Balance and Friends: Awesome in Figure!

Posted on by Balance

I’m attracted to images that come from a personal exploration of a subject matter. When they have a personal stamp to them, then I think it becomes identifiable.
-Leonard Nimoy

As you all know, the one thing that makes art so enjoyable is that we can share it with others. It helps us connect with others in ways other methods of communication can not. As such, I’ve been able to expand my circle of acquaintances and friends because of this hobby of mine.

I also like to share the works my peers have done and show you what kind of people they are because they deserve recognition for their works! So allow me to introduce to you guys…

Awesome in Figure!

He’s been a toy photographer for a long time now and he also owns his own online store (that’s a partnership through a popular figure company called Good Smile Company)~ He does a lot of his own dioramas and creates some very unique pieces to the point where it’s quite evident that he’s gotten his very own style and flavor to his own pictures.

So like 85cmpersecond, I asked him some questions so that we could get a better idea of how he’s like! Let’s get this interview started~

What got you into collecting figures?

Shōnen Manga/Anime such as One Piece really started it for me. That’s how I found out about a company called MEGAHOUSE. They make awesome 1/8th scale pieces of the One Piece characters. Then I slowly went on to more interesting pieces like Saber etc.

Oshino Shinobu 1/8 by kotobukiya. Very pretty figure. Her limbs are very flexible haha like soft plastic. A beautiful piece.

A photo posted by Tweet @awesomeinfigure (@awesomeinfigure) on

How long have you kept up with this hobby?

The first figure I bought was back in late 2012. So it’s been a while now.

“Horo horo horo, Perona Desu~”

A photo posted by Tweet @awesomeinfigure (@awesomeinfigure) on

Is there a particular style of figures you prefer to purchase (nendoroid, scaled figure, figma, etc)?

I enjoy anything that looks good in general and that won’t stop me from purchasing prize figures which are cheaper though lack quality. Some however are really good. I generally gravitate to scales because of the way they are sculpted and they are generally hard to portray in a photo. I started collecting nendoroids much later but I enjoy them too.

I think this is a better shot of Ryuko Matoi :)

A photo posted by Tweet @awesomeinfigure (@awesomeinfigure) on

Which figure company do you like the most?

This is tough haha! Good Smile Company would be first on the list and their many subsidiaries followed by ALTER, Maxfactory and Kotobukiya.

What motivated you to make your own store for Good Smile Company?

Well our website serves mainly 2 purposes. To share AIF content whether it’s a picture of blogs, secondly to sell figures. I would really call it selling but just trying to get it out to friends and customers who want a more personal dealership. We’re small so we’re very easy to talk to and you can ask away any question and it will be handled personally by the team.

Motivation came from wanting to get more out of the hobby. Same with how I started toy photography. You just want to make all that money you spend even more worthwhile.

How does your thought process go when deciding whether you want a certain figure or not?

Character is usually the first thing on my mind. Colours and sculpt can really draw me to it and finally a reasonable price and the production company will make me cash in. Over the last year or so, I have shifted more to whether I want to photograph the figure too.

Hey guys were having a giveaway on our Facebook page do check out the link in our bio :) #tcb_theBatSeason also enjoy this picture !!

A photo posted by Tweet @awesomeinfigure (@awesomeinfigure) on

Which figure in your collection do you treasure the most?

It’s hard to pick one man. I don’t buy as many as before so all those I have are those I really wanted. HAHA! Looking at my display now I would have to go with “Hatsune Miku Tell Your World 1/8th Scale by Good Smile Company”.

Looking at my display each figure comes with memories of the show and how I bought it. Some are years old so I remember when I had no money and had to save up for just one figure. Good times good times (:

Are there any figures you are looking forward to at the moment?

YES! All of them are by ALTER ! Amazing stuff recently really. Just a slight follow up to a previous question earlier. I kind of never really play the Tales series games but I really like how this character looks and I have plans to do a setup for her. Hoping that will be successful enough.

Right at this moment of reading

When did you start taking pictures of your figures and why?

I started officially under the name Awesome In Figure in Spring 2014. The official date of photography is 11th April 2011 if I remember correctly aha. There’s this shot of a Yui Prize Figure that really started everything for me. Then it went on to be a interesting hobby learning about photography and editing and it got more out of my spending spree so it was worth it and fun. You also get to meet cool and inspiring photographers! Cosplay Photographers, Toy Photographers; it is a very nice community.

Is there a plan before taking a picture of your figures?

There is a rough plan. But nothing in life goes to plan most of the time for me at least. So sometimes during a setup or shoot I wing it. I’m just an amateur, some pros really plan a lot. I mean aaa lot! I would say that each individual has a process and style so it doesn’t matter, there is no right or wrong, just create your own process and fine tune that.

Have you taken any classes for photography?

Nope! I just read up on the net and spoke to some other photographers about it. I would love to do some formal training by a pro though. I would just monkey around in that class :)

Is there anyone who motivates you artistically?

Yes! Picasso! Haha I kid. Toy photography wise yes! There are a few key inspirations which I have done a blog post about! Which describes everything you want to know for this question! Please feel free to quote (:

What do you hope to improve on in the future?

Firstly I kinda want/need a better camera which I will be upgrading soon. My gear is really sub standard haha! No one would wanna use my camera i guarantee (: I also hope to improve on lighting techniques and editing with even more finesse.

What’s your favorite game/movie/anime of all time? Does it affect your decision making towards purchasing figures as well?

Yes the Anime and characters in them totally affect how I purchase. Favourite series of all time would be GINTAMA, I feel bad to the rest to 2nd place would be K-ON and 3rd place Bakemonogatari. This question is a killer I feel like I let down the other awesome ones haha. I generally enjoy epic stories but also comedy series like Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou, Nichijou and more, those kinda slapstick hilarious stuff that are just random.

What made you decide to use Awesome in Figure as your handle and ultimately the name of your store?

I actually wanted some cool Japanese name like many others have. Then I thought damn I want it to be English too. So I always liked the word Awesome because it’s bright, cheerful and kinda in your face fantastic. I was also thinking of this phrase “She looks good in person” and “Pretty in ink” hence “Awesome in Figure”. Meaning the figure looks awesome in itself. Well I’m not sure how many people I’m going to confuse with this answer but that’s how it is haha! Think of it as a conversation to a friend. Hope that helped (:

That’s it for Awesome in Figure! I will be conducting more interviews here in the future so be on the look out for them! Thank you guys for visiting the website and thank you, Awesome in Figure, for participating in this interview!

In the mean time, be sure to follow Awesome in Figure on his Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and website!

2 Replies to “Balance and Friends: Awesome in Figure!”

  1. This was a nice read, I look forward to learning about more other photographers, even more so about all you guys that came after my “generation”. Probably my second most like part about the community after the photos themselves is learning about all the nice folks behind them.

    Reply

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed reading it! There are some things I definitely need to adjust for future posts but I’m glad it came out the way it did. It probably is pretty interesting to see the differences between each “generation”. The only thing I can compare it to is when I used to make the forum signature and avatars back in the days. Was cool to see how people before me made theirs and how people after me did theirs.

      Thanks again!

      Reply

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