Through the lens: The World of Funko Pop: Harry Potter
I’m excited to finally share one of my favorite projects to date — photographing the cover and chapter spreads for The World of Funko Pop: Harry Potter, published by Insight Editions.This officially licensed Harry Potter book uses Funko Pop figures to reimagine iconic moments from the Wizarding World, and I was brought on to handle the full photography process from concept to final image.
Creative Direction, Start to Finish
For this project, I created a series of 10 horizontal shots — one for each chapter — along with several vertical scenes and the cover image. I handled every step of the process, including set design, lighting, photography, and editing.
I worked closely with Matt Girard, who served as my Art Director on the project. Matt gave me overall direction for each scene and helped guide the big-picture vision, but he also gave me a lot of creative freedom to explore concepts and make the visuals my own.
One important creative note early on was that they didn’t want full-blown, literal sets. Instead, the environments were meant to subtly suggest the world each character lives in — just enough to anchor the scene in the Harry Potter universe without overwhelming the stylized look of the Funko Pops. That balance between minimalism and atmosphere became a central design challenge throughout the shoot.
A Focus on Practical Effects & In-Camera Work
Each chapter scene was custom-built using layered textures, props, and practical elements. I focused on getting as much as possible in-camera — using practical lighting, color gels, and real materials to give each scene depth without heavy post-processing. Once the photography was complete, I did all the editing and retouching to finalize the images while maintaining the handcrafted feel of each set.
Product Shots of the Final Book
Now that I have the final book in hand, I built a small display set to photograph the book itself and show off some of the interior details. These product shots offer a closer look at both the final images and some of the subtleties that went into building the environments.
And yes — the book comes with a mini Harry Pop included!
Looking Ahead
Huge thanks to Insight Editions and Matt Girard for trusting me with this project and giving me space to explore creatively — I’m thrilled to share that I’m currently working on more books with them. I’ll be posting more behind-the-scenes content soon that breaks down how each chapter came together.
Stay tuned!
📸 Project Details
- Number of Shots: 10 horizontal chapter images, vertical scenes, and the cover
- Creative Roles: Set Design, Lighting, Photography, Editing
- Art Director: Matt Girard
- Camera: Canon R5
- Publisher: Insight Editions
- Figures: Funko Pop