The world of Stranger Things is incredibly popular, loved by many around the globe, I myself am a big fan of the Netflix TV show. From the very first episode, watching the cast grow up, to the exciting cliffhanger the latest season has given us – don’t worry, this is a spoiler free zone.
The immense popularity of the show has spawned an unless line of merchandise, including a few LEGO sets. First introduced in 2019, the now retired LEGO The Upside Down (75810) set featured the Byers house both in the real world and the Upside Down, letting fans decide how to display it. Unfortunately I missed out on the set, looking back now I would have snapped it up in a heartbeat. Thankfully since then I have purchsed all the sets since, which aren’t many, a double pack and four pack of BrickHeadz to be precise. There is a brand new Creel House set coming early 2026, yet to be officially announced, which I’ve got my eye on and hoping to pickup.
Stranger Things and LEGO are an exciting combination, one I hope continues long past the shows finale, capturing locations, scenes, vehicles, characters, and key moments all presented in building blocks to collect and display with pride. There is one individual in the LEGO community that goes above and beyond, keeping the spark alive and creating stunning pieces of modern art – BrickPanda.
The absolutely gorgeous visuals, the lighting, the story telling and more, are captured in stunning hi-res photos and shared for the whole world to enjoy. If you haven’t heard of BrickPanda then you’re in for a real treat. His most recent project is focused on Jim Hopper (David Harbour) when he stumbled upon a tunnel after digging a huge hole, titled ‘The Dig‘, BrickPanda posed the characters Minifigure amongst some dirt, with the Police vehicle positioned behind and utilising a groovy smoke device to create an eerie atmosphere. After a bit of computer wizardry the final shot was complete and first shared on his Patreon.
BrickPanda perfectly captures the essence of Stranger Things using LEGO and I am personally a big fan of his work. Continue reading to find out a little more about the man behind the photos and please give him a follow and checkout the many other beautiful photographs he has taken, including Alien, Jurassic Park, TRON, Ghostbusters and many more.
The Dig by BrickPanda
When did you first get into photography?
In 2020 during Covid I was really bored, so I bought the first LEGO set of my life, the Pirates of Barracuda Bay. Building the set itself was a great experience, but in the end it was the minifigures that completely enchanted me, the fact that despite their stylized design you can get so much out of them. I posed the figures and photographed them, then sent the images to my friends. They really liked them, but after a while I did not want to bother them with this, so I created the Brickpanda Instagram account and uploaded the pictures there, hoping others might be interested too.
What software do you use to edit your photographs?
I always use Photoshop for this purpose. A few clicks and the lightsaber or muzzle flash is done. It is also more comfortable for me to edit the desired weather conditions with it instead of taking photos in a snowstorm or pouring rain. Some people proudly proclaim that everything in their photos is real, but I think there is a limit to that. At least in my opinion it is rather inconvenient to work with real lava or a stormy open sea.
Will goes Missing
What equipment do you use or your photography?
To this day I still use my old iPhone 11 Pro. When I started this hobby I was curious whether it was possible to take nice photos without expensive professional equipment. So I simply placed the figures down and took my phone out of my pocket. Since then I had a 14 Pro and now a 17 Pro, but unfortunately these cannot produce photos as good as the old device, because they cannot focus at such close distances in low light conditions and create high quality images. They simply were not designed for that, but rather for taking selfies at a sunny festival.
What other projects are you working on?
I always try to ride the hype trains. If a highly anticipated movie, TV show or video game is approaching its release, I try to prepare a photo series based on it for that date. Just like now in the case of Stranger Things, I’m celebrating the end of this great TV show with a photo series.
The Van Flip
What advice would you give for others looking to take better photographs?
For me the most important thing is always the proper composition of the scene visible in the image and the use of cool lighting. There are tons of YouTube tutorials for this, I recommend watching those first. And let John Ford’s words stand here: “When the horizon’s at the bottom, it’s interesting. When the horizon’s at the top, it’s interesting. When the horizon’s in the middle, it’s boring as sh*t.”
Are you a fan of Stranger Things, if so who is your favourite character?
I’m a huge fan of Stranger Things. I was also really captivated by the first season because it reminded me of the atmosphere of the coolest movies from the 80s. My wife and I rewatched the entire series before the 5th season. I think my favorite character is Hopper. I really like his humor. But Steve is right behind him.
RUN
How do you decide which scenes from the TV show to recreate?
When I watch a movie or series and see a cool scene, I think about whether I can recreate it with minifigures in a way that the image looks good. For example, whether I can pose the minifigures properly. Posing Lego minifigures does have its limits. If the finished picture appears in my mind and it looks cool, then I will definitely recreate the scene.
A massive thank you to BrickPanda for taking the time to chat with us, and thank you for the amazing photography. Please show your support for BrickPanda by checking out his social media and Patreon accounts.
The Mind Flayer by BrickPanda
Eleven Vs Demogorgon
The Vanishing of Will Byers
Mornings are for Coffee and Contemplation
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