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 United States to meet Ernesto Michelena.
My name is Ernesto Michelena, I am 28 years old, and I am a LEGO photographer based in the United States. I was born in Cuba and got my first camera only about three years ago after moving to the U.S. Since then, I have dedicated much of my free time to learning, practicing, and improving my photography.
I enjoy creating scenes that blend LEGO with real-world environments. Water is one of my favorite elements to work with, and I love using natural light, reflections, and practical effects to bring my ideas to life.
My favorite subjects are Ninjago, fantasy, medieval themes, dragons, mechs, and adventure-inspired scenes.
I primarily shoot with Canon cameras and mostly use a macro lens, which helps me capture details and create a stronger sense of scale in my LEGO photography.
Most of my images are created outdoors. I enjoy exploring locations and finding ways to make small LEGO models feel part of a much bigger world.
My goal as a photographer is not only to create beautiful images, but also to inspire and help others through creativity. If my work encourages someone to pick up a camera, start creating, or follow their passion, then I feel I have accomplished something meaningful.
I believe that passion, dedication, and consistency can take you further than you ever imagined, and I hope to continue sharing that journey with the LEGO Photography community.
The Exclusive Photo
From the beginning, I wanted this image to feel like a glimpse into a living world — a magical water creature emerging from its natural environment, not a dramatic action shot. My original plan was to have the dragon flying above the surface. But as I worked with the model, I noticed the wings and tail lacked enough movement to sell the pose convincingly. Rather than forcing something that wasn’t working, I let the scene guide me — and that decision ultimately shaped the final image.
Experimenting with different angles, I caught sight of the wings reflected on the water. That reflection stopped me. It had exactly the sense of scale and atmosphere I’d been chasing. So instead of building around flight, I built around that mirror image, letting the water become as much a subject as the dragon itself. To emphasize both the dragon and its reflection, I shot the scene with a 50 mm lens at f/4. This allowed me to maintain a natural perspective while keeping the background softly blurred, helping draw attention to the subject.
Keeping the dragon stable became its own challenge. It took several attempts to balance the model while maintaining the composition. In the end, a pair of helping hands and a bamboo skewer hidden just behind the figure did the job quietly and effectively.
The light came from outdoors around 6:40 PM, with the sun positioned behind and slightly to the side of the subject. A reflector brought detail back into the shadows while preserving the natural feel of the scene. For the water itself, I wanted real movement. The splashes were created in-camera using a can of compressed air, and a fast shutter speed froze the droplets mid-flight, preserving every detail.
What I love most about this image is how it brings together a real location, natural light, practical effects, and a small LEGO model that somehow feels at home in a much larger world — and that, for me, is what LEGO photography is all about.
