This month, we've had the absolute honor of being the focal point of Zack William's (@sna_toyz on Insta) lens as a hobbyist toy photographer. We interviewed Zack to find out more about his pint-sized photography and see what makes the man behind the camera click!
Our dice have never looked so good!
Please introduce yourself!
Hey there! My name is Zack Williams; I am 32 years old and completely addicted to taking pictures of my toys!
Do you do that full-time? Or do you have a day job?
Unfortunately, I do not get to do toy photography for a living (that’s always been the end game,) but I am a Mechanical Designer (HVAC) for a small engineering firm.
How did you first get into photography?
So, I got into toy photography after I got out of the ARMY in 2016. I spent around a year trying to cope with being a civilian again and one of my close friends had showed me some of his statues, 1:6 scale figures and 6” scale figures…. and I was blown away. He introduced me to the community on Instagram and how everyone was taking pictures of all their action figures…. I WAS HOOKED. This has grown into a passion of mine and I could not imagine not doing this!
Awesome! Well, as with every nerd-dom, we want the nitty-gritty details! Can you tell us about the equipment you use?
I use a FUJI XT-30 as my main camera body, and the only 2 lenses I use are a VILTROX 85MM prime lens (no zoom) and a TTARTISANS 40MM Macro lens for all the up close and personal shots! I have used LED color changing light panels, and my phone screen for overhead lighting. I also do all my editing from my phone since I don’t have a reliable PC.
Holy cow, you could never tell, it's amazing that you could get that level of creativity from editing on your phone. What advice would you give to people who are interested in doing something similar?
My 2 pieces of advice for anyone who wants to try Toy Photography is, do not ever be afraid to ask questions about how someone did something or what they used. You need to grow, and you can’t grow if you don’t know! Number 2 is to never give up! It may get hard, and you may have shots fail, but always try and take a break and come back to it…. artist's block is a real thing haha.
You mentioned getting into TTRPG recently, what systems have you tried?
Some close friends from work and I have recently dived into the realm of Dungeons & Dragons. While our DM has been doing this for several years, one of my teammates and I have partnered up on this introductory journey that is to soon lead into a 4-year campaign with a few of the DM's friends. As a first timer… I am extremely nervous but very, very excited!!
It's normal to be nervous, but you're gonna love it! How frequently are you playing, and can you describe the campaign or adventures you are playing?
We play every Wednesday on our lunch break (an hour is never enough) and we have gone the classic path of the 80’s cartoon. Our characters have come from the real world to the Sword Coast and are just progressing our story until we meet the veteran players when our campaign starts in late October.
Lol, sounds fun. Tell us about your character! Do they have a matching dice set yet?
My Characters name is Thorne Whitestar, he is a Wood Elf Ranger/Archaeologist. He lost his entire clan and is on the hunt for the one item that he thinks can bring them back. Thorne is very much a loner type and struggles with trusting anyone…but is slowly coming to terms with his partner Taydrienne (A Half Elf Bard). He does have one connection to his clan and that is a Displacer Beast named Indra, who he raised after saving her as a kitten from a group of Goblins.
So far, I have not found a set of dice that screams Thorne Whitestar! But I hope to find that set someday soon! I like to always keep 3 sets in my bag, so something that reflects Thorne, something that reflects treasure or ancient relics, and something that represents Indra are what I eventually would like to have! I am currently using Avernus Furnace as my Relic set, and they have been a huge hit!
Perfect, all the best characters have kitten friends. So tell us, what is your impression of TTRPG so far?
My first impression was… "why did I wait 25 years to give this game a chance." It has changed my life for the better and really sparked my creative outlet!
Well at least you got here eventually! Do any skills you use for photography help you when you play?
My photography skills tend to come out when we play…mainly as a visual viewer, I always look at the minis as if I was on their level and how cool the poses would be if some of these characters were figures!
Any exciting photography plans for the future?
As far as exciting plans, I am always loving the new opportunities that I get to be a part of. I work with some great teams who make just fantastic product, and I couldn’t be more blessed to be a part of their journey. I always find it just like a campaign…the merging of two individual paths to make something awesome happen!
I have been given the opportunity to work with Mammoth Factory Games on an upcoming Kickstarter campaign starting later this month (painting minis and doing the photography), it’s a big ticket but something that I have just had a blast with. I also get the opportunity to take engagement photos of my childhood best friend and his fiancé in late September… and that you just cannot hold a candle to, I just cant wait!