Stunning Lego art uses minifig micro-photography to make fantasy epics

Lego sets can be used to tell stories if they are handled well. Children and adults, regardless of their Lego sets, have enjoyed the same 50 years building stories and following in the footsteps of explorers, pirates, starship captains, and explorers. These artists were involved in Lego in FocusChronicle Books’ new book, “Play”, takes that play to the next level with its photography collection.

To Lego in FocusThirty-three photographers around the globe took to their Lego Minifigs to create surreal settings that varied from the mundane to the microscopically extraordinary. Polygon’s exclusive look at the book delves into the latter, the creations of photographers drawing from horror, sci-fi, pulp adventure… and their own Lego pastimes.

You will find below a selection of our top picks Lego in FocusYou can find it in all major retailers starting Oct. 4. Hear from the creators. Prepared to get inspired — and very upset that there are currently no plans for another Lego Movie Second installment set in real life.

A monster in the forest

A Lego version of Frankenstein’s Monster stands in the woods as a beam of light illuminates a mushroom in his hand

By Danny Hilkman
Saint-Alexis-des-Monts, Québec, Canada

Always bring along one to two minifigures when traveling. The funny thing about it is that I can see the world through a Lego perspective, even though I carry my camera. The world becomes bigger when you have a rock, small plants, and worthy enemies. It was this beautiful, tiny light that struck this mushroom when I visited Canada. This gave me the feeling of soft beauty and peace in an enormous world. My monster minifigure (I call him “Dwaas”) just had to be there, enjoying himself in this beautiful, quiet little scene.

Crystal caves

A Lego minifig with a beard and flight cap uses an pickax to chip away at ice while his two pirate friends cheer him on from the mouth of a cave

Nathan Smith
Houston, Texas USA

Pilot was forced into flying pirates higher up the mountainside to search for the Crystal Caves. The pilot was shocked that these caves existed. But first, how to get out of there with some of the treasure — and his life?

Pigsy’s Noodle Tank in action

A lego pig chef works in a giant wheeled contraption built to look like a noodle bowl complete with arms wielding chopsticks and drone sidekick

By Suné Horn
Daejeon, South Korea

There are times while I’m browsing the Lego aisle, adding items to my wish list, when the image on the box of a specific set just comes alive in my head, almost like a holographic sticker. Pigsy’s Noodle Tank was one such set.

The pursuit

A ninja Lego minifig being chased by a lego-built monster flinging dirt in the air as its claw reaches forward

By Marco Zanconi
Cornaredo, Italy

Dragons are my favorite mythological creature, out of all those that can be found in the stories. Dragons, particularly flying, are often featured in my seemingly endless list of photos to take. However, I don’t have any earth dragons on my photographic bucket list, so this presents a unique challenge. As he chased after his adversary, I wanted to capture the majestic beauty of the dragon. To do this, I had him pick up tons of dirt as he chased his foe. The dragon was in a dry area so I started to throw dirt at him. To get the best shots, I shot several bursts. For irony, I placed the miniaturefigure in a position so that he could clearly be seen running, with an exaggerated pose.