An Interview with Gale XV — The Art of Nendoroid & Figure Photography

Many otaku know what it’s like to weigh an anime figure against financial responsibility. Sometimes it really comes down to “Should I eat?” or “Magia Baiser’s newest figure looks mighty fine. Where’s the preorder link?” We’re a visual species; if we see something we like, we want it. Anime manufacturers understand that; it’s why they go to such pains to photograph their products. But for many otaku, Nendoroid and figure photography quickly becomes a hobby in its own right. And few photographers in this field match Gale XV.

A Toronto native, Gale XV is one of the names you’ll quickly run across when you dive into anime figure and Nendoroid photography. We at Anime Corner had a chance to chat with them about their beginnings, gear, and process.

Parts of this interview were edited for brevity and grammar.

Q: How did you first become interested in photographing Nendoroids and anime figures?

A: My interest started in 2015. I was into building and customizing Gundam sets at the time, and I always wanted to bring some life to the finished kits when I photographed them. That’s when I stumbled upon figure photography with complete backgrounds on DeviantArt, and that sparked my interest. Eventually I got invested.

Q: Could you give us a rundown of your gear?

A: When I started this hobby, I used a Nikon D3100.

Right now, I’m using a Sony A6300. It’s been my main camera since 2019. Depending on the photoshoot’s setup, I use a variety of lighting, such as desk lamps wrapped with tissue paper (for soft lighting).

I also have a pair of soft lights and a lighting kit. The rest of my gear includes a reflector, a light frame (used as a reflector to deflect light), and a specialized camera flash that’s useful for illuminating areas my regular lights can’t reach. I also have two tripods: one for my camera and a second for the portable platforms I use on outdoor shoots.

Q: Is that the same gear you’d recommend to a newbie?

A: No. I recommend that they use any camera. It can be a phone or a second-hand entry-level camera (like I did when I started). They can use that to get familiar with taking pictures.

As for lighting, desk lamps are a good start; even dollar store flashlights with adjustable brightness work. At first, your gear doesn’t have to be expensive; once you have the budget, you can upgrade. However, I always recommend investing in a good tripod.

Q: Many people assume that photographing a figure is relatively straightforward, but that’s a misconception. Anime figures and Nendoroids have limited expressions, so unlike a person, a photographer is limited to what they see. Yet you always match the character’s vibe; how do you accomplish that?

A: That’s a good question.

Before I work a shoot, I research the character. This usually involves me browsing several illustrations by different artists for inspiration. I’ll study the lighting and composition of their work. Of course, it is easier for me to pick up the character’s vibe if I know them well. That makes it feel like I have a connection with them. So, I guess getting to know the characters you’re working with gives you an idea of the ambience and atmosphere you want the photo to portray.

However, I do use lighting, composition, and post-processing edits to complement the character’s facial expressions and posing.

Oh, and music! Sometimes when I am working on a set, I listen to music related to the character. That could be their theme, or something related to the series or the scene that the set is based on.

When I worked on Mayano Top Gun’s shoot, I listened to Top Gun’s theme, “Danger Zone,” and “Tokimeki Scramble.” That helped me capture the mood.

Q: Your photography usually features props. Do you manufacture them, or do you buy them?

A: My props are a mix of both handmade and pre-made. For the handmade part, I build the dioramas for the figures. I also make larger pieces such as furniture, vehicles, or buildings. In the past, I’ve customized and repainted pre-made props (like Barbie furniture and accessories). Basically, whatever I can get my hands on, I can customize into something new. I once turned a water bottle into the Astral Express from Honkai: Star Rail.

My pre-made props are mostly items I’ve collected. They’re usually from 1/12 scale or smaller figures, such as Nendoroids, primarily from Re-Ment and Ashland miniatures. I also make use of garden and aquarium decorations.

Q: Does working with small figures present a different challenge when compared to other types of photography?

A: My main challenge is keeping the figures standing. Nendoroids are a bigger headache because they’re heavier and have bigger heads. Another grating challenge is the small space I have for my lighting. There’s a lot of trial and error when it’s time to set the lights’ positions in the dioramas.

Nendoroid photos takes a lot of time due to the many poses and scenes. Sometimes it takes me 6 hours to complete a single shoot.

Q: I’ve had the opportunity to work with manufacturers before. I’ve written and promoted plenty of figures, and your use of backgrounds and lighting is some of the best in the industry. How do you decide what background/lighting works best?

A: It depends on what I want to do. Sometimes, I want to emphasize the set and select the figures to be in it. Sometimes I prefer using generic backgrounds. These offer more flexibility in choosing which characters to include in the shot. For example, Momo’s (To Love Ru) diorama is a traditional Chinese interior set, which I can later use for figures with Chinese culture motifs.

In outdoor shoots, the landscape and scenic views are the background. There, I only need to make the figure’s platform. Outdoor backgrounds lend themselves to variety. But sometimes I’ll make a set based on the characters. For example, Castorice’s background was based on the Nether Realm, and Kafka’s shoot was based on her trailer in Honkai: Star Rail.

Q: What role does post-processing play in your photography workflow? You shared before-and-after pictures from the Top Gun/Umamusume shoot. Could you explain how you’d create a shot like that?

A: Most of my post-processing just enhances the photos or adjusts certain parameters. Sometimes I use it to remove unwanted elements, but in most cases I use it to remove Nendoroid support stands and bases.

In Mayano’s case, I combined two photos for the same set. The F-18 Super Hornet was a scale model I bought and built for her shoot. First, I took that photo, then I captured Mayano from the same angle with the same lighting setup. Next, I combined the two images into a composite and enlarged the F-18’s scale to make it larger than Mayano, since the original model was still too small.

Q: For shots like Kafka and Castorice (Honkai: Star Rail) and your Halloween Miku set, are the lighting effects overlays or something more dynamic?

A: It’s a combination of both.

I try my best to make the lighting as practical as possible, but sometimes I add overlays. However, that’s usually only when I can’t recreate the scene I have in mind. For example, the red lighting in Kafka’s shoot is actual lighting, but the lasers are effects. The butterflies in Castorice’s set are also effects, but the rest are lights (including the moon lamp in the background).

Q: Can you tell us about your collaborations with figure manufacturers?

A: My first was with Kotobukiya. They’d send me figures to use in my sets, and they would post the photos on social media. They are the company I collaborated with for the longest, from 2018 to 2023.

I also collaborated with APEX-TOYS in 2020 and 2021. They’d send me figures from gacha games like Arknights, Genshin Impact, and Honkai Impact 3rd. They also sent me a Tokisaki Kurumi (Date A Live) figure.

I also collaborated with Slickforce Studio. They make miniature soft lights specifically for figure photography. A while back they sent me some soft lights and a light frame so I could demo.

Q: I’m obligated to ask; what’s your favorite figure and anime?

A: That’s a hard question to answer. But I’d say my “holy grail” figures right would be the Alter’s Master Artoria/Saber and Easy Eight’s Tohsaka Rin (Formal Craft ver.). Both figures are autographed by their respective seiyuus, Kawasumi Ayako (Saber), and Ueda Kana (Rin). As for anime, it’s between 86, the Fate series, and Umamusume.

Q. Lastly, what advice or recommendations would you give to anyone who wants to pick up Nendoroid and figure photography?

A: Have fun with it. Make sure you practice and learn from other fellow figure and Nendoroid photographers. Some figure photographers post tutorials on their socials and channels. I learned a lot of stuff from them.

All Images © Gale XV

You can follow Gale XV at:
Facebook — Galexvphotography
Instagram — Gale XV Photography
X (Formerly Twitter) — Gale XV
YouTube — Gale XV 015