The epic Star Wars photographs by Vesa Lehtimäki

If you’re a fan of the Star Wars universe then you will certainly love the photographs of Vesa Lehtimäki. This Finnish performs epic stagings with spaceships straight from the famous saga.

Illustrator and photographer based in Helsinki, Finland, this Star Wars enthusiast uses X-Wing, Faucon Millenium and many other models to create stunningly creative photos that merge fantasy and reality.

But where does this passion come from ?

As he explains himself on inktank.fi, he started shooting models in the early 80s, with Battlestar Galactica series machines and replicas of World War II planes. Later, he tried a new approach by building his own spacecraft but never completed them, so nothing came of it. Then, in 2009, Vesa found a new breath in toy photography thanks to the evolution of technology and the acquisition of a digital camera but also the discovering of Photoshop.

« I wanted to study film-making as a young man but ended up studying graphic design. Photographing the models is a way to explore a very narrow slice of my unfulfilled career dreams, but filtered through my design experience. »

What is the process behind creating such amazing photos ?

First, all the scale models are extremely accurate replicas of the original 1977 models that he built himself with resin kits. he cares so much for the small details that he even managed to build an entire element, such as the landing gear of the X-Wing for example, because that provided in the kit was not faithful enough to the original.

About the background and landscapes, Vesa didn’t have to go far because all the pictures were taken near from his home in the Helsinki area.

« Most of my outdoor photography has been shot within a few hundred meters from my home on Helsinki. I take out our dog and I keep my camera with me. If something looks good, I shoot a few frames and see afterwards if they are any good. »

Some projects ?

Other projects, Vesa is full of his head but for the moment, he prefers not to talk too much about it otherwise « I can’t disclose anything further about new projects, really. If I did, then I’d feel obligated to follow them even if they didn’t work after all. This way I’m more free to fail. And I like to fail. Without it, there’s no discovery. »

Click here if you want to read the entire Vesa Lehtimäki interview on inktank.fi

Vesa Lehtimäki on Flickr

Photo gallery

Vesa Lehtimäki on Flickr