Issue 71• January 2022
Photographing Bricks and Figures
Techniques, Storytelling Tips and Lighting Tricks Photo Galleries INSTRUCTIONS AND MORE!
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Issue 71 • January 2022
Contents From the Editor....................................................2
LEGO Toy Photography Introduction..........................................................3 Photographer Spotlights: Astrid Heyland..................................................4 Nathan Smith....................................................8 Eat My Bricks: Telling Stories with Bricks and Pics.......14 Photographer Spotlights: Łukasz Więcek.................................................18 Yuri Badiner.....................................................22 Natasja de Vos................................................26 LEGO Toy Photography: A Community Gallery.................................31 Taking Your First Shots..................................40
How To Alan Rappa: Studio Lighting..............................................42 Shelly Corbett: Taking Your Photography Outside.......46 Tom Milton: Next Level Photography...........................50
Building BrickNerd: Vintage Camera... .........................................54 Minifigure Customization 101: By the Power of Inkjet Printing!.............60 You Can Build It: Imperial Troop Transport..........................65
Community Bantha Bricks Files: D awud Farid and Gabriel Kirkland’s Ebon Hawk......................................................68 Community Ads...............................................78 Last Word.............................................................79 AFOLs....................................................................80
From the Editor: Hello there! This issue took a long time to make for a pretty selfish reason. For the longest time, I was against a photography issue because the majority of photos that I have seen on Instagram with LEGO minifigures didn’t have any building with them—they were just a figure in an environment. Nothing to it.
January 2022 • Issue 71 Publisher John Morrow Editor in Chief Joe Meno Guest Editors Shelly Corbett and Guy Himber Proofreader John Morrow Japanese Bureau Editor Nathan Bryan West Coast Editors Ashley Glennon BrickNerd Editor Dave Schefcik Bantha Bricks Correspondent Steven Smyth
Contributors Yuri Badiner, Jared Burks, Chris Campbell, Christopher Deck, Dawud Farid, Michael Feindura, Sören Grochau, Astrid Heyland, Gabriel Kirkland, Tomek Lasek, Tom Milton, Alan Rappa, Nathan Smith, Steven Smyth, Natasja de Vos, Łukasz Więcek, and Greg Hyland. Additional Photos Robert Whitehead, Ellen Brantley, Sabrina Tungol, @legophotosource, Maëlick Claes,Kristina Alexanderson, Luigi Priori, Matthew Wyjad, Laurent Delcroix, Marco Zaconi, James Garcia, Keith Yip, Ceri Barrett, Vesa Lehtimaki, Ang Cheng Ann, Ki Young Lee Many thanks to the websites who have served as mirrors for BrickJournal: LUGNET.com, Brickshelf.com, peeron.com, brickmodder.net, rustyclank.com
About the Cover: Some photos from this issue’s contributors!
About the Contents: Oops! A minor mishap with stormtroopers. Photo by Laurent Delcroix.
It took me until right before this issue’s theme to realize the creativity behind the photos, and one very important point: all you need is a minifigure and a camera to make an excellent photo—making it one of the most inexpensive ways to get into the LEGO hobby, as everyone already has a camera in their phone. This is very accessible to anyone. Thanks to Guest Editors Shelly Corbett and Guy Himber for their help in rounding up all the photographers for this issue. There are many photos here I wish could have been given more space—and that’s a credit to the photographers. Hopefully, you’ll see the pics and visit everyone’s Instagram feed—and maybe, a couple of new feeds will start. I’ll be looking for them! Joe Meno P.S. Have ideas or comments? Drop me a line at brickjournal@gmail.com. I’m open to suggestions and comments and will do my best to reply. P.P.S... Yes, BrickJournal has a website—www.brickjournal.com! Twitter? Yep, there too— http://twitter.com/brickjournal. Facebook? Yup—http://www.facebook.com/group. php?gid=58728699914&ref=mf. Or you can scan the bottom codes with a QR reader! P.P.P.S. If you want info on a subscription, you can go to www.twomorrows.com or scan below!
