Setting the Trap

The Rebel Commandos captured, C-3PO does something quite rash for a protocol droid, and draws the Imperial's attention. Within a moment, the Stormtroopers have the driods captured...

Today marks the 29th Anniversary of the UK release of Return of the Jedi; still my second favourite Star Wars film featuring Tatooine!

The Northern Lights

Lyra Silvertongue and Pantalaimon, how do you fare? I'm considering a new niche in toy photography, the oft underlooked and under-priced Golden Compass line. I think I'm hitting a literary mood for the summer anyway, this looks like a nice crossover of interests...

This was taken in February, when we had the snow. As unpredictable as the UK climate is, snow in May would be a bit too much...

EDIT: Sorry for the terribly small lo-res image, hopefully the picture looks a little better now. Basically, I tried to upload it directly from my phone using the Blogger app. I've had countless issues with that app, including a post I can't delete which is showing on my phone as 'publishing', and now it's compressing images badly. The upshot is: uninstalled!

Friends Reunited

TVC Yavin Ceremony Han Solo arrived last week, and what a figure it is! Most likely my favourite of the new style figures I've been acquiring, and I'm sure that's due to more than just novelty - it's a sturdy figure, a good sculpt with crisp detailing, and it's several hundred miles better than the POTF2 version I had been using. Plus, put him together with Chewie and you have an instant smuggler display!

An updated Leia and C-3PO to go before I have definitive versions of all the main characters; a Stormtrooper, Tusken Raider, Jawa and Death Star Commander to go until the original 12 update is complete... I'll probably cool my boots for a little while and enjoy what I've got, but it's nice to have focus!

Tatooine Days

And right on cue, we're getting our late-May heatwave here in the UK. In between bouts of sweating and drinking lots of water I've been working on a couple of films, and by chance, for two nights only have the opportunity to use a Canon 600D with a couple of lenses. I couldn't let the chance pass without getting some toy shots...

I also couldn't resist the opportunity to retake one of my favourite shots (top, and you can see the original here), and as always it was fun to photograph Kenobi. Of course, I also recreated the very scene I built this set-piece for... Well, if you apply a little imagination!

"Well of course I know him - he's me!"

The Mighty Chewbacca

 It took me long enough, but for the first time since probably the early 90's, I have a Chewbacca! I've gotta say that I love the face and sculpt on this guy, the more I look at it the more I like. While I'm still needing a decent Han I figured I'd take Chewie back to his Kashyyyk roots...