“Why is it very hard to get away from a screen? Or will life always be so boring?” I pondered these questions as I sat before my computer. Being a senior high schooler in TPS could sometimes be annoying or stressful: I had to deal with work, familial, and social stress all at the same time. Thankfully, I found the most fun, resourceful, patience-demanding, and challenging hobby of all: Lego Photography, otherwise known as Legotography, an escape from the hecticness of student life and an opportunity to relax.
As a young boy of eight, I imagined what would it be like if I had the finances to do LEGO photography. Little did I know that I would soon be able to realize my dreams and pick up this amazing, albeit demanding, hobby. A God-given talent such as Legotography is not to be wasted. Rather, it should be used to glorify Him and to serve surrounding communities.
To make each photograph unique in style and expression, each photoshoot is shot from a different angle. The process is not necessarily complicated but requires quite a few steps. To simplify the steps, however, for beginners or those aspiring to become Legotographers, firstly, I take my phone or DSLR camera, an old but durable Olympus E -620. Although DSLRs can be very challenging to work with, they prove a reliable companion. Next, I position my figures on a matt board to plan out the shoot, and then position on the actual set once I have my final plan for the photograph. After snapping a few shots, I shortlist the best shot and start the edits, first on my phone editor as a rough “sketch” for the actual edits on Photoshop and Lightroom. All detailing, major steps, and minor steps happen in Lightroom and Photoshop, where careful attention is paid to vibrancy, expression, and intensity of the scene. If I find that the shot is not edited to the quality I desire, I repeat the entire process. Although this is oftentimes time-consuming, this process teaches me how to persevere under huge stress and to excel at my work, as in the end it all pays off.
A few months ago, I was honored by a world famous toy company, FireStarToys, a company that specializes in custom Lego minifigures, to become their brand ambassador. In addition, I was recognized by an international Instagram brand, BestoftheGlobe_ToyPhotography, for my work. Although I was honored by what had been bestowed upon me, the truth of Proverbs 22:29 dawned on me, “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He shall stand before kings, and not unknown men” (KJV). I believe God was teaching me the joy and rewards of hard work and perseverance. To this day, I still do quality photoshoots on LEGO, mainly touching upon Star Wars scenes that are either based on the original canon or games that link to other subcanons, like Legends, Jedi Fallen Order, and such.
In conclusion, Legotography is an incredibly productive and potentially God-glorifiying hobby that would be recommended for any high school student. Whether it be LEGO photography or not, however, any useful, innovative hobby can be used for God’s glory. Legotography forces the photographer to learn patience, hard work, excellence, and, most of all, wisdom. Why wisdom? There is much more to this type of photography than simply shooting bricks. For example, wisdom is required to be patient and careful when setting up the scene. One wrong move, and everything can go wrong; therefore, one must be prudent. In conclusion, one can learn wisdom, patience, perseverance, hard work, and excellence in this demanding but fruitful hobby. All it takes is a little prayer, focus, and diligence to become a master of LEGO photography.
Meet the Author:
What is your name?
My name’s Emmanuel, but loads of TPSers (especially the popular ones “cough” “cough”) know me call me Eman for short!
How old are you?
I’m a senior high schooler of 18 years!
How long have you been at TPS/What’s you favorite class?
Well, many TPS teachers have scarred me for 7 years of my life with their essays and homework. If there’s honestly a favorite class, I’d have to go with Mr Mailand’s U.S. Government. I’m the joker/accent creator in that class, and I love to do British accents while reading any American documents!
Where do you live?
A tiny red dot called Singapore (which is not in China by the way, fellow classmates).
What is an interesting fact about you?
Why did you want to write this piece? What’s the inspiration?
I want to sincerely bless my fellow TPSers by sharing my talents with them and help them to craft their own talents and be able to master them.
Photo Credits: Emmanuel Koh
How do you do the backgrounds?
amazing article!