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YOTSUBA's PICK - member on the hot seat #17 -JD
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If i were to pick the best stormie shots in flickr, im sure this guy will definitely be one of those on top. hes done such wonderful things with the storm troopers., his photography skills compliment the humor and interesting concepts which characterize his shots. it always a pleasure to see his latest works on the stormy series. oh he also got those little people thingy which are so great as well!
The name reminds of a doctor from one of the comedy series i love...yups, im sure you all know this guy
heres.. JD 
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A couple of Q & A's with the man from THE OTHER SIDE.
1) Can you tell us some background info bout yourself.. name/age/profession/country?
My name is JD Hancock. I'm 39 years old. I am a web developer and an iPhone app designer in Austin, Texas, USA.
2) What got you started into toy photography? How long have you been doing this?
I've had a life-long fascination with toys, particularly those related to visual storytelling: movies, TV shows, comic books, etc. I took my first stormtrooper photo in April 2009.
3) What equipment do you normally use for taking snaps? any other special equipment?
I tend to be low-tech. Most of the photos in my photostream were taken with a point-and-shoot camera. I recently bought a used Nikon D50 and have been learning how to use an SLR.
4) How many toys do you have right now? Any particular character or set you like most?
I have boxes and boxes of action figures in my garage. I'm known for taking stormtrooper photos, but I also love other action figures and HO scale train figures as well.
5) Where do you normally get your stuff (I mean toys)?
I have a large collection of toys going all the way back to the 1970s, so most of the time I get my stuff from my garage! I typically purchase new stuff online from Entertainment Earth or from whatever store I happen to be in.
6) Which do you prefer, tabletop photography or outdoor? why?
Tabletop. I'd like to do more outdoors, but because of my schedule I take most of my photos at night, which makes outdoor photography a challenge.
7) Which do you prefer, digital background or props/dio ? why?
I definitely prefer building a "real" background for my photos. Because I'm trying to become a better photographer, I do as much as I can "in-camera."
8) Do you make prints of your toy shots? or just stored them digitally.
I don't make prints of my toy photos. They live on my laptop and on Flickr.
9) Any particular light setup you prefer using?
Again, I'm low-tech. For lighting I use regular overhead lighting, some old clamp lights, and even flashlights. My one piece of "special equipment" is an Ott-light that I sometimes use because it produces a good natural-looking light. To throw color onto a scene, I'll drape colored tissue paper in front of a light. And I'll throw an old white T-shirt over a light to diffuse it.
10) Any preferred lens for toy photography? Can you advise which lens is ok to use?
I use the 18-55 lens that came with the camera. I've also used inexpensive magnifying lenses with some success.
11) When taking shots, which element of photography you normally try to achieve? ie., sharp image, great lighting, etc.
I'm often setting a scene to tell a story with action figures, so making sure they are well-lit and posed in a realistic manner is important to me.
12) Have you entered any contest using your works with toys? Did you win any awards?
I have not participated in any contests.
13) Aside from taking photo's of toys, any other hobby you have?
I enjoy visual storytelling, so I like movies, TV shows, comic books, etc.
14) What would you like to show or say with your photography?
In general, try to have fun in whatever you're doing. To other photographers, you don't need a lot of special equipment to get your message across.
15) Any tips you can impart for those newbie in this type of photography?
Get involved. Browse through great groups like this one and become part of the community. Leaving comments and fav photos you like. Find some photographers that you really like and study what they're doing. Staying exposed to other people's photography helps inspire learning and ideas for your own photos.
16) How long do you see yourself doing this?
I hope to continue enjoying it for many years to come.
17) Any other things you'd like to add or say to all toy/photo enthusiast?
Since I embraced photography as a hobby, I have found the Flickr community to be very supportive and helpful. Thank you to South of the Metro and others in this group who have made Flickr a better place for everyone. It is so appreciated.
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MEMBER's fave/memorable shot
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"It's Fun To Stay At The ..."
This is by far my most popular photo. It was on the Explore Front Page, #1 on the StumbleUpon Photos page, and the front page of Digg. The interesting thing about this photo is that was a last-minute "throw away" shot. I was just sitting there looking at some of my stormtroopers, one of them was posed in a "Y" shape, and it reminded me of the Village People song. If I had know how many people would end up seeing this photo, I would have taken a lot more care with it!
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Swimming In The iPool
This is one of my favorite HO scale train figure photos and the third time I had a group of them interacting with an iPhone.
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Four Storms And A Twister
I took this one while my brother gave me some great pointers on how to use an SLR. It was inspired by another toy photographer WillyCoolPics.
