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This is what I call a photo diorama, as it's purpose is to be able to photograph different models, generally for publication. The scale on this is 1/25 with the size being 12 inches X 12inches footprint and 7 inches in height.

I am now calling this one 'completed', although I never can keep myself from adding things to my dioramas. I wanted this to have a dark moody atmosphere, yet still portray an enjoyable place to work. This necessitated the need for lighting, which I have found even adds more to the atmosphere. I only wish that I could add the sounds and smells. What follows are the 'tour' photos. This was an enjoyable project, and I thank all of those who followed during the construction in the WIP section. I now have another diorama where I can display models for photography, so this is not the last you will see of this diorama. I want to give a big thanks to dannyi, whose work in progress diorama from 2010-2013 was a big inspiration to me. I spent several years looking at that amazing work of art, and thinking that I should work up the courage to try my own theme based around his. I encourage everybody to slip over to the WIP-dioramas section and look up the diorama by Dannyi. A work of art that good should not be forgotten in the back pages of the section. I post this to encourage all who view it to start building one of your own. Don't wait 14 years as I have done. Get started. If I can do it, you can do it.

So here's the garage/speed shop dio I've been cranking on for the last 5 months. I just signed up for the forum about a week ago so I'll just post everything I have, from beginning to where I'm at now. I started with a garage kit that was given to me after a friend gave up on it and went from there. To start, I cut some scrap plywood to size to fit the shelf it will be displayed on which was then painted flat black. I masked off where the base of the garage would be and sprayed the surface with Rustoleum Multi-color Textured paint which turns out is pretty much asphalt in a can. When the "asphalt" dried, I went on to make an area for a junked 34 Ford pickup I'm currently finishing. It started with a quick coat of burnt umber acrylic paint, followed by a mix of flour, water, fine sand, brown and black paint, and Realistic Water to simulate mud to the best of my ability. After the mud dried, some gravel, grass, brush, etc. was added. It still looked a bit bare so I raided the girlfriend's spice cabinet and made a mix of basil, oregano and thyme to make some natural ground clutter.

I like old car dealership showrooms and thought that I would like to build a small one. I placed it in my Otto Ray Sing Classic Model Car Sales collective. I feel the best dioramas are those that have a history to them. In this instance I've relied on some of my own. During the late 1960s to mid 1970s, my sister worked for and eventually became manager of the local movie theater and drive-in theater in our hometown. I had the fun of running projectors at both theaters. Both those theaters are now long gone, but I've incorporated my fond memories of them into this diorama. In the beginning Mr. Sing had purchase a used car dealership from a couple that wanted to retire. With the purchase complete, he chose to go into a different direction and start selling collectible cars. The lot was rather modest, with display limited to maybe 20 cars on a gravel surface, a one car garage for repairs, and a small office. It wasn't much, but it was a beginning. Mr. Sing eventually found a building that would provide space for two vehicles where he could perform more involved servicing. Things were progressing quite well as the business grew and he saved money for proper, more fitting accommodations. However, as is so often the case, government regulations intervened. Newly elected government officials decided to enforce an ordinance that had long gone ignored to the point of becoming forgotten. It stated that all automobile dealers must have a showroom. This sent many used car dealers scrambling including Mr. Sing There wasn't much available, but he found an abandoned movie theater in what had been the central business district. It was not large, but with some imagination he could make it work. The little lot as it appeared in the mid-sixties. A larger garage added to a much higher quality of work while at the same time making working conditions more bearable Remember the days when we were teenagers and had a crush on the "hot chick" that was at least ten years our senior. Here in the larger garage a young kid leans on a broom telling the classic car appraiser some of his favorite stories, which she knows are all lies. After a hard days work, there's nothing like a good blues jam session to wind down. How many people does it take to change a license plate? The Tall Pines Theater is now Otto Ray Sing Classic Model Car Sales. Mr. Sing has a respect for community history as well as a love for Art Deco, so he was very careful to retain as much of the facade as possible. The location may not be perfect, but there is now a showroom nestled between Popazit's Beauty & Figure and Scianda's Clothing for the Elegant Woman.

I finally completed the Garage Shop diorama for photography. I chose to start a new thread because of the amount of changes I made. This end contains a bench with mismatched cabinets above it. Assorted debris rest on top of them. Here I've added a parts washing station and old exhaust pipes fill the garbage can Under the loft is a restroom. The completed scene allows room for the vehicle to be moved for the best affect. I own an amplifier about the size of the one on the loft, and I know that I sure wouldn't want to haul it up that ladder. I can now pose my models in a much more real setting for photographing them.

This is a new diorama that I built for photographing models. The first diorama that I built was nothing more than foam core with brown paper glued to it and lines applied to look like brick. After that wore out I built one mae from 3/4 inch wood with brick Plastruct for the walls and tile for the floors. It contained large amounts of boring and was about as convincing as me entering a beauty pageant. I've spent years with people telling me to clean, clean, clean. While I was building this all I heard was dirty, dirty, dirty. If it gets any worse it will get condemned. I have a shelf for it in my model room that sets it at eye height when sitting. This is perfect for placing the camera on the tripod to take photos.