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Willhelm Röntgen

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Willhelm Röntgen, also known as Conrad to his friends, is the german inventor and Nobel Prize winner of my wife’s camera of choice. She (my wife, not Conrad) is a professional studio photographer working with kids, and so when we were looking at great scientists and inventors to include in our SiPgoes53 series, Willhelm went straight to the shortlist. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, the inventor of the X-Ray camera and inspiration to the 111th element, roentgenium.

There are many other interesting pieces in Willhelm’s life that can inspire you in this week’s episode of SiPgoes53. From being falsely accused and expelled from high school in Utrecht without a diploma, over a marriage of true love to being a big believer of free and open source research without patents.
My inspiration in Wilhelm story is my wife the unknown.
The hidden message.
The image that is hidden from one’s eye.
The limitations overcome.

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A first impression

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The new series collectible minifigures is upon us, and it is time to take a first look at what is inside the limegreen box of 71025. Sixty sealed bags with sixteen individual minifigures to collect. This box normally contains three full sets, but our box actually only contained two, but more on that later.

This series is really a mixed bag of characters and so without further ado we will dive in our first impressions of those 16 characters.

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Week 35 – Christo and Jeanne-Claude

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When we were looking for creative people for our #SiPgoes53 adventure a colorful image of pink islands jumped to my mind, and I added Christo to the list. It was early eighties when I saw an image that made an impression on me. I must have been 12 or thirteen years old, and saw this image in one of those glossy photographique magazines that were laying around our house all the time.
How cool was it to wrap islands with pink plastic fabrique.

Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980-83
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
© 1983 Christo
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Run Forest, Run.

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A few months ago I joined my first ever photo marathon in Stockholm. Not sure what to expect, I started to prepare. And I went a little bit overboard. And here we are. Less as 24 hours before the real deal here in Stockholm starts again, and yours truly got a starting number and is (not) ready to do it again.
No preparation at all.
Not well rested either.
And yet very much excited.

My start number from the previous one. Together with my little other half. Too well prepared.

First things first. What is a photo marathon?

But first, let’s take a step back and look what a photo marathon really is.

Continue reading “Run Forest, Run.”
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Back

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Back Up

I am back. This post has been pretty hard to get out. Call it writer’s block. Stage fright. Or just good old procrastination. We talked about this in the past. Procrastination. You may remember. Anyway, back to the topic. I am back.

Two months

My last post here on the blog is two months old. And after our ever so epic toy safari in Denmark, a month ago, I kind of fell in a black hole.
A rollercoaster of Big Inc. keeping me more than busy, shooting some non-disclosed sets for The Mothership like the epic Tree House, familiarize myself with a new mirrorless body, squeezing some holidays in between and trying to renovate a kitchen with another Scandinavian brand that at times felt like LEGO for grown-ups.
You know.
Life.

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The Eagle Has Landed

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The LEGO NASA Apollo 11 Lunar set 10266 also known as “Eagle” has landed. It is since yesterday available in LEGO stores around the world. A good month and a half ahead of the fiftieth anniversary of Neil Armstrong being the first man to set foot on the moon. This set nicely completes last years NASA Saturn V rocket. One which got Stefan running around in Hamburg with the rocket in one hand and making woosh woosh sounds.

The Eagle is beautiful, fragile and very discreet and has a prominent place on my working desk.

One small step…

And while the detailed replica of Apollo 11’s Eagle lunar module may not be ideal to run around within the fish market in Hamburg on a Sunday morning, it is an epic nostalgic build. I replayed those magic first words of Neil a few times while holding the set in my hand and making touchdown on the Sea of Tranquility. From the iconic “Houston, the Eagle has landed” to the first step on the moon. “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”.

One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind …

Now how to shoot this set?

That was the question that ran around my head for a while. First, I was thinking about taking a step back and go analog. Getting some good old film into my Hasselblad. I quickly came to the realization I do not have an analog Hasselblad at my disposal. And even if I had to, I would most probably get frustrated with the analog process of not having instant validation on the digital big screen. For those of you who are wondering what Hasselblad had to do with the moon landing, have a look at this beautiful page over at their website.

A selfie with a Hasselblad (*)

LEGO Space

And while I was contemplating how to get this set on the wet plate, Pink from Benny’s Space Squad came over and had to take some quick snapshots. After all, this felt for her like going back in time. A nostalgic moment she learned everything about in the Space Academy. And while she liked the gold touch on the helmets of these iconic men, she felt much more comfortable in her pink space suit.

Pink (**) is getting some snapshots from the Eagle.

The Golden Van Allen Belt

The Eagle has quite a few golden parts on it. When looking at them I thought that these golden parts were there to protect against space radiation. And while I ultimately was wrong in my assumption(*’), they brought me to the idea of shooting the set with a different kind of camera. An X-Ray camera.

Not the one used in space guns, but the ones used in Hospitals and Airports around the world to see through the plastic with a different lens. And so I sent the Lunar model for an X-Ray check up with my co-conspirator and operator of big cameras, and the result was special. Very special. Feel free to maximize the video below.

The Eagle for sure had landed.

(*’) The golden parts on the Eagle are not there to protect against space radiation but against the heat of the sun. Technically that is also radiation, but I was more thinking about the evil Van Allen Radiation Belt. The golden foil is actually Kapton multi-layer insulation blankets, and they act as a heat barrier to sunlight.

Worth buying?