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Glossary AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) AFFOL (Adult Female Fan of LEGO) TFFOL (Teen Female Fan of LEGO) NLSO (Non-LEGO Significant Other) MOC (My Own Creation) TLG (The LEGO Group) BURP (Big Ugly Rock Piece) LURP (Little Ugly Rock Piece) POOP (Pieces—that can be or should be made—Of Other Pieces)
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SNOT (Studs Not on Top) LUG (LEGO Users Group) LTC (LEGO Train Club) MECHA (a large armored robot on legs, typically controlled by a pilot seated inside) MECH (a large piloted combat robot) DARK AGES (usually teen years, when you drift away from building) STUDS OUT (building where the studs on bricks face the viewer)
LEGO®, TECHNIC, MINDSTORMS, Belville, Scala, BIONICLE, ExoForce, Mars Mission, World City, and other LEGO theme lines are trademarks of the LEGO Group of companies. All articles, photos, and art are copyright BrickJournal Media, LLC 2021, TwoMorrows Publishing and the respective writers, photographers, and artists. All rights reserved. All trademarked items are the property of their respective owners and licensees. Star Wars TM Lucasfilm. Subscriptions are $68 Economy US, $80 Expedited US, $103 International, or $27 Digital Only and can be purchased at www.twomorrows.com or payment sent to: TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614 USA. The editorial/advertising office address for BrickJournal is: BrickJournal Editor, 6701 Coachman Drive, Springfield, VA 22152, USA or brickjournal@gmail.com. First Printing. Printed in China. ISSN 1941-2347.
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BrickJournal and its staff would like to thank the LDraw community for the software it makes available to the community, which we use for making all of the instructions and renderings in this magazine. We would especially like to thank Kevin Clague for his continued upgrades of the LPub tool that is a part of the LDraw suite. For more information, please visit http://www.ldraw.org.
Introduction
Welcome to the 71st issue of BrickJournal magazine! I’m pleased to be the guest editor for this issue devoted to the art of LEGOGRAPHY. While toy photography has been around since the earliest days of photography, it wasn’t until the arrival of social media that the art form grew into the worldwide community that we enjoy today. Online we get the chance to connect through our shared love of LEGO, the minifigure and photography. Storytelling is at the heart of LEGOGRAPHY and allows us to journey to a land where anything is possible. We can recreate stories from pop culture, literature, or our own imaginations. Our stories are designed to entertain you, make you smile, or remind you of the innocence of childhood. The images within this issue will give you a taste of what’s possible. My gifted friends will be sharing insights into their working processes; where they get their ideas; what drives them creatively, and so much more! I invite you to sit back, relax, and get ready to step into the wonderful world of LEGOGRAPHY... where we bring the toys to life! Shelly Corbett Founder, Toy Photographers Blog and the ToyPhotographers.com Podcast
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People
Different figures and scales make for a conflict.
Photographer Spotlight:
Astrid Heyland Article and Photography by Astrid Heyland Instagram: hey.light
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Astrid Heyland is a German photographer that has been photographing toys for about five years. She started with tiny 1:87 figures from model railroads. Now, LEGO minifigures are her heroes. In fact, some of her best ideas come when Astrid picks up a minifigure in her hand and she brainstorms a suitable story for the figure. Astrid loves taking photos outdoors, but she builds her picture ideas indoors beforehand, in her small home studio. She really enjoys taking the time for the creative process. There is an art to coordinating colors, figures, and accessories. Much of the time she leaves the scene on her photo table for a while, and looks at it every now and then to see if she wants to change anything. When she feels the scene is ready, she packs it into a small can (sometimes there are many cans!). Astrid needs at least 1-2 hours of sunlight for photography. When the weather cooperates, she looks for a suitable place to set up. She loves to be outside looking for the best place, background, and angle for her protagonists.
Above: The sketch for an image, showing composition and elements. In this case, color notations are noted. Right: The final image.
