Hey toy photography friends! It’s me again with another post featuring some LEGO with a theme I loved as a child. For this installment of childhood nostalgia, I present to you TRON and my favorite set ever: LEGO 21314 Ideas TRON: Legacy.

I was born in the ’80s, and I’ve figured my dad must have been looping Tron in the background when I was a kid. That’s probably what led me to coding. When I first started writing code, I often thought about little people riding cycles inside the computer. To this day, I still think about that when I write code (including now when I have AI agents helping me with projects).

Anyway, on to the Tron toy photos! I’ve been slowly working on this series since I got the LEGO set back in 2019.

I love experimenting with photo techniques using toys. First off, it’s just fun. Second, what I learn in toy photography really helps me with my other photo work. I can integrate these little tricks into my portraits and marketing projects. And let me tell you, when I photograph humans I love that there isn’t a shiny reflection bouncing off their faces like there is with LEGO minifigures.

I tried using some of the lights for the set and thought I could make solid long-exposure photos with them. Not that easy, though, since those little light sets have quite a few wires. If you try to move them around you risk disconnecting the circuit that powers the lights. Plus, the lines didn’t totally match up with the Tron Light Cycle aesthetic.

So, I decided to use some of my light-writing tools to create the motion I was looking for.

This is the photo I had in my mind, and it turned out pretty well.

I wanted to get a little more artsy with it, so I also created this version. For full transparency, these photos are composites.

Overall, i learned a lot and I am excited to checkout the new Tron Ares movie and hope LEGO releases another tron set at some point.

What Is Tron?

The Tron is a series of three science fiction films from Disney that explore the intersection of humanity and the digital world.

Tron (1982):
The original film, directed by Steven Lisberger, follows Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer who is pulled into a digital universe called “the Grid.” Inside, programs appear as people, and Flynn must survive deadly games while trying to outwit the Master Control Program. The film was groundbreaking for its pioneering use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) and its vision of a virtual world long before such concepts were mainstream.

Tron: Legacy (2010):
A sequel directed by Joseph Kosinski, the story continues decades later with Flynn’s son, Sam, entering the Grid to find his missing father. The film expands the digital universe with updated visual effects, introducing new characters like Quorra and a younger, corrupted version of Flynn known as Clu. Its sleek design, 3D visuals, and electronic score by Daft Punk gave it a modern cult following.

Tron: Ares (2025):
The upcoming installment in the franchise, directed by Joachim Rønning, shifts focus to Ares, a program sent from the digital world into the human one. This marks the first time the story explores how a being from the Grid interacts directly with reality, raising questions about AI, identity, and what it means to be human. With cutting-edge visual effects and a new cast led by Jared Leto, the film aims to expand the mythology of Tron while introducing a bold narrative step beyond the confines of the Grid.