The biggest improvement usually comes from controlling reflections. Avoid direct, on-camera flash, which makes shiny LEGO surfaces look harsh. Instead, use bounced or indirect light so the light source is larger and softer. Bouncing a flash off a wall or ceiling can help a lot.

Soft natural light can also work very well. A bright overcast day is often ideal because clouds act like a giant diffuser, reducing glare while keeping the light even.

For small subjects such as minifigures, depth of field is a creative choice: a very shallow depth of field can look attractive and cinematic, but if you want the whole figure sharp, stop down and use more light or a steadier setup.

In short, the key techniques are:

• use soft, indirect lighting
• avoid direct flash reflections
• experiment with bounced flash or diffused daylight
• choose depth of field intentionally for small subjects

Looking at behind-the-scenes LEGO photography setups can also be very helpful, since they show how experienced photographers position lights to manage the plastic’s reflectivity.