Although it sounds like an oxymoron, good creative direction can be very effective and make the creative process a positive experience. A good example of this are the instructions that come with LEGO
blocks. They are very specific, which guarantees the successful result, and they teach important techniques, such as sorting the blocks by colour before starting a project, interlocking the blocks to make walls, etc. As a result, we feel that we have learned something and also created an interesting and aesthetically-pleasing object.
As my daughter reaches the age where she starts to appreciate the possibilities of making neat objects out of the heap of blocks, but still needs help with it, I had a chance to play with LEGO for the first time in a very long time. I really appreciated the thoughtful design and clear directions. The creative aspect was limited, of course, particularly since the subject was a sheep, which does not inspire thoughts of creativity and leadership. However, I think there are some interesting possibilities in terms of macro photography involving Lego.
I took the photo above with my iPhone. Its wide-angle lens is perfect for this kind of close-up shots. In fact, a combination of the focal length and sensor size in a smartphone camera would often outperform a DSLR in close-up photography, provided that the lighting is adequate.
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