Every once in a while, I take a photo of a subject that’s rarely in front of the lens. Seeing new perspectives on new subjects is part of the reason why art is valuable, and I’d get bored quickly if I just featured minifigures and brick-built characters. There are good reasons some subjects aren’t seen often, though: limited articulation, strange colors, or the theme it’s a part of just isn’t popular with photographers. But that just makes the process more satisfying when I make that subject work.
It’s the reason why I have a small army of minidolls, and why I’m still trying to brainstorm the right photo for my Jack Stone figure. It’s the reason why sometimes, I pull out a strange lad from the ancient days of 2001.
Few subjects are stranger than the cast of Bionicle, the semi-mechanical lifeforms with magical masks and loose Polynesian influences. The character I’m reviewing today, Onua, isn’t brick-built. He’s not even close to minifig scale. He has six points of articulation, eyes made of transparent plastic, and his arms are at the mercy of gear functions. And I can’t take enough photos of him.
The Set
As much as I’d relish in passing the cursed knowledge of Bionicle lore onto you, gathered friends, I must restrain myself. This review is less about Onua the character and more of Onua the set: how he works, how I take photos of him, and why should anyone consider him as a subject.
Every Bionicle, present company included, uses Constraction parts instead of System bricks. Onua doesn’t have many pieces – just thirty – but their size and detail make up for it. Pistons, bolts and vents cover his design, emphasizing his mechanical nature in less space than a set of bricks. The exposed gears on his back also give off this impression, and when you twist them, Onua swings his claws in a hefty, satisfying arc. I’ve used him as a fidget more times than I can remember. When it’s photo time, simply jam the gears and Onua’s ready to pose.
Larger parts also makes Onua more compact than a brick-built character. Whether he’s snug with my other LEGO pieces or rattling around in my bag, I rarely have to re-assemble an arm or a leg. The mask comes off easily, but that’s part of the play feature: characters in Bionicle’s early years knock each other’s masks off in combat.
One of Onua’s biggest limitations is his posability, or lack thereof. The characters needed to stand upright for their masks to be a decent target, of course, so the original set’s leg sockets limit his leg movement as much as possible. I prefer turning the sockets on their side, allowing Onua to stand up or sit down on any terrain. The head, on the other hand, can’t move at all unless you use some spare parts. I prefer a socket and a 2004 head to fix that, like so!
A silver lining is how easy Onua can stand up. He doesn’t have much weight from the waist-up and his feet can rotate freely, allowing him to stand or hunch wherever I put him.
Of all the Toa, I chose Onua because he has two detailed claws with three fingers fixed in place. At the time, most Toa had no visible hands or just one, with two fingers jutting out in a straight line. Onua, on the other hand, can hold things or make gestures a little easier. When I’m shooting with Bionicle, I take whatever small advantages I can find.
Photography
I usually take Onua outdoors because he complements his environment better than anything in my collection. While every LEGO toy contrasts with natural scenery on some level, Onua’s mechanical greebling brings his differences to the forefront. He pairs well with minifigs and minifig-scale animals, where he gives off similar vibes to Castle in the Sky or The Iron Giant.
Since Onua’s so big compared to a minifig, it’s easier to point the camera upwards at him or take full shots, medium shots and close-ups. I tend to shoot upwards at Onua to show off his power, even in a tranquil scene, because this contradiction makes him an engaging subject.
If I want to show Onua running – as in “on” mode, but having him walk’s pretty simple – I add a glow effect or LED to his eyes. Sometimes, at just the right angle, the sun lights up those green plastic eyes behind the mask. Take those opportunities whenever you find them.
Onua’s individual parts can even work as set dressing, especially because they can be put back together so easily. In this photo, I needed mechanical parts partially buried to make Onua look like a once-mighty machine that was destroyed and buried over time.
But that’s enough of the past – what about that newest photo?
Behind the Scenes
I was inspired by the old Bionicle CD animations – specifically the one where Onua digs an opening to a tunnel and looks up at the light. I challenged myself to recreate that scene.
First, I had to make a convincing cavern. I stuck some brown packaging paper to my wall, then put some kinetic sand on the ground. Garden and aquarium rocks covered my “soil.”
Next, I needed to make a light that peers through the tunnel, fulfilled by my phone’s flashlight. I taped a paper towel rod to the bulb to make a spotlight, then taped a lattice window at the end to break up the shape. I know there’s probably an easier solution somewhere, but I counter that with “improvising is fun, so there.”
I took three photos of Onua before editing them together: one with only the spotlight, one with the spotlight and mist to show the beams, and one where I lit Onua’s eyes with a green LED on its side. The second photo was my base, and I pasted details from the other two on top.
It took a lot of tries to get this photo just right, since a lot of these things were new to me. I never made an indoor environment for Onua, nor did I use my mister with a spotlight. But this was also one of my favorite photos using the character, and I can’t wait for whatever Bionicle photos I have next. Perhaps with a new subject? It must be awfully lonely being the only Constraction character among the minifigs and minidolls.
Summary
So that’s Onua – a strange guy with strange quirks, and one of my favorite subjects. If you’re interested in photographing bonkles, he’s a great starting point at around twenty bucks used, depending on the seller. Are you up for something strange?
*Onua is a retired set consisting of thirty pieces. Released on year 2001.
Special thanks to Brickcentral for giving me the opportunity to write this review, as well as the designers who made this set possible.
Long live Bionicle!