The Big Adventures of a Little Lego Man

Source: Andrew Whyte Long Exposure Photography [1]

From robots [2] to Jabba the Hutt's sail barge [3] to a life-size Iron Man [4], Legos have taken on some unbelievable forms. Today, though, we're charmed by a simple Lego figurine whose photography adventures are captured by Andrew Whyte solely on his iPhone 5S [5].

Beyond adding a touch of whimsy to normal-looking scenes, Whyte's iPhoneography plays with the same photography techniques practiced with DSLR and compact cameras, such as scale, lighting, and proper framing. He shared his tips on how to create these lovely portraits without using anything more than an iPhone.

Look for a story: "Small-scale items work well, as you can crop tightly around the scene and pose the figure appropriately. Similarly, grand vistas can also work, with the minifigure acting as a foreground element."
Get down low: "To manipulate scale, you need to get right up to the minifigure, sometimes as little as three or four inches away. I almost always worked at ground level, but a low surface can work if you get the positioning right and take time to line up the horizon."
Manage your expectations: "If you're using a smartphone, there are limitations. Low light capability is usually one downside, but a torch/flashlight can often add illumination to the scene. When it's raining, look for reflections in puddles. If it's contrasty lighting, try a silhouette to overcome issues with dynamic range."
Double-check your focus: "Sharpness on the figure is high up the list of things that make these shots work. Don't dismantle your scene till you've checked your pic."
Be Appy: "The 645 Pro MK II [6] ($4, iOS) allowed me to focus in one area and meter from another in addition to giving me high-quality input files for processing. Snapseed [7] (free, iOS and Android [8]) — and recently, Faded [9] ($1, iOS) — were two apps I've used to tune my photos — you pretty quickly get a feel for latitude, even when viewing only through the phone's screen."