Posing & photographing LEGO Bionicles

For me, Bionicle MOCs are used as creative decorations where I sit at work. No matter where you keep your Bionicles or how you use them, if they're out where they can be seen, don't leave them in boring standing poses like they're suspects in a police lineup. Sometimes half of the personality of a Bionicle creation is in the pose itself! Check out the difference between these two shots of the Agori Metus.

In the first, he's a little swashbuckler pumping his fists "Rah! Rah!" during a pep rally before a big battle. In the second, he's a seasoned, calculating warrior stalking his opponent, carefully protecting himself while waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It's the exact same guy; not a single part was changed. All I did was alter the pose! Try it with your favorites! Don't look at the canister or box art. Instead, just look at the figure itself and experiment. See if you can find its personality, and come up with a pose that really brings that personality to light.

Here are a few more of my Agori representatives (before I stopped following instructions and tore these guys all apart). First is Atakus, ready to parry any attack and strike a devastating blow no matter what move you make against him.

Next up is a gorilla-inspired Tarduk, sitting proudly, wondering why you are bothering him.

Here's a very amped-up and ferocious Solek. You can almost hear him taunting, "Come on! Bring it!"


One more angle for effect.

I close with a Zesk in an exceedingly dramatic pose, one shoulder dropped way down, the other propped up, one claw slowly rising off the ground as he inches up on something (or someone) that he reeeeally doesn't like. Ever get the feeling pain is just a few steps away?