STAR WARS MONTH

© 2015 Hasif Rahman - Star Wars Month | May The Force Be With You


" These aren't the droids you're looking for "

- Obi Wan Kenobi -

THINGS TO DO !

" Plans are nothing ; planning is everything "

- Dwight D. Eisenhower -

Lego minifigs, props and others related almost complete. Just two major things still waiting for my budget to buy the Macro Lens and Lighting. Once completed, I'll start the project seriously. I estimate I'll start it by March 2016. Well, its not easy to start something, but doing the things that you love the most, the harder the challenges, the happier you'll be.

There are a lot of " Things To Do " before March 2016. First of all, train yourself to be creative. Lego Photography is all about creativity. If you have the best camera in the world, the most advanced lighting system, and the most expensive Lego in the world, but you lack of creativity, you can't create the masterpiece. I've seen several Lego Photographer in Flickr, they did a great job ! If you see the behind the scene, you'll be amazed. It not easy to create a photograph. The set up looks complicated and lots of it was using DIY set up.

One of the way for me to get creative, I need to read a lot of books, watch movies and cartoons, learn to see something in different perspectives and think out of the box. Instagram is one of the best place to get inspiration for photography. Just look out for #lego, and you'll see a lot of Lego Photography from all over the world. Yes, I don't deny it. For now, maybe some ideas I've " Steal It Like An Artist ". It's something that I need to do in order to trigger the creativity.

Other than that, I need to set up a mini studio for my project. A table, a box and several equiment. It's not expensive, just for now, I don't have the space to set it up. Well, I have the time till March 2015, maybe at that time, I'll get a new place to live with a room reserved for my photography. (One of my dreams)

Can't wait for March 2016 ! May The Force Be With Me !

Toodles

SHIFT WORK !

" If you try hard enough, you can bend the spoon  you can shift reality "

- Christopher Meloni -

Currently I'm feeling like I'm working in shift and its difficult way of life. A shift work as Government Officer, a shift work as husband and father and a shift work as Toy Photographer. Sometimes, I'm a bit jealous with those as Full Time Photographer. I don't deny it that it's a busy job but doing the things that you love the most, its a satisfaction in life. Well, for now, even I'm having a lot of shift in life, I don't regret it. Each of it give the best happiness to me. The best part of it, my wife supports me in anything that I love to do. She even bought me Lego. 

I can't wait to start my project. There are things yet to be purchased before I can 100% focus on the project. The Macro Lens and several lighting. Ideas has been sketch as per previous entry. It's just the matter of time to start the war. Hey Ho !

Toodles

If you try hard enough, you can bend the spoon; you can shift reality.

Christopher Meloni

DARTH VADER : THE DARK SIDE

" The force is strong with this one "

- Darth Vader -

After about 3 weeks I bought this Lego Battle Figure : Darth Vader, today I have the time to open the box and build the bad ass Darth Vader. Play with some lighting, take a picture of it, and tadaa ! The Dark Side has returned. My personal review about the Lego, its awesome ! It looks cooler with Darth Vader than Obi Wan and Luke. Its about 30cm tall, and its easy to play with.

I grew up with Star Wars. Starts from Episode IV, V, VI and I, II, III. This year Episode VII will be coming soon. Talk about Star Wars, the characters that I love the most is Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers. Even they are at the Dark Side, they look interesting. Even lots of Lego Photographers prefer to use this two figure.

The new episode, Kylo Ren as the bad ass looks cool. But the Lego minifigure doesn't, for me at least. The only Star Wars Lego minifigure that looks cool enough at the moment is Captain Phasma. You gotta have it !

ENERGY SAVING MODE

" I'm not lazy, I'm just on my Energy Saving Mode "

- Anonymous -

I think it's normal to feel your mind a bit slow after a long holiday. Everything seems to be, " I'm not in the mood to.. ". Things that supposedly can be done in five minutes, took me about half an hour. Sometimes I feel that, I don't have any work to do even there's a lot need to be settle as soon as possible. Mr Figaura, can you stop blogging and start working ! Finish your work, and later on, you can have a nice weekend without any worry. Haha

Actually its easy to get rid that "slow mode". It's simple. Get started. Once you start your work, you'll eventually building up the momentum and don't forget to start your day with breakfast. It helps.

STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST ?

Steal like an artist? I'm interested with what Shelly wrote at stuckinplastic.com. I don't deny it, at times, I copied some photographer's ideas and mix it up to create a new idea. It's not wrong to do that to be honest. But it's wrong if you copied it 100% and claimed it as yours. For me, I prefer to learn "Behind The Scene" rather than from the picture itself because you can do more with it when you know how it works. Thanks to those photographers that share behind the scene for every masterpiece artwork they produce. Here's some of the examples that I stole from them.

