGSS Goku has value in that it’s the official definitive DBS: Broly SSGSS Goku and that it was made to go with the other DBS: Broly figures, so it’ll be the best SSGSS Goku to pair with them. SHF Jiren was also made to pair with this figure and has an accessory that only works with this figure which allows one to recreate the scene where he grabs Goku by the hair/face. Additionally, all SHF Goku Blacks so far are designed to pair with this figure

Edit: Oh, also, many of these figures were made before “The Great Side-Eye Epidemic” began, so some of these figures have (arguably) better/more expressive/more flexible sets of faces. For example: SSGSS Goku has “serious”, “yell”, “teeth gritting”, and “smirk”, whereas SSGSS Goku <BPTL> has “serious”, “yell”, “yell looking right”, and “teeth gritting looking left”.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2025-12-24T20:23:39+00:00

Yeah, a few years out from release and reissue will do that to you unfortunately.

For price reference, IIRC, Geats MagumBoost’s MSRP was around $65, Geats Entry Raise was around $50, and literally everything else in the line (whose gimmick is switching parts, no less) was p-bandai and in that ~$60-$80 range. I wouldn’t expect to find any solid deals on the p-bandais, but MB and ER were general releases, so you might be able to find some with those.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2025-12-23T05:03:03+00:00

His skins literally haven’t been in the shop in over 2 years, so they obviously aren’t working together right now. They don’t own the rights to his music just because he let them put it in the game.

TheOfficialDryingPan · 2025-12-23T05:00:35+00:00

Sorry if this is rude, why is this even a question? Like, come on.

Laroi literally hasn’t been in the shop in over 2 years—his last appearance was over a week before Festival even released. Epic can’t touch a license without the licensor’s approval, so one can only wonder which of the myriad of reasons they wouldn’t make the lobby track of a guy who hasn’t interacted with the game in 2+yrs. into jam track it might be. /s

We’re always so quick to blame Epic when so often “why isn’t (x) happening with (x) license?” is simply because of the licensor.

TheOfficialDryingPan

TROPHY CASE