Ninja Attack! recreated with Lego

Ever since recreating "Red vs Blue" and "Aw Shit!" I've thought about shooting "Ninja Attack!" But life got in the way and it just never happened. Today a friend came over to play through Halo 2; once he left, I didn't feel like playing video games anymore (especially Halo), so instead I turned to photography. I dug out all the pieces I thought I would need (as well as a couple of extra pieces that didn't end up making it into the finished photo) and set to work on staging this. I only have one white Spartan, which was a bit of an issue because there are two in the original photo. In the end I decided to make the front Spartan blue; it was more important to me that the background Spartan be white because that just happens to be one of my good friends. Besides, blue works for the whole "red vs blue" war that is Halo multiplayer.

Once that was decided, I set to work. I grabbed one of the large gray cave pieces and decorated it with random flora. The original has a couple of bare branches in the bottom left corner, so I took a couple of the branch pieces from the Dark Forest set Bandit Ambush; unfortunately they never made it into the finished shot (being a macro, they just didn't fit into the frame).

The next problem I had was making the red Spartan hover in the air. In the end I used some clear pieces (which are mostly hidden behind the blue Spartan). I later had the red Spartan standing on a thin 1x3 piece to better hide the clear pieces behind the blue Spartan, which worked rather well. The background is "In the Woods" which was also used for "None Shall Pass!" I was really excited when I noticed the trees in the original's background. They're rather faint, but they really reminded me of "In the Woods" so I thought that was perfect. Unfortunately I then had to fight with placing it properly. From the angle I shot this, you could see above the actual picture in many of the shots I took (as in "None Shall Pass!" and like "Loading Slave 1," this background is a printed version of "In the Woods." I taped it onto my usual black background, but the printed picture is smaller than my usual background). The cave piece already had to be elevated so you could see it properly from this angle; the background had to be even higher than the cave. Luckily a couple of stacks of books came to the rescue!

The one thing missing from my Lego recreation is the bubble shield. In "Red vs Blue," I used cellophane. I had every intention of doing the same here, but when I tried, I didn't really like the results. I thought that the blurry background that this shot had in macro worked just as well, so I left it at that.

So long story short, the Lego version is just an interpretation of the Halo screenshot. But that's totally okay with me; I'm really happy with how this shot turned out.

As usual, "Ninja Attack!" is on my Flickr photostream.

Your Best Shot 2011

It's that time of year again: time for Flickr's Your Best Shot group, where you get to post your best shot of the year. This time around, I decided to give it to "Squid Warrior." Originally I polled family and friends with a list of eleven pictures I took during the year; these eleven pictures did not include any of my Lego shots. "Sunset on the Rails" came out as the clear winner based off of my poll.

So about a week ago, I went to post "Sunset on the Rails" to the group. After doing so, I attempted to write this post about it. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided that "Sunset on the Rails" wasn't my best shot of the year. For me it was really a toss up between "Squid Warrior" and "So Be It, Jedi," both of which were backgrounds for my laptop this year ("Squid Warrior," the newer of the two, is still my laptop's background picture). It was really tough deciding between the two pictures, but in the end I decided that "Squid Warrior" was what I consider to be my best shot of the year. So today I submitted it the the Your Best Shot 2011 group on Flickr.

If you'd like to see my previous winners, check out My Best Shots, the set I created to showcase the pictures I've submitted to the last three Your Best Shot groups.

Another Big Thank You!

...to whomever just purchased a greeting card of "Yoda on the Dock"! Your support is very much appreciated! I hope you enjoy! :D

Speak Out with Your Geek Out: Lego Photography

When I first decided to participate in Speak Out With Your Geek Out, I immediately thought about writing something else. Maybe on video games, because I love playing them, or roleplaying. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to write about my Lego photography.

I'm not exactly quiet about the Lego photography, especially online. My banner is a picture of some of my minifigures (or "minifigs" for the uninitiated). What started as a quick distraction from my studies quickly bloomed into an all-out hobby. I absolutely love dreaming up pictures with my minifigs, especially out in the real world. Athough that is admittedly a problem at times; when I see new minifigs I then need them for a new pic idea!

Ironically, while I love taking pictures of the minifigs, I don't really like using a full Lego setting (except in particular cases, such as "And Look at the Two of Us" or "Lenora as Rapunzel - Let Down Your Hair!". My favourite shots are ones in the real world, particularly out in a natural setting. I love finding the perfect background for a certain minifig, especially when it is coupled with the perfect focus/composition (for examples of some of my faves, check out "So Be It, Jedi," "Squid Warrior" and "Some Fishing Action").

