If you ask us, one of the prettiest sets to come out last year was LEGO Icons 10335 The Endurance. But we’re not the only ones to think that! Benedek Lampert is a toy photographer with a particular affinity for LEGO. In fact, as well as conducting official photoshoots, he even appeared on the LEGO Masters TV show! But when he came across the brick-built model of Ernest Shackleton’s famous ship, his next photography project immediately became clear. And the results are stunning, fully immersing us in the Antarctic and bringing new life to this exceptional set.
But how did he go about photographing it? How did expedition snapper Frank Hurley’s famous pictures help inspire him? And how did he get involved in photography in the first place? Well, you can watch a short video below on Benedek’s setup – but we also had a chance to quiz him about this latest project! Be sure to click the link below to see more photos, behind-the-scenes, and read our interview with him!
The Brothers Brick: Before we talk about the Endurance project, how did you get involved in toy photography, and with LEGO specifically?
Benedek Lampert: Photography had already been a part of my life; I started it when I was about 12 years old. Later, collecting LEGO and building dioramas completely captivated me, and of course, at some point, the idea naturally came to photograph them. Well, considering I was still just a primary school student at the time and lacked the necessary skills, the results weren’t particularly exciting.
It wasn’t until much later, 6-7 years later, that I gave it another shot when I saw online that cinematic, lifelike photos of this kind existed. I’m not exactly sure why, but it really caught my attention, and I definitely wanted to create similar images. I had no idea how these were made; back then, there weren’t any “behind-the-scenes” resources available online. So, armed with a DSLR camera and far more knowledge, I completed my first LEGO photo series in 2016.
TBB: What led you to pick the Endurance as the subject for this project?
BL: The idea began when I saw this set in person, assembled in one of the LEGO Stores. I immediately pressed my face against the display case and just stared at it. I’ve always been fascinated by old sailing ships; in my opinion, they are among the most beautiful “functional” objects in human industrial history. After researching its detailed history, I realized this would be more than just a simple photo series because the theme itself carries significant meaning. Since I’ve been working with LEGO’s local representatives and the store for years, I quickly sorted out the details, and the photoshoot could begin.
There are two images in the series that I intended to carry a message, or at least that’s how I envisioned them. The first is the soccer photo, which I created based on an actual archival photograph [below].
What struck me about it is how brilliantly it demonstrates that humor and cheerfulness—even if just for a moment—persist even in the most challenging situations. I had a good laugh at the idea that, despite the harsh conditions and uncertain future, the thought was still, “…but shall we squeeze in a match?”
The other is the dog photo, showing a crew member looking at the ship. Many dogs participated in the expedition, mainly for sledding. There were puppies born during the journey, right on the deck. After the Endurance sank and Shackleton’s team set out into the unknown, the most grueling phase of the journey began. We can imagine what happened to the dogs after all the food was gone. It was undoubtedly a rational and justified decision, even though it was incredibly difficult. In any case, I felt it was important to commemorate them in some way through one or two images.
TBB: The scenes with minifigures are great! Did you encounter any challenges getting the scale correct, seeing as the Endurance LEGO set isn’t designed with minifigs in mind?
BL:Fortunately, I was able to mitigate this issue to some extent. Perhaps it’s most noticeable in the evening photo, where the figures are sitting next to the ship’s hull, making the scale discrepancy more apparent. However, in the pickaxe photo, for example, the wide-angle lens helped trick the eye a bit, and in the other photos, either the ship is in the background or there are no figures in the frame.
TBB: The Endurance expedition was renowned for Frank Hurley’s photographs, were these a source of inspiration for this project in particular?
BL: Exactly! We are lucky to have those awesome photos. Hurley just perfectly did his homework. Actually he even made a video record too, so there is a lot of motion picture footage as well. But no doubt, the original pictures helped me a lot. On the one hand because I had visual reference, on the other hand because I could imagine myself in the story.
TBB: How about the mods you made to the ship, such as the additional rigging? Was there much that needed to change or be added?
BL:In my opinion the Endurance set is beautiful, and perfect. Except for one thing: the ropes, the rigging. Especially when I had to photograph it without the sails, this deficiency was quite visible. I know it’s impossible to make such a complex rope system in a LEGO model, but here we can only have two ropes and that’s all. I guess there would be enough space for 5-6 more. I am sure it would be a nice building experience too. Anyway, I took some additional cord and made the ship a bit more spectacular and realistic in the photos. I also found a real, metal chain, so I put it on as well!
TBB: And the non-LEGO elements, such as the snow and ice? Was there a lot of trial and error to get it right? (And finally – how much of a mess did all that icing sugar make?!)
BL: Basically just pour on the scenery and apply some on the vessel itself. The cleaning is… Well, I expected so much worse! Actually with compressed air and dry brush I could clean off most of the sugar. Not perfect, but quite decent!
Thanks to Benedek for taking the time to speak with us, and showing off not only his amazing photos, but the behind-the-scenes work as well! You can keep up with his work on Instagram, with longer-format videos on YouTube. We’re looking forward to see what comes next!
All images provided courtesy of Benedek Lampert, unless otherwise specified.
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