PS (a SiP challenge)

Toy photo blog Stuck In Plastic sometimes issue challenges to us who read (and occasionally write for) it, and in March the challenge was to do a Project. (Spoiler: I failed.)

I stared thinking: what story could I tell with three photos?

Step 1: Theme

Without an immediate creative spark I just walked into my friendly local LEGO store and asked what I should to buy. My selection criteria were simple: Something they had overstocked, and that had at least one female minifigure (because: representation). I walked out of there with set 70592--

Step 2: Story

I'm impressed by toy photographers who document as they build (like @jvanholder's Ghostbusters HQ), and not only finished sets, so I wanted my introduction to be about the build. The cliffhanger would be an action shot. One that's going somewhere.

But how does the story end? It had to be an ending, not a sequel setup, so I'm thinking victory or death. It was coming together now: I will do Birth and Death of a Mech. No P or S in there though, as required, but I'll work it in somehow. (Wouldn't be the first time a project is reined in to meet requirements after it got off track.)

Step 3: Execution

I shot the story in sequence. I built part of the mech for the first shot. Then finished it and played around with some close-ups for the second. The last shot needed to be on the ground so I took it to the forest not far from my house for some spring greens and sunlight.

The next day I had some time to do color adjustments and crop the photos for Instagram. I was done. All I needed now was that title.

And that was a month ago. As is the fate of some projects, this one stalled. Always other things needed to be done first. So time passed, and now here we are. The store is done, as is the title, since yesterday.

Step 4: Post-mortem

There will always be a next project, so never miss an opportunity to learn from each one you finish. From this I've got three key takeaways:

1. Never underestimate complexity. Even seemingly simple project benefit from checklists to make sure nothing is missed. (Like titles.)
2. Plan to iterate. All shots I got for the story could have been made better, if I'd made time to shoot them again.
3. Don't move deadlines. Better to deliver little on time, than nothing at all.

 

So here it is, my story: Prime Salvaged - Birth and Death of a Mech

Through Other Eyes

(Previously published on Stuck In Plastic.)

Looking at ourselves through another person’s eyes is a great way to find out who we really are. And sometimes: we’re Batman.

I got rid of my document scanner long ago and instead use my camera when I need to digitize something off paper. Just rig it facing down from a tripod and photograph the document. I did that a few nights ago and having that setup plus I recently got a new Batman minifigure, I was inspired to recreate one of my favorite shots from the first Tim Burton Batman movie—

Batman looking up at the Joker’s helicopter (screenshot from Batman, ©1989 Warner Bros. Inc)

Leaving the camera exactly as it was I tried to get the angles right on the figure, blue-tacked to the floor. I ended up with this:

Batman looking up, POC

Quite close to what I wanted, but I ran out of time to do anything more with it then. The next morning I showed it to my girlfriend, and she said: “Nice, he’s flying.” I might have said “no he’s not”, but then I realized: Maybe he was. That night I added some environment under the camera, set more lights, and shot twice:

Look, a helicopter

Flying (for L)

Now when I go back to the POC I really see both final photos in it. But if I hadn’t been told he’s flying maybe it would have forever been just one.

What new views on your photos have you gotten from others? Please share in the comments.

LEGO Inside Tour 2016—Exclusive Set

Every Inside Tour ends with a very special gift from LEGO: A set produced only for those who attend the tour that year. The sets have always been linked to LEGO's history and this year continued that tradition.

The sets are numbered and only 320 produced this year. They are further personalized for each tour by printing a group photo of all participants on the packaging. In my opinion it's a beautiful set and it was a pleasure to build. Now I just need to decide where I should display it.

Here are some photos from the build, and of course I had to take it outside to get natural light on it—

Tightest packed set I've ever got

Minifigures

The base of part 1

It's a Volvo!

Part 1 done, on to part 2.

Great details and solid design. The only thing missing is the sleeping quarters in the cab. In the model the cab instead holds the flags (see below).

LEGO Truck Show—"The world's largest and most beautiful LEGO Truck drove across Europe from 1996-2004. The unique project was conceived to showcase the LEGO Group's products throughout Europe in a new and different way."

Welcome LEGO Fans! The JVK minifigure is not in the set, we got it when we met him on the tour. #starstruck

The box. My box. Signed by set designer Steen Sig Andersen, instructions designer Michael Madsen, driver Jens Conrad Hansen and Johnny Pinholt Thorsen, who designed the real truck back in 1994.

LEGO Inside Tour 2016

I've been a LEGO fan all my life, but never heard of the Inside Tour until last year when I noticed an article on Brickset about it. I set a reminder in my calendar for November 9 and on that day I send in my application. A few weeks later the Inside Tour team sent a mail saying I'd made it to the list of participants.

Then: I waited. I got a Christmas card. I got my tour #3 assignment. I bought plane tickets. And finally, it was June 7—

A Unique LEGO Experience

Besides what some articles on Brickset had revealed about previous years' tours I didn't know anything about what to expect, but the three days in Billund far surpassed everything I'd imagined. It was three days with thirtyfour other passionate fans, with LEGO designers, with marketing professionals, and with lots of secrets from inside the world behind the bricks as we see them.

As usual, I'll let photos tell my story. Here is the LEGO Inside Tour—

The road from Hotel LEGOLAND into Billund town (and the LEGO offices) 

LEGO HQ

Innovation house, where the designers work

Someone left a shutter open. Is that an old set, or something coming next year?

The LEGO archives, where one of every old set is stored for reference

The first bricks

The first wheel

The first train

The first minifigures

It's a classic, though I preferred the grey generation

Fabuland

Another classic: LL928

The modern LEGO city, including 2016 sets

Wall repairs

What I built on the first night when designers rolled in cabinets full of elements, the same sets they work with, and hosted a MOC contest for us (I didn't win)

LEGO House under construction, opening 2017

I'm not the only LEGO photographer

Inspired by above

During a private tour of LEGOLAND, before it opened to the public in the morning, our guide pointed this out: The smallest model in the park; only 4 bricks

The solar panels are not only for show, they actually power parts of the models

I don't know why, but I can never resist photographing trains when I get a chance to

Clever use of HERO Factory retail sets in the park

They've hung the balloon from a tree; more fun if it was actually flying and tied down

Mini-Sweden

Riding the yellow dragon

Super-sized sea serpent

Great detail on a (real, not LEGO) building in the park's Polar Explorer section

Friends' skyscraper

The lookout tower at night

Mini-moose

Great details, with an audio track playing telling the visitors about NASA's shuttle program

One of our many souvenirs: A new Cole minifigure with photo-friendly details

The 2016 Exclusive Set

Click here to see it.