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.