Here at the Toy Photographers blog, we review LEGO products from a toy photographer’s perspective. I’ve reviewed several BrickHeadz sets, particularly the Pets series (the goldfish, budgies, and dalmatians). The Pets sets were surprisingly photogenic, especially the budgie birds. The new Daisy Duck (#40476) and Duck Tales (#40477) figures are a bit different than the Pets.

BrickHeadz characters are basically the Funko Pop figures of the LEGO world because of their general size, blocky chisaii (“small and cute”) appearance and static nature. I’ve seen some great toy photography with Funko Pops, so I’ve been exploring the question: Will BrickHeadz be similarly worth photographing?

Today I share my conclusion.

The build

As always, let’s start with the build. LEGO builds are a straightforward activity, but there is often one or two notes I can share—either for beginners or something specific to a set. (Please forgive the fuzziness in some of these behind-the-scenes photos; I shot them with my phone as I built and didn’t notice that they weren’t in my usual crisp focus.)

Brickheadz Daisy Duck review - by Teddi Deppner

More experienced LEGO builders than myself would not have even questioned this, but it took me a moment to realize that the light gray bricks in the instructions were actually representing WHITE bricks.

Brickheadz Daisy Duck review - by Teddi Deppner
There are several lavender (light purple) 4×1 bricks in the build. Find the one with the printing on it and set it aside; it’s Daisy Duck’s shirt collar.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
Aligning your tile pieces is very important when building these BrickhHeadz figures. Visually (for photography) the blocks look very irregular and leave odd gaps if not aligned precisely.
Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
When I finished the Duck Tales build, there were three flat 3×3 pieces left over. The instructions don’t mention them at all. Puzzling! But I figured it out below. Do you have a guess?
Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
I even double-checked the instructions to verify that I hadn’t skipped a step where the piece might have been placed under the figure’s baseball cap.
Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
After a moment’s thought, I realized these pieces were provided so Huey, Dewey and Louie can take off their caps!

How do they look in a photo shoot?

I tried some indoor and outdoor shots with these characters. Take a look (tap or click on the square thumbnails to see the full photos)…

  • Brickheadz Daisy Duck review - by Teddi Deppner
    Daisy Duck fits the spring colors in California right now.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    The Duck Tales gang stand out in primary colors.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    Positioned to show how they look from different angles.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    Uncle Scrooge says to be careful exploring the caves.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    “Don’t touch it! It doesn’t look friendly.”
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    Coming back out of the dark.

The BrickHeadz Duck Tales characters don’t come with accessories (except for Scrooge’s cane). However, the Duck Tales minifigures from Disney CMF series 2 (retired product) came with some fun accessories. If you don’t have them, other LEGO minifigure accessories also fit well in these figures’ hands.

Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
Note: The magnifying glass and camera did not come with the Disney Series 2 minifigures. The slingshot and book did.

Unfortunately, even though they snap into the hand perfectly, the short BrickHeadz arms make the items in their hands difficult to see while shooting a scene.

  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    The camera fits in his hand, but cannot be tilted in front of the body to look natural.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    It’s hard to tell what is in his hand.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    If you have a 2×1 flat piece with a handle to replace the 1×1, it works!
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    Now you can see the camera for what it is, and with the foreshortening you don’t notice that the right arm is longer than the left.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    Another option is combining a 2×1 flat piece with a 1-dot with a handle.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    The magnifying glass cannot get anywhere near his face with the included piece.
  • Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
    If you combine a 2×1 flat piece and the 2×1 flat piece with handle, the magnifying glass can be used near his eye.
Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
With the modified arms, you can use the accessories in a photo shoot to tell a story.
Brickheadz Duck Tales review - by Teddi Deppner
The possible uses for accessories are only limited by your collection and imagination.

General tips for shooting BrickHeadz

There isn’t much articulation with these figures, so make the most of everything you can:

  • Move their eye pupils to point in the direction you want them to be looking (or emoting).
  • Place them on a soft base that provides a chance to tilt their bodies while maintaining stable support. An angled body can give a static figure a hint of dynamic body language.
  • Take advantage of depth of field to provide visual interest and spotlight where you want the viewer focused.
  • Brickheadz Daisy Duck review - by Teddi Deppner
    Daisy Duck pairs well with the BrickHeadz Pets Dalmatian puppy.
  • Brickheadz Daisy Duck review - by Teddi Deppner
    Notice how the puppy and Daisy are now looking at each other, adding a subtle improvement to the shot.
Little details like where the eyes are pointing really make a difference with Brickheadz figures.

The bottom line: are BrickHeadz good for toy photography?

I cannot answer this question for you. Every individual has different subjective tastes, especially when it comes to their art. Obviously, you can tell a visual story with these figures.

But for me personally, the lines between the brick pieces are very visually distracting. Every tiny inconsistency in the gaps bothers me. The limitations of the mostly static figures is frustrating, and the square nature of the bricks is ugly (to my eyes).

To some eyes, however, BrickHeadz are cute in a highly stylized way. They’re great for collectors who want to have every possible version of their favorite characters in their collection. But for me, as a toy photographer? I think I’m done exploring this toy line. It’s just not for me. I’ll use the parts to create something else I’m interested in—after all, that’s one of the great joys and benefits of LEGO bricks. You can always build something new!

What about you?

Have you tried photographing BrickHeadz figures? What was your conclusion? Share in the comments below!