“The idea of shooting toys came from the need of preserving some of my kid’s childhood. The toys children have are played with a lot, they break, get lost or are given away, very few will be saved. I thought I’d save them by photographing them while they’re still around and in good shape. Then, one thing led to another, and I took a more ambitious approach to shooting the Lego Star Wars theme. It is, of course, partially because I was a fan as a kid (saw it at it’s first round back in ’77) and I just got carried away with the photography. 
Photography as such is interesting, I just feel I do not know enough of it. This toy project serves also as my vessel of learning a thing or two about photography and processing techniques. I know there is a lot to learn because I’ve worked with some very good photographers in the past and I’ve seen how they do their job. It is genuinely amazing what the best of them can do.
The toy photography is strictly a hobby for me. At first I did not invest anything in it, but recently I’ve bought some flour just for the photos. The first, and so far the only Lego purchase just for photographic purposes, was the Lego Sandcrawler. I bought it in order to complete a Tatooine photo series. Still, after I’ve taken enough photos off it, it’ll end up being played with some day: I’ll give it to the kid to own when I’m done. I have to say, though, that we probably have more Star Wars Legos than we would have if I hadn’t taken on photographing them at this level.
I’ve been photographing the toys little over two years now. I am a professional illustrator, nothing exciting about that, really. I like to think of myself as a curious man who likes to try new things.” ~ Vesa Lehtimäki
My Thoughts:
Firstly let me just say I’m no Star Wars buff but I will admit I dislike anything related to Star Trek, so I guess that makes me for the force then. I found this artist by pure chance, through a photography website. I liked his ability to take items with no life and make them almost believable to the eye. This style of thinking outside the box is what makes an artist stand out from others. One who is able to see something, visualize it, execute it and deliver a finished product. I have no doubt he could sell prints of these images for lots of money if he wanted, plus he has a sense of humor (see the last two photos) which I love!
What do you think about this artist? Is his work novel, original or inspiring? Do you know another artist who does similar work like this? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Previous Post |
Loading ...