Well, every LEGO set is worth buying of course, but this one is special and makes a perfect gift for the upcoming Father’s day (Mother’s day just happened in most countries so you were too late to get it for that occasion, but of course you can still gift it as a late present). The Eagle won’t break the bank as much as the iconic Porsche or Bugatti (another Father’s day present). It sells for a comfortable 89 EUR at the local LEGO store in Hamburg (Stefan, just in case if you want to land in the Fish Market).

The set is great fun to build and packed with nostalgic memories to a time when landing on the moon looked so easy. And with it’s grey and gold Kaplan-like color scheme it nicely fits in any library or office space and it won’t take up too much space.

And for those who are into collectibles, the LEGO stores around the world have a unique LEGO NASA patch available. Limited editions I was told.

Please note that Pink (**) and Hasselblad (*) are not included in this set.
They were added by yours truly as part of the creative review process.
TLG provided the set for review and picture taking.

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The Disney Minifigures Series II

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When TLG asked us whether we were interested in reviewing the new LEGO Disney Minifigures series 2 we did not had to think hard or long. We shouted almost instantly to Niels (not Holgersson) YES!
Count us in!
We love minifigures!
We love series!
And we do love Walt, too.

The unboxing

We got the package and started the unboxing process. It took us exactly 40 seconds to get everything unpacked.

We were that excited.

The Review.

And then it was time to get creative. Who was going to review these beauties? We asked our regulars, and they all said yes. And then we asked you on IG and you all shouted yes as well.

Right about now we have got sixteen creative reviewers signed up. So we are slightly overwhelmed and stoked at the same time. 16. One Six. That is a lot of reviews coming your way in April. Better fasten your seat belt and relax while we´re get this roadshow on the tracks. But before we get you all hooked up in the creativity of Natasja and Lukas, to just name a few, we would like to introduce to you our main characters.
The heroes and heroines of this series.
Shot without too much creativity.
Straight from the box before they jumped into their travel bag and on to their creative reviewer´s destinations.

Mickey and Minnie

Mickey and Minnie are right there

They are very similar to the Steamboat Willy set, yet different. They are not silverish. But you have a fair chance of picking up M&M as there are four of each in each box. And Mickey comes with a steering wheel while Minnie give us photographers an extra hat.
How cool is that?

The Duck Tales Gang

One happy colorful gang

The most exclusives of this series. Only two full sets of the ducklings are included in each box and you all wanted them. It is a pity that the legs are not the bendable type, but I am sure we will still have fun with Louie, Dewey and Huey.

Chip and Dale

The Chippendales …

For sure these are the party animals of this collection. A lot of you wanted to review these strippers (while at the same time I am missing my favorite Disney childhood character Pluto. He makes it here in Sweden every year to the Christmas Carol together with these two).
The good news is that there are four of each.
So lots of mischief is coming our ways with their short, brown, movable legs.

And there is much more Disney awesomeness after the break
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Happy Birthday, Mickey

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It is raining birthday parties. Last week we had Barbie turning sixty. DUPLO turned fifty only a week or two before. And believe it or not, it only feels like yesterday when the Minifigure turned forty.
And here we are again.
The iconic mouse from Walt Disney is turning 90th this year.
Happy Birthday, Mickey!
And to celebrate this the LEGO Ideas Team released 21317 Steamboat Willie ahead of schedule (as it was only announced a few weeks ago).

Steamboat Willie

Mickey Mouse made his screen debut in a 1928 black-and-white animated short film called ‘Steamboat Willie’, which was also the first Disney film to have synchronized sound.

Moving Steampipes Ahoy …

This LEGO brick version of the S.S. Willie features steam pipes that move up and down and paddle wheels that rotate when the boat is pushed along and is a really creative and colorful build as we could explore ourselves. And a true tribute to the original movie (which you can see below)

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Yabba Dabba Doo

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When TLG shared with us the opportunity to take The Flintstones LEGO Ideas set for a photographic tour, I was stoked.
Fred was a true childhood memory for me.
And so was Wilma, Pebbles, Dino, Barney, Betty and Bam Bam.
A cartoon series I enjoyed as a kid.
And while I did not grew up in the sixties, the series aired all the way to the nineties, and covers the whole spectrum of Generation X childhood.
Including mine.
So here I was.
Revisiting the past.
Sweet memories of big fat tube televisions.
Wednesday afternoons filled with cartoons.
Prehistoric cars run not by Elon’s AI, but by true human foot power and furry animals.
And then there was the iconic “Yabba Dabba Doo”

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The Apocalypse is coming

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Only 5 days until the Apocalypse hits us. 5 days until we close our epic creative contest where you can win the one and only Apocalypse Burg LEGO set 70840. A set that saves you a trip to the LEGO store and 299.99 cc (that is copper coins). It is pretty interesting to see this set sells for 299.99 USD in the US, 299.99 EUR in both Belgium and Germany and 2999 SEK here in Sweden. 2999 SEK is with the current exchange rate only 283 EUR, while Denmark sells this beauty for a whopping 2499 Danish Krones which is 334 EUR with today’s exchange rate.

President Business gone mad.

Obviously, in this marketing price madness it is clear the Apocalypse is upon us.
And President Business has gone mad all in.
And so do we.
We give this set away for free.
Shipped to your door.
And all you have to do is get creative with your camera and your LEGO toys. Share your Apocalypse story with us on Instagram and tag a friend. Full details here, but it is as simple as getting creative with the LEGO you have. Shoot or document your view on the Apocalypse. Post on IG with the #sip_apocalypse tag, invite a friend to join and follow us on IG.
That simple.
And we do have a special gift for number two and three as well.

Join while you can.

So, with only 5 days left it is time to join the fun, and get creative and join in the #sip_apocalypse.

LESS AS 5 DAYS