Accessories help to develop and define the story further, but sometimes she will be inspired by another subject, such as lavender (seen in the photo). From that inspiration, Astrid’s creative process begins with a sketch. Writing down ideas helps to guide her in set building and creative decision making. Of course, the final proof is when she looks at the scene through the camera’s viewfinder. Astrid’s three most useful tools for toy photography are wire, a battery-operated hot glue gun, and clamps. With these utensils, she can put her figures into any position she desires. Another critical tool is a large folded plastic bag. The bag allows her to put everything on any surface without anything (including herself!) getting wet or dirty. The camera Astrid uses is a Sony A7RIII full-frame camera, high-end macro lenses (100mm, 70mm, 50mm lens) and mostly with a tripod. She loves her camera because it’s light and has focus peaking (a method of focusing using high contrast areas of an image to define edges and sharpen focus). If she wants to achieve a special look, she uses her Lensbaby Composer Pro II with the Sweet 50 or Edge 50, lenses that can turn to warp the focus of an image. Once the image is taken, she edits her photos in Adobe Lightroom. There she sets the brightness, contrast, image selection, color effects, and much more. By the time she has taken the image, Astrid has already considered whether the image should appear warm or cool and which color tones should dominate. When editing, she intensifies these effects. Sometimes she only brightens certain areas in the picture, such as the face or a strong shadow. If there are unwanted elements, such as a wire or some other figure support, she removes them in Adobe Photoshop.
Astrid loves photographing LEGO minfigures. She treasures some characters because they remind her of her childhood—the Disney character minifigures, for example. On the other hand, she especially loves the beautifully printed torsos and legs from the Legends of China Ninjago, and Vidiyo. There are endless possibilities to combine legs, torso, heads, and hairpieces again and again to create new figures. Animals are another highlight. They appear in all LEGO themes and always add something special to her little stories. She really enjoys building sets from the Architectural theme as well as Ninjago. Sets that she has built include the Old Fishing Store and the Pirates of the Barracuda Bay. Astrid is fascinated by how these small bricks are used to create such different buildings. However, she does have an issue with the bricks—the lines and studs seen in completed models. This pet peeve is why she only uses her buildings as a blurred background element and always covers studs with tiles. 5
People
The entrance to Moria, from the Lord of the Rings.
Photographer Spotlight:
Nathan Smith Article and Photography by Nathan Smith Instagram: @circus_robot
Nathan Smith started his toy photography in 2019 with the intent of doing a LEGO fantasy comic. After spending months on the build and the subsequent pictures, he realized that it would be an impossible feat to match his vision. Undaunted by this, he started focusing on individual photographs in April 2020. Inspiration for his photography comes from fantasy illustrations and movies. Nathan learns a lot by studying composition in a variety of mediums and how certain shots are lit and composed in movies. He typically does two types of images that have their own creative flow: movie scene recreations and original compositions. For scene recreations, the process is more about working backwards and deconstructing where everything would be positioned and how the Director of Photography lit the characters and environment. Nathan does this by setting up the camera with the focal length he thinks would be needed to recreate the shot, then he uses temporary LEGO set pieces to try to get the right distance and relative scale down. From there, he builds the scene in more detail. When he is ready, Nathan starts doing lighting tests. For original images, Nathan typically starts with thumbnail sketches—nothing too fancy, but he tries to work out composition, main and secondary light sources, and other factors. Having a very specific vision 8 of the final image is an important step because simply building a
good LEGO MOC does not necessarily translate into a good photograph. After sketches, he follows the same build process as before, just using his sketches as a guide instead of an existing picture. Nathan is not very particular about his equipment, but he has experimented a lot with different light sources and DIY diffusion methods. For example, cheap $5 LED flashlights with a harsh beam of light are perfect for mimicking sunlight or studio spotlights, compared to more expensive “professional” light sources. For lenses, he uses a Canon 12-22mm zoom lens primarily to get his different wide-angle shots, but sometimes uses a higher mm prime lens for unique scenarios. Even with a background in 3D animation and digital painting, Nathan tries not to overly rely on post effects, as that takes a lot of the fun away for him personally. Outside of a few unique cases, his post-production workflow is fairly standard. Typically, he takes the base image through color correction in Camera Raw. Then, if he needs to do any additional work with blending layers, enhancing the atmosphere, masking, or painting out blemishes, Photoshop is used. Nathan is an indoor photographer, usually treating his setups like little movie sets on a sound stage—arranging props and using very controlled lighting. When photographing, his essential lights include LED flashlights, LED panels, diffusion materials, and small 3mm LEDs for practical lighting effects like the glow from a candle. For images with a visible sky in the background, he uses a 4K television as part of the set. One of his favorite tricks is using face misters, steamers, or atmosphere sprays to get the depth or atmosphere he wants in his photos. Arwen and Aragorn.
