Turkey Day Is Almost Here

Everyone's getting ready for the holidays. Traditionally Thanksgiving kicks things off, but I was seeing Christmas crap in Michael's in August. Anyway, if you like football, drunk distant relatives and copious amounts of food, Thanksgiving is your day. And you only have a little more than a week to wait. Mr. Rancor couldn't wait, but thanks to DigiNik13 and this awesome picture, we can all look forward to a little gobble gobble.

Painting With Light

It's been a long time since I've done any long exposure photography, and seeing this shot makes me miss it. The premis is pretty simple. Lock the camera off and using the bulb or similar setting, open the shutter and leave it open. Then paint with light. It takes some practice to get it right, but when it works it's magical. Nice shot Jonathan.

Holy Competing Comic Hero Batman!

Ah, the good old climbing the wall gag, classic campy Batman. It's amazing what you can accomplish with simple camera tricks like turning it on it's side. And this is exactly how this cheesy effect was accomplished. Nice photography InkBlotPhoto.

Spacestation 2

This is a nice little bit of photo editing. The composition and aspect ratio is excellent, feels very cinematic. I'd love to see this same shot setup with the background image displayed on a TV or monitor, so that the reflections and lighting would carry through to the MOC. A smaller aperture would increase the depth of field too. Nice work Tobigo.

Saddle Up Apone...

I just watched this movie the other night. Still holds up beautifully 27 years later. This MOC depicts the scene where they discover the location of the colonists.  This brilliantly detailed and lit interior comes from Missing Brick, who has a whole series excellent scenes from Aliens. Custom minifigs by Matthias.

Thanks for the head's up Pete 

Ace Granger Space Ranger

There's so much about this I love I'm having trouble keeping my composure. Actually, who's going to care, the puppies? (does little happy dance, no one knows). This is an excellent little bit of Photoshop and photography. It hits the mark for total retro look, right down to the Brickarms ray gun. There's some great subtle humor in the text too. I want to watch this series right now!

*Whonk*

I'm required by the 1997 CNC (conventions of nerddom council) provisions and guidelines to blog this. In strict compliance and adherence to policies under sections 42, 1138 and 3.14. Nice one Gothamscene.

I'm a nerd, so sue me.

A Matter Of Light And Depth

Time for another photography post. This picture grabbed my attention while scrolling through Flickr. Not because of the elaborate or clever build, but because of the photography. I can't emphasize enough the importance of taking good pictures of your work. I love the depth of field and light blooming in this shot, as well as the lens flare. I know it may all be happy accident, but when all the elements drop into place like this, the results are awesome.

Moody Hoth

Flickr user j5k makes some beautiful images, and get this, it's all done in camera. Using simple lighting setups, a water tank and baking soda he achieves brilliant imagery. While the principal is simple, I can't imagine pictures like these come easy. But his patience is our benefit, and we can all admire these shots.

St. Gwydre's Church

This is gorgeous. Excellent building, excellent photography and excellent processing. This is the total package people. From a thumbnail you would swear it's just a picture of an old church. Not that this is the true goal of any MOC, but in this case it just doesn't get much better.  Outstanding work.

Polishing His X-Wing

This photo by DigiNik13 makes excellent use of depth of field. DOF typically haunts MOC photography by diminishing scale or losing detail. But when used correctly, like this, it makes the shot. It's a simple trick that's hard to master. See how you have no problem identifying the ship he's standing next to, yet Luke is set off the background by focus. The lighting is also great, with just enough reflections and highlights to sculpt and model the contours. Nice shot.

Moody Corridor

This shot is a great example of how a compelling MOC shot doesn't have to be complicated. This is a very simple setup, with nothing more than a simplistic corridor and a minifig, yet you are drawn in. The lighting isn't complicated either, just a single source. But the color, silhouetted figure, rake lit edges of the hall, agreeable depth of field and blooming background all work together for a nice shot. And it's just a test, I can't wait to see the real shots.

Let There Be Light (painting)

I know what you're saying, "Hey, that's not a MOC, that's the LEGO Technic Supercar!". You are correct, but this post is not about the build, it's about the shot. Flickr user Jon Bradbury used a very cool method of multiple light passes to capture this shot. The model and camera are locked off and multiple exposures are made with lighting from different angles. And get this, it's lit with an iPad. The different shots are then combined into this final stunning image.  It's essentially the same technique used in visual effects to layer multiple passes in CG. It goes to show what can be accomplished with a little prep and patience. Excellent work Jon.