But sometimes heading outside isn't very practical. So I use a set-up with a black clipboard as the background and a flashlight for my lighting (see my set "The Faces of Lego" for examples of this set-up). I'm always amazed when I look back on that set as it shows how much I've grown as a photographer; the older shots aren't as refined as the more recent ones.

Another awesome benefit from my Lego pics is all of the wonderful friends I have made on Flickr. I am always inspired by their own photos and thankful for their inspiring comments.

So if you have a camera, why not give Lego photography a try? Lego's made it super easy to start with their Minifigures series (Series 5 is currently out). And if there's a certain special minifig you're after, be sure to check out BrickLink! But if you'd rather just browse, be sure to check out one of Flickr's Lego groups, like Lego or Lego Adventures. There you'll find tons of fun images from fantastic photographers.

And if you see me out taking pictures with my minifigs, be sure to say hi! :)

This post originally appeared on shaunakosoris.com.

And Look at the Two of Us

And Look at the Two of Us, a photo by s.kosoris on Flickr.

I was listening to the Pet Shop Boys song "Rent," which gave me inspiration for this shot. I don't know if I really pulled off what I was trying to, but I gave it my best shot. I also should add, I've never seen the video before tonight (when I found it to post here), so it didn't influence this shot at all. Only the song itself did.

A while ago, my brother and I were discussing the Pet Shop Boys and "Rent" came up. I told him I thought it was a really pretty song. He agreed, but added that it's also really sad. Since then I've been listening to it on and off, paying special attention to the lyrics and I have to agree with him; it is sad.

The main inspiration for this is the first chorus and verse:
"And look at the two of us in sympathy
With everything we see
I never want anything, it's easy
You buy whatever I need
But look at my hopes, look at my dreams
The currency we've spent
(Ooooh) I love you, oh, you pay my rent
(Ooooh) I love you, oh, you pay my rent."

I built the Paradisa set Poolside Paradise for this. I thought it would get across the idea that this couple has whatever they want/need (especially with the butler present). Unfortunately I wasn't able to stage this so you can see the pool in the front yard which would've given that idea a bit better, but this worked. Then I wanted the girl to look unsatisfied, despite all the wealth around her. Meanwhile the guy is totally happy - that's why he's closer to the table and looking at her, not at the camera. I posted this version because you can see the background (and the palm tree, which is kind of behind the butler). I had another version that had the minifigs lit but the background was way too dark. So I went with this one because it better captured what I was trying to do (even though I like the other one more!)

When I was finished, I felt sorry for the rapper guy, so I took a portrait of him on my black background.

I hope I was able to convey everything I wanted to in "And Look at the Two of Us." Let me know what you think so I can improve the next time I try something like this again!

Thank You!

A big thank you is extended to whomever purchased a print of "Captain Jack Sparrow!" Your support is greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!!!! :)

Home From a Weekend at Camp

This weekend I went out to camp. As usual, I had my camera with me. And while I didn't take as many pictures as I normally do, I managed to snap a few really pretty ones. All of the pictures were taken during my random adventures on Saturday. From a trip down to the lake for a swim (which resulted in my first Yoda picture) to the evening fishing trip, I had a fantastic day! Want to see for yourself? Check out my Flickr photostream, or the Camping 2011 set which has all of my camping adventures from this year.

I even updated Red Bubble with select images from this weekend. Feel free to have a look there as well!

Saying Goodbye to this Blog

I've been blogging on Shauna's World for three years now, but it is time for a change. I now have my own website. So rather than updating this separate blog, I've decided to create a blog there. All of my photography updates will now be happening there, along with other important updates.

But if you have been following my reading updates on The List, don't worry! The List isn't going anywhere!

I hope to see you on the new blog! :)

-Shauna

Red Bubble is Once Again Up to Date!

Updating Red Bubble took me a couple of hours. But you can now find select pictures from my Seattle trip, my newer Lego pictures, and some of my newer flower macros! If you have a chance, please check out the new pictures!

Unforgiven

Unforgiven
Originally uploaded by s.kosoris

Last night my brother and I watched the Clint Eastwood movie Unforgiven. I was so inspired that I came home and took a couple of pictures based off of the movie with my Lego minifigs. First is the picture based off of the movie poster, which I have titled "Unforgiven." I was originally planning on making the minifig a coat, but I couldn't find the perfect material. So I eventually scrapped that idea and used him as is. I think it turned out pretty good!

