I don't get to do this very often, but when possible, I like to take group shots in terrain, especially terrain that puts them into context.
For example, these terrain pieces were made as part of a long running project. All of the figures that you have seen with the snow bases are a part of it, and these pieces were made to go along with them.
There are a number of articles on how they were created. I will put in some links later in the post.
It is always a great joy to see the figures in this way... as they were originally intended to be seen. The individual shots allow you to focus in on the details of each mini, but I always believe that the overall context of the army or project does not come through when figures are viewed in such isolation.
Often times there are certain extra things included on a figure that may not even make sense when seen as an individual, particularly when figures from a number of different companies are being combined into the same faction or army.
The previous set of group shots likely showed off the figures themselves more than this series, but I believe this set displays them "as intended" far better.
That is the difference that just a few small pieces of terrain in the image can make. I suppose this first started to occur to me when I began working with all the Burn in Designs terrain for Wild West Exodus. Yes, it was great to see all the figures in the standard posts, but I really loved the setting of the town.
Even if it was just a vignette form (a few buildings, part of the street, etc.), the effect was far more dramatic, and a story could be told.
There was a series of 3 or 4 articles I believe on the terrain pieces... how they were made, painted and given the snow effect. This one shows the painting process:
