Previous to this I used the Art S.Buck figurines, which were oddly proportioned and not nearly as flexible but found myself going to random Japanese figurines because they moved better. This one has a fairly large head better suited to anime/cartoon proportions, but poses about a million times better, and while I preferred the gray version, having something in a single color is good enough for me (this one is cheaper, and I don't need the other accessories that come with the more expensive version, and prefer the smaller size for portability).I'd recommend a stand (even if you plan to just take photos of the figurine for reference). It just makes it easier to observe or shoot (no fingers in the way of anything). I prefer to just pose mine in front of me instead of taking photos, but sometimes do take photos if I want a very specific light reference.Also, if you are going to take photos, say, with a cell phone camera or similar, please note that the closer to the camera the figurine is, the more your proportions can be distorted when you're drawing from the image. To avoid camera distortion (unless it's deliberate) just sit further back when you're taking a photo, and crop your image for composition after the fact. Cameras warp proportions quite a bit.