Kicking it with toy photography photo contest

We are running an amazing toy photography contest. Check it out!

We teamed up with an amazing crew for this contest. With the prime objective of bringing out the best toy photographer in you.

Two incredible toy photographers? Check! Anna Bitanga and Jason Yang. A leading lighting brand for prizes? Check! Zhiyun Tech. All you have to do is submit a photo of a toy, and you are in for a shot at the light of your dreams. Well, actually, two lights. Click below for how you can participate.

The Contest

I’ve always been fascinated with toy photography. It has an incredible combination of action, humor, and creativity yet, it is incredibly accessible to everyone.  There is no need for large sets, big crews, or models. It is just you and your toy. And who wouldn’t like that?

So for this contest, we are calling for your best Toy Photography photos. We are really not putting any limits here, so you can shine and bring your creative vision into play.

We will have two categories: Action Figures and LEGO. You can submit up to three photos in total, and you can mix and match between the categories.

All you need to do is submit a photo in the form below. You can upload the file directly or use one of your social media accounts to grab a recent photo. In that case, we will ask for account access just to grab that photo).

Kicking it with toy photography Photo Contest

You will be judged on your photographic skills and technique, as well as how you apply them to toys to tell a story. This is a photography contest with toys as the subject, so we’re also looking for lots of fun and play!

The Prizes

We will be giving two amazing lights courtesy of Zhiyun tech. A Zhiyun MOLUS G60 Bi-Color light and a Zhiyun MOLUS X100 light.  It is not a coincidence that those are the prizes. The x60 and x100 are among the smallest for their output and they are perfect for placing them in toy sets.

But best of all: we will feature the winning photos here on the DIYP blog, our newsletter, Instagram, facebook, and twitter, and will supply plenty of bragging rights to go around.

Action figure category prize: Zhiyun MOLUS X100

Ideal for studio, film, TV, and especially location shooting, the 5.7 x 3.7 x 1.4″ MOLUS X100 Bi-Color Pocket COB Monolight from Zhiyun has COB LEDs and boasts a host of professional features in a very small package. The X100 has a wide variable color range of 2700 to 6500K with high CRI/TLCI 95/97 ratings and dims from 0 to 100%. Color and brightness can be adjusted on the fixture, but you can also make changes wirelessly using Zhiyun’s app. A bonus feature is the light’s Music Mode which is a recording function that enables automatic lighting control along with music rhythm to create a special atmosphere.

LEGO category prize: Zhiyun MOLUS G60

Ideal for studio, film, TV, and especially location shooting, the 3.8 x 2.6 x 2.6″ MOLUS G60 Bi-Color Pocket COB Monolight from Zhiyun has COB LEDs and boasts a host of professional features in a very small package. The G60 has a wide variable color range of 2700 to 6500K with high CRI/TLCI 96/97 ratings and dims from 0 to 100%. Color and brightness can be adjusted on the fixture, but you can also make changes wirelessly using Zhiyun’s app

The judges

We have two amazing judges for this contest, and a DIYP team member will join them for the final decision.

Anna Bitanga, a.k.a Four Bricks Tall has been taking photos of toys for a decade and teaches toy photography on her YouTube channel. She also writes about toy photography on her monthly Substack newsletter, Take Better Toy Photos.

Jason Yang, a.k.a @workmoreorless, leverages his experience as a designer, illustrator, and animator to bring his creative concepts to life through toy photography. His passion for collecting toys and action figures across various pop-culture franchises is apparent in the work he produces. Beyond creating, Jason strives to inspire others by sharing his technical expertise as he explores the exciting world of toy photography.

Get inspired

Submission gallery

The Boring Stuff

As always with such contests, our lawyers make us put some text in the TOS. Here is a readable version. For the full rules, click the Terms and Conditions on the contest widget.

• Just to be clear, you are not giving up any of your ownership rights by submitting to this contest. We will only use your photos in relation to this contest. No funny stuff.
• This contest runs from now until June 8th, 2023. The winner will be chosen by the judges shortly after the end date. Entries after this date will not be accepted.
• You can enter from anywhere in the world where it’s legal. Shipping fees are on us; Duties (if there are any) are on you.
• While you can send us chocolates, it will not change your chances of winning.