DIY

Before this I thought some of the professional Toy Photographers use expensive lighting, a big studio and other related expensive equipment. But as I blogwalking, I managed to learn that, most of them using DIY lighting and mini studio and several DIY props to make the pictures great. For example, I don't need a RM2000.00 external flash to get as per above picture, I'm using a LED light that cost me RM5.00 only. For the backdrops, it's just a DIY mini studio using a used box that I took from my office. I bought a white paper that cost me RM2.00 to wrap it.

Realistic Snow Effect 

I saw some photographers shoot Star Wars Lego with snow effect. I thought they were using Photoshop to make the effect. I was like, wow, nice skill of editing. I look at their Flickr Account, and I noticed that, its not a photoshop editing. They using props to make it happen. They used Baking Soda most of the time with printed background to create a wonderful scene. I also managed to learn how to create snow effect using an aquarium with baking soda. The effect is awesome !

Printed Background

I also learned how to use printed background for indoor shots to make a wonderful scene. Not everything you need to build (DIY) for the props to make a scene, sometimes printed background is more than enough.

Using Food

We can also use foods for the props such as poppy seeds to create a street look alike. 

That's some of the ideas that I stole from the professional photographers. Its not the artwork that I stole, its how to create it. Easy to say, it's the knowledge that I stole. For me, that's the true meaning of steal like an artist. We respect their artwork.

WHY BEING DIFFERENT

Why being different? Once a friend asked me that question. He also said, "You're an adult. You're married now. Not even a year. you're now a father. Why play with toys?"

There's been a lot of articles related to adult who buys and play with toys. If you go to Action Figure event/tournament like Gundam, or photographers who do Toy Photography, majority of them are an adult. They spend thousands of money on it. To be logic, spending thousands of money, is it toys really for children? Is it immature for an adult to buy and play with toys?

If you answer it as "yes", you're a bit misunderstood about it. First of all, adults don't play with toys like the children do. They don't play it like in a total fantasy. They don't make sound like children do when they play with it, such as the sound of laser gun "piu...piu piu", and they don't think they as the action figure. Yes, I can't deny it, there are some cases, the adults are totally "children", but what I want to talk about is a normal adult that being different.

Lets talk about from emotional feelings view. It is said that adults who play with toys show how much they love their childhood. Somehow they want to enjoy those moments. They really don't care what the world talk about them. They just be, who they are and it does not mean that the adult is not mature. Can we decide maturity with toys? Is like you're deciding a person maturity with candies and chocolates. Isn't candies and chocolates for children?

Lets talk about Lego. Lego is a brand for bricks that's very popular since years ago. When you buy the Lego, the box stated the recommendation age of user to play with it. Most of it are below 15 years old. But why the heck David Beckham enjoys playing with Lego? He's an adult. A famous figure in football. He answered it simple, because it calms him down. Is he immature?

For me, Lego is a toy for tinkerers, for designers, artists like photographers and storytellers. Just look at those selling Lego at the toy shop, its an adult that selling it. Look at the Lego Movie (2014), its adults that create that movie. Look at those master piece of Lego Photography, its adult Professional Photographers. The most important thing, who creates Lego? Its an adult from Denmark since the year of 1932. I don't think that Lego is only for children, its for adult too. But the way you play with it shows you're an adult or children. The bad perception is when people are looking it from a negative side rather than looking it from a positive side. 

Being different? Yes, I don't have a problem with it. Its ok to be different than others. Being different doesn't mean you're wrong. Its just that you're looking it at a different angle. Being different doesn't mean you're a weird. It means that you have your own stand in life. Being the same all the time is a problem. You're at a comfortable zone. Just be who you are. Lets enjoy it. Everything is awesome !

THE FIGAURA

It is said that the beginning will always be messy. You need to think about almost everything when you start from nothing, from A to Z. The blog's title, the theme to be use, the flow of the blog, what to include and what not to include, the style of writing and the photo presentation, and a lot more. You need a long term planning and what you want to achieve. The most important thing will be the Blog's url. It needs something catchy, suitable with the blog's purpose and easy to be captured by others when you speak about it. For your information, this is my second blog. The first blog is more to personal things related to my life. Thanks to the first blog, I managed to learn a lot of things especially about the Blog's name. To change it now, it's not easy as you'll lose a lot of followers.

I made the decision to create a second blog because I wanted a blog that focus to my Art of Bricks (Lego). I even create second Instagram's account and soon will create a second Flickr's account. Too much account? Will it be easy for me to manage? Well, sure. It's not a business type of account that I need to monitor 24 hours per day. Its just purely photo sharing and blog posting. Its like you have a personal blog and another blog for your portfolio.

