Every month, we pick a LEGO photographer active in our community and share some of their work and a little about themselves. This month we travel to the heart of the Pyrenees to meet @tinyminiaturemodels.

Meet Santi

Hi, my name is Santi and I’m from Andorra, a small country nestled in the Pyrenees. My journey with LEGO photography began back in 2014, and looking back, I can say that my style has truly evolved over the years. However, my core focus remains the same: placing minifigures in the real world we live in, with a particular love for nature.

I’m the kind of person who always carries two or three minifigures in my pockets—because you never know when the perfect shot might present itself!

My favorite themes to work with are Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, Pirates, and Medieval settings. There is something about these worlds that perfectly complements the natural environments I love to explore.

My Approach and Gear

When I’m outdoors, my process is all about discovery. I try to find locations where the natural light and the scenery harmonize with the minifigures. For these “on-the-go” moments, I mainly use my phone.

However, when I’m at home or have the time to carry all my gear, the creative process changes. In those cases, I start with a specific idea and try to bring it to life using my Canon camera and a macro lens. I enjoy the challenge of arranging different lights, building custom sets or parts of sets, and experimenting with various angles until the vision in my head becomes a reality.

The Exclusive Photo: “One does not simply ride into Mordor”

For my exclusive photo, I wanted to play with the famous quote “One does not simply walk into Mordor.” In my version, Sauron doesn’t walk, he rides in whenever he wants.

The Creative Process & Technical Challenges

I built this scene to capture the dark, imposing atmosphere of the Black Gate, but the lighting required a delicate balancing act. Here is how I handled the main challenges:

• Balancing Layers of Light: Since I used light painting for the background (to simulate the glow of the volcano and lava), the background itself became a light source. To prevent the Black Gate and Sauron from becoming mere silhouettes, I had to carefully add front lights to bring out the details of the figure and the structure without overpowering the background glow.

• The “Fog” Factor: I used fog to create that gloomy, cinematic Mordor mood, but working with fog adds a layer of unpredictability. When you add fog to a setup, you have to take several shots because the light interacts differently with the particles every single time.
• Pro Tip – Avoid “Burning” the Shot: A key lesson I’ve learned is to be careful with front lighting when using fog. If you add too much light from the front, the fog reflects it back and “burns” or overexposes the image, losing all the moody depth. My advice? Take multiple shots and choose the one where the fog and light dance together perfectly.