Lego Lightsaber Editing
- Jan 2, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 3, 2025
I am often asked about my editing techniques, normally it's what software I use which is of course Adobe Photoshop. But something that I'm asked about and find consistently challenging, even though I often do it are, Lightsabers.
I use a few different methods when photographing figures with lightsabers. The standard Jedi or Sith Lord wielding a lightsaber is quite eye catching if done right, So when I am setting up the photograph I will always leave the lego bar/lightsaber blade in the hilt. This can be used as a good guide for the size of the lightsaber and for where the focus should be. So my work flow would be as follows...
Drawing a white line where you want the Lightsaber to be, resize it until you are happy with the general shape. Rub away the base so that it looks as though it is coming from the hilt, seen in image above. (do not worry about the focus at this stage, work with a hard edge).
Duplicate this layer and place behind the original (this will become the colour part of your sabre.)
Use the selection tool to select this duplicated layer.
Head to Select-Modify-Expand, the amount you expand by will vary based on your image. Anakin's Sabre pictured above would have been around an expansion of 25-30, a good rule is having an expansion edge that's around half the width of the Lightsaber shape you've created.
After you have the selection ready go to Edit-Fill and select the colour of your Sabre. Apply the colour fill.
Now this layer can be blurred, so Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur. I normally select between 10-15 for this most times.
You can now blur the White Lightsaber shape itself, I like to hide my colour glow at this point and look at my Lego bar/lightsaber blade. It will show where the focus is and this is what the white shape needs to be matched with. This can be achieved with a mixture of the Gaussian Blur tool and the Iris Blur Tool, Iris Blur is very useful and needs to be played with. It can be used to blur one area of the blade and not the other. This will lead to the Sabre looking as though its coming out of the screen to some degree. Good luck.
Once you are happy with this, I tend to make my colour layer visible again and use the colour picker on this. Create a new layer behind these two.
Select a round brush with a soft edge, and draw a generous line that covers the Sabre area and over a portion of the Hilt. You can then go to the layer and drop the opacity right down around 10-20. This will provide the subtle background glow.
This is the exact process I use for almost all the Lightsabers in my works.
LightSaber Duels
Lightsaber Duels are perhaps the most challenging aspect of Lego Star Wars Photography. There are lots of reasons for why I find them difficult. I want to show off the Lego figures, so I don't want them standing in profile, however in order to duel they need to be somewhat facing each other, which is a little contradictory of course.
I also learned through much trial and error to only use one bar/lightsaber blade, using two makes it very difficult to get the figures close to one another. It also makes it hard to keep the two figures on the same focal plain. Using one bar/lightsaber blade piece as a guide is more than enough, it gives a focus and length guide to work with. It is worth being careful here, and drawing a bit of an imaginary line in your head, from the other empty hilt. You want to make sure the Sabres will cross paths in photoshop and that it doesn't cover any of the characters faces or features.
I hope there are some useful tips in here. I hope to do a bit of a Youtube tutorial on this one day, I think it will be easier to do a step by step with actual visuals. May the force be with you all...