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ADMIN's Choice from members stream
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SWEEPING OFF YOUR FEET
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IN A JAM
" I've decided to pick these two from the little dudes set,..to introduce a different side of JD's work "
ADMIN's note: and thats it! thanks for checking out this weeks special set of interview, looking forward to the next one
Originally posted at 8:45AM, 16 October 2009 PDT
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south of the metro edited this topic 32 months ago.
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Thanks for accepting the interview and sharing your marvelous work with the group, thanks again JD !
Posted 32 months ago.
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I was waiting when JD would be interviewed, thanks John!
I first chance upon his stream after seeing the Stormy and IPhone pic and simply admired how he defines the word 'creative.' I've own an iphone for quite awhile now and I never thought that people could actually swim there :P
The Strom Trooper shot is creative at its best. Star Wars collectors will definitely appreciate your photos (you can probably have them printed and framed on your wall). The story and humor behind each photo lets the viewer know that the author is indeed a very talented one. =D
And how I wish we were neighbors so I can sneak into your garage and take photos of your collection. They say "with great power comes great responsibility.' Well I say with great collection comes great photos.
Keep the photos coming and God bless my friend!
Congratulations =D
Originally posted 32 months ago.
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PowerPee edited this topic 32 months ago.
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JD's storm trooper photos caught my attention first~ Really love his photos and how he adds a background story to them. Nice sense of humour too! And creative use of figures and stuff.
It's amazing that he can produce such photos with simple/basic equipment. =O
Aaaand I swear it's because of his storm trooper photos that made me go off and buy a storm trooper figure. XD
Posted 32 months ago.
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JD You're the man to beat when it comes to injecting humor into toy photography. It's one thing to be a a good photographer but what you do is more than that. Your shots make me smile.... and it takes a lot of talent to do that.
It's also good to know your profession...I now know where to ask whenever I get iPhone app problems. =)
Posted 32 months ago.
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Good to see ya on the hot seat, JD. I look up to your style of toy photography because it's so offbeat and creative. Like Bleau said, it takes talent to do what you do, and to do it so well is a testament to your train of thought! And to go along with it, you have great photography skills with simple equipment. I also enjoy the puns that go along with your shots, toy photography or not :)
Swimming in the iPool, my favorite of your work. I think it may have even been the shot that made me a fan of yours! Great stuff JD, keep up the excellent work!
Originally posted 32 months ago.
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erndb edited this topic 32 months ago.
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It's great meeting you JD ! I have been eyeing your shots and they really have it all. The technical aspects are top notch as in the ipool shot. The creativity speaks for itself and the sense of humor makes your photo's eligible as postcards. I want to come into work and send them throughout my office and listen out for the giggles. No wonder some of these iphone apps are so cool !
Posted 32 months ago.
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There's something magical about your work, where you can take a simple concept and turn it into an image with a story. And your executions are v. detailed that delivers the simple concept with conviction. Great work, JD.
Posted 32 months ago.
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Sweet. JD already knows I'm a big fan of his work, so it's nice to see what you had to say to these questions. :)
Posted 32 months ago.
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Another good read from the hotseat series. Sweet shots from JD as always. Your creativity is inspiring! The storm trooper shots are a real treat.
Posted 32 months ago.
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First I'd like to thank you for adding my pictures as favorites recently JD!! I'm flattered !!
You once proof that a great work not necessarily means to have fancy equipments (like I do...LOL). There are so many funny ideas in your photos which make the figures alive...so amazing!! Wish someday I can add some funny ideas in my photo too! Thanks fro sharing!!
Posted 32 months ago.
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Your images are truly awesome! Your creativity is boudless. Always enjoy browsing your photostream, JD. :-)
Posted 32 months ago.
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Thank you to everyone for your kind words. I sincerely appreciate them, especially from photographers whose work I admire. You are an inspiration to me.
And thanks to south of the metro for posting my ramblings here as Yotsuba's Pick and for nudging me into updating my mugshot! ;-)
Posted 32 months ago.
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great stuff! There's always a sense of humour in the pictures :D
Posted 32 months ago.
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I've always enjoyed JD's photos. Like he says, very low-tech - but I'll say always very interesting and usually very, very funny.
Posted 32 months ago.
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Swimming In The iPool would be my picture of the year !!!!!
Love his creativity
Posted 32 months ago.
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I've always loved your work and your humor, too! Your puns are awesome and always puts a smile on my face.
Posted 32 months ago.
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JD, you have a different view of the world, very refreshing!
Posted 31 months ago.
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