The second shot was based off of a random picture I found on TvTropes. For this one I used one of my other pictures, Outline

d in Sunshine, as the background. I then posed the minifig and snapped several shots. Hilariously, for both this shot ("Will Munny," named after Clint Eastwood's character) and "Unforgiven," I ended up using the first take I shot!

I was extremely pleased with how both shots turned out. They are currently on Flickr and will be making their way to Red Bubble in the near future!

Will Munny
Originally uploaded by s.kosoris

Home from my Seattle Trip!

A few days ago I got home from a trip to Seattle, WA. I decided to attend the IGDA Summit that was held there as a graduation present to myself. I had a lot of fun at the Summit, meeting lots of great people and learning a lot about the video game industry!

I started off in Minneapolis, then flew to Seattle, and finally came home via Minneapolis and Duluth. All of the pictures are from my sightseeing adventures (I didn't take any pictures of the actual conference).

The Seattle highlights were the Space Needle, the Japanese Garden, Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, and Bellevue. On my way home I also stopped at the Split Rock River, Tettegouche State Park and the Temperance River.

Now that I'm back home, all of my pictures from my trip are on Flickr. Feel free to check them out! :)

Red Bubble Updated

It's been a few months since I was last on Red Bubble. So tonight I decided to update it with what I consider to be my best pictures of the last few weeks. I've been taking a lot of flower pictures lately, so many of those made it, along with a couple of my camping scenics. And of course there are some new Lego pics. I added a total of 16 new images, so please, stop by and have a look!

As always, if there is an image from my Flickr photostream that you're interested in which does not appear on Red Bubble, let me know and I can add it to Red Bubble for you.

Friends of the Sleeping Giant 2010 Contest Winners on Website!

They had a bit of technical difficulties get the photos online, but they're all online now! As I said back in March, my photo "Pay the Ferry Man" won third place in the People category! If you have a chance, check out all of the 2010 winners on the Friends' website!

Look What I Found!

Someone liked my Lion Tamer pic! You can find the original on Flickr, along with my many other Lego pics!

First Lego Stop Motion Video!

The Door
Originally uploaded by s.kosoris

Today I made my first Lego Stop Motion video! "The Door" is my version of a roleplaying adventure I witnessed several years ago. One of the players was thrown into jail. While there, he met a crazy old man who claimed he could get out. The old man drew a picture of a door on the wall of the cell, then told the player to run at it as fast as he could while believing it would work. The player refused, then went to sleep. When he woke up, the old man was gone. So the player decided to run at the door like the old man said. The only problem was that he didn't believe. And so the door didn't work.

I've wanted to try making a stop motion video using Lego for awhile now. So I thought this would be the perfect short vignette for my first one.

It took several hours to make and is only about 30 seconds long. I did all of the voices using the sound recording equipment on my computer. I also had to reshoot the ending because I didn't like what I originally had.

Do check out the video and let me know what you think!

"So Be It, Jedi" Now Available on Red Bubble!

So Be It, Jedi
Originally uploaded by s.kosoris

When I first looked at this picture, I knew there was something special about it. I took about 10 different shots, most of which had the Emperor's face in sharp focus, not the lightning. But I kept coming back to this version. I'm not sure what exactly I like best about it - how his face is clear enough so you know who this is, or how the background looks like a forest (it's a single lilac tree). Altogether, this is one of my favourite Lego shots that I have snapped since I first started about a year ago. "So Be It, Jedi" has had a great reception on Flickr (it's even been added to a gallery!), so I decided to include it in my portfolio on Red Bubble as well. If you're interested, feel free to stop by and have a look! :)

OMG Another Sale!!!!

I just made another sale on Red Bubble! Ten minutes ago, someone bought a greeting card of my "Skeleton Crew" pic!!!! I'm super excited!!!!! I'm ecstatic that people like my Lego pics!!!! Thank you so much to whoever bought it!!!! :D

Skeleton Crew Originally uploaded by s.kosoris

Doritos Write the End!

I have submitted an ending for the Doritos Write the End Contest! In each ending, one of two flavours must be destroyed in some way. First place is $25,000 and 1% of all future sales of the surviving flavour. Please help me out by voting on my ending! My ending has steampunk robots which fly into the sun! There are only five days left to vote!!!!