Some of the modular buildings in John’s layout.
A look at part of the lower level.
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People
Bedman.
Eat My Bricks:
Telling Stories with Bricks and Pics! Article and Photography by Sören Grochau and Michael Feindura Instagram: @eat_my_bricks Michael Feindura and Sören Grochau.
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Some toy photographers started LEGO photography when they realized the minifigure was a perfect subject to work with. Others, like Sören Grochau started when he played with his son’s LEGO and had fun goofing around with the figures. Sören tried a little bit, but the picture quality didn’t satisfy him, so he called his friend Michael Feindura. With Mic’s professional equipment and skills, they tried their first images together and had a lot of fun. Since then, they have met again and are staging new pictures under the name of Eat My Bricks (EMB). Photography ideas come from a lot of places for the duo. Sometimes an idea comes during an ordinary activity, like brushing teeth or bike riding. They also like to be inspired by art or political events. What makes EMB happiest, though, are the spontaneous ideas and the impulses that come serendipitously and are sometimes triggered by just a small everyday object. When they both agree on an idea, a small sketch is made. Parts and materials are gathered after a setting is determined. Sometimes this process can be very time-consuming, or this goes very quickly. During the shoot, different perspectives are tried and different lighting is used, as both are easier to do with a live image on a large display. Once done with the shoot, the photos are opened in Photoshop and Lightroom, where the images are optimized and any small auxiliary wires and dust are removed. The image should look perfect in the end—even as a large fine art print.
The camera used for these photos is a Canon 5D Mk IV with a macro lens—either a Sigma 70mm 2.8 lens or a Canon 100mm 2.8 lens. The camera is perfect in terms of image quality and feature set. An L Bracket from Really Right Stuff is mounted to the camera and from there, a carbon tripod, along with a modified Manfrotto 405 geared head, provides proper support and accurate adjustments for photography. Additionally, EMB has a large backpack full of various small and large LED lamps from Manfrotto, some light stands, and soft boxes to be able to put any setup in the right light. Most of the time, shoots are done indoors. Shoots often take a certain amount of time and EMB wants to be independent of light conditions and weather. In spite of that, outdoor and indoor photography have their own charms. With the help of the camera’s wireless function, they can get a good image preview on an iPad and can best create image scenery. Because they don’t compromise on the camera and lenses, there is ‘low-end’ equipment used. On outdoor shoots, EMB may not take all their light stands and lamps. In that case, they fall back on using small LED spotlights, or sometimes use a Canon speedlite. Other essential items include hot glue (which can be easily removed), adhesive paste, wooden sticks, magnets, and wire. Small tools are also needed, such as tweezers, scalpel or pliers. A chilled drink is also helpful and present during shooting. Trojan Unicorn.
Fish n’ Bricks.
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People
Photographer Spotlight:
Łukasz Więcek
[TM DC Comics.]
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[TM Lucasfilm.]
Article and Photography by Łukasz Więcek Instagram: @lukasdata
Łukasz Więcek began his photography journey seven years ago. Two years later, he started photographing toys. Joining Instagram encouraged him to share his photos with the world. When Łukasz first started on IG, there were already a few accounts with nice minifigure photos. Seeing them, he was inspired to try minifigures as his toy of choice.
[TM Marvel Entertainment, Inc.]
