While not my typical blog topic, I’m still on that answer all the toy photography questions on Google kick and this is something I’ve had to think about a lot in my work.
I started my toy photography journey with non-articulated train scale figures, picking ones with the right body positioning for my shot.

While I still use those, I now often use 6 inch scale articulated action figures. I don’t do fight scenes with action poses, but the concept remains the same.
Model the Pose
The best way to try to get a realistic body pose, is to pose for yourself in the mirror and match your action figure to it. From the way you hold your hands, to the bend of your knee.
You can also find pictures online from your favorite movies, hold your figure up to the screen and bend each joint little by little until you have an exact match.
Take a picture and the pose looks off? Return to the mirror or the picture and make adjustments.
You’ll get the hang of it in time, as you work with that action figure and posing more and more.
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