Red Bubble Updated

It's been awhile since I've been on Red Bubble so I decided to update it today. I added 8 new shots to my portfolio (almost all of which were Lego) and discovered their new Collection feature (I now have four Collections which organize my photos in the way that Sets do on Flickr). If you have a chance, why not stop by for a look?

And if anyone is looking for it, Blurry Sasha is also available on Red Bubble.

Another Pic Added to a Gallery!

My Chewbacca portrait was added to someone's gallery! This gallery isn't very big, but it has a few really awesome pictures! Thanks Der Grantler!

Another Third Place!

Once again I won third place in the Friends of the Sleeping Giant Photo Contest! Last year I won in the scenery category. This year it's in people. Yes, "Pay the Ferryman" came in third place!

Like "Joe Creek Falls" last year, "Pay the Ferryman" will be appearing at the Sleeping Giant Visitor's Centre this summer and will also be featured on the Friends' website. It may also appear in the park's tabloid!

Published!

I wrote an article for work which appeared in the local paper today! The article was inspired by a paper I wrote for school on Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun. With the knowledge still fresh in my head, I thought it would be a great way to showcase some of the library's resources. You can find a copy here!

Aw Shit! Recreated with Lego

I was looking over my Halo screenshots the other day and came across this one (which I have titled "Aw Shit!"). It looked simple enough to recreate, so I thought I would give it a shot. The stone background reminded me of the texture on my door, so I figured I was good to go!

But of course I failed to take into account the rocket. How the heck was I going to recreate that? Physically it was easy enough: I used a couple of pieces from the missiles found in the Space Police set Freeze Ray Frenzy (a Light Bluish Gray Technic, Pin 1/2 with 2L Bar Extension and a Trans-Neon Green Cone 1 x 1 without Top Groove). But then I got stuck trying to figure out how to position it (and what to use). Originally I was going to try to use the pieces I have for my Lego Ecco picture but I couldn't come up with a good way to angle it. So then I had the fantastic idea to use string. Unfortunately, what do you attach the string to, to hang the rocket?

After a couple of really stupid ideas (like hanging string over the door and trying to somehow make that work), I eventually tied the rocket onto a pen, which was anchored in some Legos (the same ones I used to create the Rapunzel tower). Then I used a flashlight to illuminate the rocket (and kind of make the strings less noticable). Unfortunately in doing so it lit the whole picture, so my Lego attempt is a lot brighter than the original.

So anyway, here is the final product. It took a lot more effort than I expected, but I think it turned out alright.

It also appears on my Flickr photostream.

1st Photo Featured in Someone Else's Gallery!

Tonight really is a night for firsts. Along with all the crazy attention "Blurry Sasha" is getting right now, one of my pics was just added to a gallery! "Ichabod Swimming Away" is now a part of joyousjoym~Blessings' beautiful Animals gallery. Thanks joyousjoym~Blessings!

Your Worst Shot 2010

While I was choosing my Best Shot of 2010 (to add to the Flickr group), I came across this pic in my photostream. I remember taking it: it was the day I filmed this video of Sasha and I first tried taking a few pics of her. Unfortunately she was moving too fast for this shot and it was super blurry. I thought it looked funny so I decided to post it on Flickr anyway.

In the Your Best Shot 2010 group, there was a discussion on your worst shot of 2010. Hands down, I thought it was this one. So I didn't think anything of posting it to the thread. As I said in the discussion:

When my dad scratches a certain spot on my cat's back, she starts sticking
her tongue out. It's really funny to watch. I was trying to catch the
moment, but the lighting was bad and my camera failed horribly. I ended
up posting the picture because I thought it was funny at the time, but
now everytime I see it go by in my organizer, I keep wondering what I
was thinking when I posted it.

A few people in the discussion thought it was funny, but then I thought that
was that.

And then I wandered onto Flickr a few minutes ago and noticed some new comments on "Blurry Sasha." Looking at the times, these comments were from 18 minutes ago to 44 seconds ago. I was really bewildered until I glanced at the Flickr blog to see Sasha's blurry face staring back
at me. It seems "Your Worst Shot 2010" was featured on the Flickr blog, with Sasha being one of the prominent pictures! I guess it's not the best way to make it on the Flickr blog, but my stats are just exploding right now! As of right now I've had over 3,000 views on my photos, with over
half of that on Sasha's pic (and almost 60 comments, which range from people laughing and people finding it creepy)! "Blurry Sasha" has now surpassed "Boba Fett" on everything except Interestingness (it's in second for that).

If you have a moment, take a look at the whole thread. It's got some pretty funny pictures and explanations!