Photo inspiration is taken from everything that is happening to and around Łukasz. From watching a movie or riding a scooter, he can suddenly have an idea for a photo, which he usually writes down immediately. Of those ideas, he has made over 2000 photos. From that collection, Łukasz chose his best five for this year (which are seen in this article): • Iron Man (from the LEGO set) • The Haunted House set • Star Wars • Ninjago • Batman
His all-time favorite LEGO photo is one he did of Captain America, as Łukasz loves super-hero poses. His favorite moment was when LEGO shared his Star Wars photo on their social media profiles. His was the first photo taken by a fan and shared by LEGO, and was spotted by Mark Hamill on Twitter, who commented on it. Łukasz has always loved to photograph nature and the outdoors, but an unfortunate knee and back injury forced him to try different photography solutions. Now he often uses a monitor for a background, sand, earth, and artificial grass as a surface and often uses bricks to build everything. His camera of choice is his Samsung NX3000, but when he shoots a big set he uses his smartphone— large sets are literally his biggest challenge. A large set can also make a memorable story. Łukasz was getting ready to shoot the LEGO Saturn V set, waiting for a blue sky and looking for a good place to take photographs. He found that one day, with a beautiful sky and a previously selected spot a few kilometers from Białystok. When he stood the Saturn V to sit
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How-To
Shelly Corbett:
Taking Your Photography Outside! Article and Photography by Shelly Corbett Instagram: shellycorbettphotography Website: shellycorbett.com
As a proud toy photographer, I’ve always gravitated towards capturing LEGO minifigures outdoors. Something about the mix of hard plastic with the natural environment is appealing to me. Plus, I find the process relaxing, challenging, and a great excuse to explore nature. Taking my minifigure friends with me hiking, to the local park or to the other side of the world, is always a rewarding adventure. Preparing for an outdoor adventure, I make sure I have a few gadgets with me. These tools include a camera, extra lenses, a bounce card, small portable light, sticky tack, plastic supports, pad for kneeling on, hand clamps, and a small towel. With these resources I can generally capture the images I’m looking for. My success as an outdoor photographer is often dependent on how well I’ve prepared. The sun moves quickly and the more complicated my setup is, the faster I need to execute it.
Top: “All work and no play” features a Mouseguard minifigure from Crazy Bricks.
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Left: “The road less traveled” is a promo photo taken for Crazy Bricks’ Dino Dudes Kickstarter campaign. Both photos use a Lensbaby composer lens and a wide open aperture to create a dreamy effect.
My Essential Gadgets CAMERA. I use a Sony mirrorless camera because its features include flip screen, focus peaking, image stabilization, and focus zoom. All these features facilitate tight focus of a tiny object while squatting on the ground in awkward positions—a situation I find myself in often. LENSES. I use my lenses like a painter uses brushes. Each one creates a different look or feel. Currently I rely on the Lensbaby line of lenses because they’re compact and create a variety of looks. I use a combination of dedicated macro lenses, macro filters (these screw onto the front of my lens) and macro rings (which are spacers that turn any lens into a macro lens) to be able to focus close. BOUNCE CARD. This might be my most essential tool besides my camera. A bounce card is basically any white piece of paper or stiff surface designed to redirect the light back onto the subject. This technique illuminates shadows and brings out the details. I use a piece of corrugated white plastic board for durability, but any white or reflective surface will work. I also carry a small clamp to keep the bounce card in position.
Tools of the trade: Clamp, bounce cards, LED lights, and a tripod.
EXTRA LIGHT. A small, rechargeable LED light is another essential part of my kit. There are days when the clouds don’t budge (especially where I live!) and a bright light adds highlights and contrast to a flat scene. I attach my LED light mounted on a flexible tripod to accommodate a variety of surfaces. BRICKS AND BITS. Other small items I like to have on hand are small pieces of LEGO that help to lift and stabilize my minifigures. Small Technic pegs, translucent bars and bricks all work for this task. The Technic pins are great to poke into the ground, so my figures don’t fall over. Translucent bricks can help stabilize a boat or canoe in shallow water or lift a speeder ever so slightly above the surface. And the translucent bars are a great way to elevate my minifigures above the scene to give a sense of flying or movement. STICKY STUFF. Unless you enjoy the challenge of balancing minifigures on uneven terrain (a very Zen activity), you will want to have some sticky tack along. I use blu-tack, museum putty, and a strong adhesive clear tape. To minimize clean up in Photoshop or equivalent, I use these sparingly. I always have a small ball of tack on my camera for quick access. A setup for a shoot: The skateboard is held up by a wire attached to the skateboard using hot glue. The wire is later edited out using Photoshop. The stormtrooper’s legs are held in position and attached to the skateboard by the wonders of hot glue. Additional lighting is provided by a rechargeable LED on a flexible tripod. Again, the Lensbaby composer gives the image a unique feeling with blur and dreamy bokeh.
More tools: Clamp, wire and transparent elements to hold or suspend minifigures. These can all be edited out of an image.
The final shot: “Live, love, laugh… skateboard!”
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