Taking LEGO 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder to the sands of Tatooine

To celebrate the launch of 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, we’ve taken the latest LEGO Star Wars set out on to the sands of Tatooine. (Sort of.)

Regardless of your own personal excitement over the release of 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, there can be no denying that this is the most accurate, detailed and stunning Landspeeder the LEGO Group has ever produced. It’s the definitive model of the iconic X-34 speeder, and it was a dream to photograph. 

Obviously a trip to Tunisia would put quite a strain on the annual Brick Fanatics budget, so the next best way to recreate the desert sands of Tatooine was to once again turn to my favourite photography technique for large-scale models: rear projection photography.

This involves placing the model in front of a large screen (in this case a widescreen TV) and then projecting an image on to that screen. It’s the same technique I used for 10295 Porsche 911 last year – click here for the results of that shoot.

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When photographing cars like the Porsche, getting the angle of the shot right is crucial to create the illusion that it’s actually on the road. With the Landspeeder I could afford to be a little more creative, as the vehicle famously hovers above the ground – and rather conveniently comes with its own stand that helps to create that effect for me. All I needed to do was remove the stand in post-production.

Of course, there was more to it than just removing the stand in Photoshop. Accurate shadows were required, sand and dust particles were added and speed effects were applied to the speeder and the background to create the impression the speeder is skimming across the harsh desert landscape. 

The final element that needed consideration was the lighting. When dealing with Earth-bound objects, there is only one light source to contend with: the sun. Tatooine of course has double that amount – twin suns, you might say – so two lights were required. Shining the lights on to the TV screen not only reflects back quite a realistic sun, but it also bounces the light on to the model, creating interesting flare and other lighting effects. 

75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder may not offer the most impressive and involved build when compared to other recent UCS sets, but it still looks just as fantastic in imagery and in real life. 

Check out our full review of 75341 Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, then head over to LEGO.com to pick up your copy. It’s available from today (May 1) exclusively for VIP members, before going on general sale for everyone from May 4.

If you purchase it before May 8, you’ll also qualify for three free gifts (while stocks last) as part of this year’s May the 4th Star Wars Day event. Click here to find out everything you need to know about May the 4th in 2022.

You can support the work that Brick Fanatics does – including shooting this gallery – by ordering this impressive-looking UCS set using any one of our affiliate links. Thank you!

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