Loyal readers already know we’re a Star Wars family, and as Tee gets older, she’s been really getting into LEGO Star Wars too. We have a few LEGO Star Wars books and DK readers, but this new photography book from DK Books, Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy, is on a completely different level. Unlike our other LEGO Star Wars books that use minifigures and vehicles for illustrative purposes, these evocative photographs are taken with an artistic eye. Finnish photographer Vesa Lehtimäki has been photographing his son’s favourite LEGO Star Wars toys for a long time, and this book gathers his best work in one place. Organized by classic Star Wars locations Tatooine (desert planet), Hoth (ice planet), and Endor (forest moon), each chapter features close-up character-driven photographs and slyly humourous vignettes inspired by classic Star Wars scenes and themes. This portrait of C3PO is unlike any I’ve ever seen, using light and dark to accentuate the curves and hollows of his head and capturing his weary resignation to his fate.
Contrast that portrait to this action shot in the Rancor’s pit. I can almost see the “Uh oh,” expression on the Stormtrooper’s face. That’s a lot of emotion for tiny pieces of mass-produced plastic, folks! Each image is accompanied by a short paragraph giving some background for how for the scene was achieved. While hubby appreciates the technical details, the girls and I just love leafing through the book and enjoying the images. Every once in a while Tee sees a set or a minifigure she owns and she’s off to dig it out to compare. I love this Tatooine night scene inspired by events in Star Wars IV: A New Hope. I’m pretty sure this happened off camera the night after Luke and Obi-Wan meet Han and Chewie in the cantina. This incredible image was achieved by dropping the X-wing model about two feet and photographing it as it bounced back up. (Don’t do this at home, kids, or you’ll have one heck of a mess to pick up! Nobody likes LEGO underfoot.) The final chapter is a fascinating interview with Lehtimäki and a behind the scenes look at his artistic process.
As an amateur photographer myself, I loved reading about how he figures out the technical and artistic details through trial and error to achieve a particular image or effect. This beautiful hardcover volume brings our favourite LEGO Star Wars toys to life like never before. Lehtimäki’s unique vision encourages fans to reimagine their favorite minifigures and see them in an entirely new light. Any Star Wars or LEGO fan, young or old, would love to find this under the tree! Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy is available at Amazon or wherever books are sold. This is just one of dozens of books in DK Books’ 2015 Gift Boutique. Head over to get more gift ideas for every book lover on your list! Disclosure: I received a sample item for review. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ. This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you.
This income helps pay for the operating costs of my website – thank you for your support!Sci-fi fans will be able to feel the force by living out key scenes from the classic Star Wars films â in Lego. In a bubble: Two excited youngsters get a sneak preview of the Legoland exhibition (Picture: Gary Penny) More than 1.5million bricks have been used to recreate George Lucas âs fictional galaxy at Legoland Windsor, where movie moments have been remade at one 20th of their original size. Visitors to the Berkshire theme park will be able to see six of the best-known scenes, with authentic sound and lighting effects bringing the models to life. Ice planet Hoth is recreated in miniature (Picture: Gerry Penny) They will marvel at an intricate Millennium Falcon that can take off at a touch of a button. It has 15,000 Lego bricks and took 143 hours to build â while a model of Yoda used just 30 bricks. Ready for action: A Naboo Starfighter prepares for battle (Picture: Gerry Pe
nny) Legolandâs Sue Kemp said: âThe battle between good and evil has transfixed adults and children for decades and we expect our tribute to be phenomenally popular with visitors of all ages.â The Star Wars display opens neEveryone who knows me knows that I am a huge Star Wars fan. We have probably published over five hundred articles related to Star Wars here at Bit Rebels and we are not about to stop anytime soon. When I found out about this year’s Star Wars LEGO Advent Calendar I was stoked and just had to check it out. There are a lot of awesome Star Wars LEGO builds posted on the Internet, however, none quite like the ones presented in this particular calendar. It’s an astounding creation with as much retro feeling imbued into it as the amount of futuristic edge layered into each build.The 2016 Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar features a theme focused around the ice planet, Hoth. Most of the builds and figures center around the integral battle at the Echo Base which kicks off The Empire Strikes Back.
Snowtroopers and Hoth Rebel Troopers, along with select weapons and vehicles, are among the more prominent figures included. Other wintery-themed pieces such as a sleigh and exclusive white Chewbacca Minifigure are also included in this amazing package of magic.The set is rounded up with pieces from Attack of the Clones and a couple from Return of the Jedi, including the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. So, get excited, because it’s only the second time this character has been featured in a Star Wars LEGO advent calendar ever.The excitement of getting a new Star Wars LEGO build each day of December until Christmas should make any kid jumping in joy. Well, this is, of course, exciting for any Star Wars collector who’s looking to expand their collection with a new set of LEGO builds. The photography alone takes me back to the good old days when I used to sit and poke around in my LEGO box building epic Star Wars vehicles and putting them up against each other in an epic battle.If you’re looking for an especially epic Christmas this year then I would highly suggest snagging up one of these Star Wars LEGO Advent Calendars.