So here starts the first post in www.thefigaura.blogspot.com

Those who loves bricks, do follow this blog for more updates. Toddles !

DARTH VADER EXCLUSIVE LEGO

© 2015 Hasif Rahman - Darth Vader| Lego Exclusive

" You underestimate the power of the dark side "

- Darth Vader, Star Wars -

I don't know why, I'm so addicted to Lego. The last time I bought Lego when I'm 10 - 11 years old. I still remember I bought a Space Ship Lego, City Lego and several small box Lego. I stopped playing with it when I'm busy with exams and somehow, my niece took all my Lego and you know when that happened...nothing left. Years later, I'm married, I started to love Lego again. It all started with the Lego Minifigure Series. The cute characters and the rare of it, really excite me. Oh. what the hell. Lets start making a collection of it. Starting late at Series 13, and currently collecting the Series 14, its kinda expensive to recover the earlier Series. The RM12.90 per packet (random) can be RM200.00 for the rare minifigure such as Bunny Suit Guy minifigure. 

At this age, Lego still make me addicted to it. But not all type of Lego. I prefer and fall in love with Lego Star Wars. Especially when it involve with Darth Vader and Storm Trooper. Its just...wow. Few days back, I saw this Exclusive Darth Vader Lego. About 30cm height, no time to think, just go and buy it before it sold out. I made up my mind, I want to start playing with Lego, but I'll be focusing on Star Wars and Minifigure Series only. Yeah, that's cheer me up. I found my life happy again for my personal hobby world. !

MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION IN PHOTOGRAPHY

© 2015 Hasif Rahman - Googling | I Am Lego Shooter

" It's not about ideas. Its about making ideas happen "

- Anonymous - 

Pedro Quintela, a talented photographer once said, " You should realize that, being creative individuals, motivation is a sort of short - term idea that comes from the outside while inspiration is a long - term goal that comes from inside yourself. That's why both are so important whether photography is your profession or just a hobby ".

For me, the way to stay motivated and inspired is by making ideas happen. 

THE MINIFIGURE SERIES LEGO - NEW EXPENSIVE HOBBY OF MINE

© 2015 Hasif Rahman - A Buzzy Day | The New Expensive Hobby

" A hobby a day, keeps the doldrums away "

- Phyllis McGinley -

Shot was taken using Canon 6D + 40mm F2.8 + Macro Lens Adaptor

The fly at the Storm Trooper head - I didn't noticed it till I edit it in Photoshop. Haha

The last day I played with Lego was like 20 years ago. I can still remember I owned a Lego City and a Spaceship. Can't really tell exactly whats the real name, but thats what I owned. Years after, it's all gone. I'm not that Lego Fans during that days, I bought it just for fun. There's no feeling of what I want to do with all the Lego's someday.

Currently at the age of 29 years old, the mood, the joy, and the excitement towards the lego rise again. Combining the Lego and my photography, it doubles the joy ! If you're a Lego fans, surely you'll know about the Minifigure Series. It comes in a small packet at around RM13.00 price. Every series comes with 16 Minifigure Lego with different character. Every Lego fans will surely wants to collect each of them for every series. You'll be like, that's easy, just go and buy it, but thats the problem. You'll never know whats in the packet because it's sealed and can't be seen. You may bought the same character when you buy two packets, or not. The other problem is, few of the character is hard to find.

For example, the Bunny Suit Man Minifigure Lego in Series 7, its kinda rare and hard to find. You bought it at RM13.00, if you're lucky to get it, but people sold it at RM200.00. A hobby that can make a lot of money if you know how to do it. Starting to collect at Series 13, the heart kinda feel like, I'm too late is it? How I'm gonna to start to collect from the Series 1. Lucky, I managed to find the shop that selling the minifigures from Series 1. The usual minifigure will be like RM30 to RM50, but the rare ones will be above RM150.

For now, I'm not collecting it for business purpose. I'm collecting it as a hobby and using it for my photography purposes. But surely, I'm gonna keep it in a box because who knows, someday in a future, a really die hard fans of Lego will buy it at a really high price? Like stamps, old coin, classic item and etc. Ya, money will be splash, I think thousands,,,haha but not that in a month. I'll start collecting it slowly. Lets start to get all 16 in Series 13, and later will start collecting the previous series.

Later I'll show you one of my favorite  Minifigure in Series 13 - the Hot Dog Guy. I've own three for the Series 13 for now, the Fencer, the Lady Cyclops and The Hot Dog Guy.

© 2015 Hasif Rahman - Minifigure Series 13 | 13 To Go !