I used a smoke machine to photograph Lego and the results are cinematic

Cinematic toy photo of Lego dragon breathing fire on Lego queen, within a castle setting
Capture a cinematic toy shot like this using just aluminum foil, a smoke machine and some LED lights (Image credit: Future)

If you're a film buff who dreams of capturing cinematic action sequences, then short of hiring an army of actors, set designers, and a practical effects crew – or embarking on a career as a film stills photographer – cinematic toy photography is as close as you're going to get. So when I decided to capture a queen facing off with a fiery dragon, I attached the best macro lens I could find to my camera and turned to everyone's favorite construction toy, Lego. 

I used the Lego Lion Knights' Castle as a backdrop for my fantasy scene, but with a little creativity, you could use any Lego sets or action figures you might have lying around. And while a large set provides you with more freedom, a little creative framing, and out-of-the-box thinking can make even a tiny setup work just as well.

Mike Harris
How To Editor

Mike is Digital Camera World's How To Editor. He has over a decade of experience, writing for some of the biggest specialist publications including Digital Camera, Digital Photographer and PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine. Prior to DCW, Mike was Deputy Editor of N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine and Production Editor at Wex Photo Video, where he sharpened his skills in both the stills and videography spheres. While he's an avid motorsport photographer, his skills extend to every genre of photography – making him one of Digital Camera World's top tutors for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters and other imaging equipment – as well as sharing his expertise on shooting everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...