Photos! Do YOUR model pictures look like real cars?

['08SEAL]

I was fooling around with the camera today and took this picture outside. if you look closely, you can see some chain link fence in the back ground. You can see that it's a model in some areas, but if you don't think 'bout it, it looks like a real '70 429 out in the desert.

[martinfan5]

Not trying to be mean, but it still looks like a model, but its a nice photo. The tires and wheels give it away as being a model, one of the things you could do is spray the tires with a dull-cote, they are a bit to shiny in areas that on a real tire that would not have any shine . I am not saying anything bad about you build, just pointing out one of the things you could do to try and pass it as a 1:1 car.

['08SEAL]

Ok, but I don't have a dull cote.

[kruleworld]

it's a nice photo, but most 1:1 photographs of cars will have full field of view (not blurred close and far away). it's actually one way to make a 1:1 car look like a model is a narrow focus.

[martinfan5]

There is a photographic trick to making model cars look real, but as you can see of pics of my models, I have no clue how to do it myself

Testors makes a dullcote,

Edited February 16, 2012 by martinfan5

[GOTH KUSTOMS]

There is here somewhere, where you can go to load a program, it will do the trick for you, I just cant remember, what post it was under here, something about making your model pictures, appear more real, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..... I know there was a link posted here on MCM, just for that site, dang it!!!!!.......

[martinfan5]

Think man think!!!, where is it ?!!!!!!!

[Evil Appetite]

I think, i may be wrong, that the technique is called Forced perspecive

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=54019

that may be the thread

[Harry P.]

It takes a lot more than a specific photo technique to pass a model off as a real car in a photo.

For starters, the model has to look like a real car! And that is a very hard thing to accomplish. Only a handful of the very best modelers can build at that level. And even then, there are a ton of clues that'll tell you if it's "real or model" if you know what to look for.

[Chris M]

One thing you could try to bring another bit of realism to your models is to sand your tires a bit to make them look a touch road worn. Rub the tire against a piece of sandpaper, very gently so you don't flat spot them. I like the wash on the rims though, That is a nice touch.

[VW Dave]

I sent this picture to my phone to show a few co-workers, and one guy was sure it was real...until I brought the model in the next day:

And my friends that I built this Beetle for have this very picture in one of their photo albums; at a car club picnic one fall, a guy browsing through asked where & when they had studio pics of 'Rudy" done.

In both cases, realism in the photos wasn't my goal....but the comments were appreciated.

[Harry P.]

Weren't the Superbird and Daytona front ends fiberglass?

[Alyn]

I liked how this one turned out, although the tree leaves are a little blury. Trying to maximize depth of field is one key to a good photo.

[Alyn]

thanks, Dave. That's one of my recent favorites.

Can you make your real cars look like models?

Mike, my camera has a setting that does that. I think it's called miniaturize, and what it does is reduce the depth of field to blur the background as in your pic.

[Harry P.]

Hmmmmm... guess not! I always thought they were.

[Alyn]

Black & White oldie

[XJ6]

Judging by what i have seen here.."YES" Indeed you can take pictures of models and they can look 99.9% real..

and also from some of the pic's i have taken of my own Model Cars....Indeed again i have people swear they are 1:1

I would like to back up my claim.. on my pic's but i could never figure out how to post pic's here on this forum..

By the way Guys....Great Photos...

Cheers....Don aka XJ6

[Harry P.]

i take pics of most of my models outside in my backyard. while i still don't think they look real, it does help withe realism effect some IMO

That shot is done in a very realistic manner... the lighting, the background, etc. all look cool. But if you look at the model (and this is not meant as a critique of this particular model, but to illustrate my previous point), you can immediately see that the panel gaps around the door and the door handle are not real separations, but just molded in. All the little things like that have to be perfect on a model for it to really pass as "real" in a photo. In this case, yeah, a quick glance and this car does look like a real one. But only until you look closer.

Believe me... I know how bard it is to fool people into thinking a photo of a model is a real car... It takes an extraordinary model, shot perfectly, to do it.

[martinfan5]

You guy take some great photos, I need to practice, and get a better camera too.

Harry, I just go an idea for a photo you could use for a real or model thread .

Edited February 16, 2012 by martinfan5

[martinfan5]

I agree, sometimes a nice simple white back drop looks better then say a outdoor back drop.

[hotrod59f100]

hey Dave what in the world would anybody do with that ? The guy ought to give it away.lol Btw that civic looks vary convincing on first glance.

[Pete J.]

Part of it is also hiding any thing that doesn't look like a model. This is a pretty good photo if I do say so myself, but I can pick out 4 major bits that give it away as a model. Can you?

[bigmikevee]

Here are some shots I took last summer of a Testors 1/6 Road King, trying for some perspective, they looked pretty good for beginning shots, once I got home and enlarged on the computer I could see most of my flaws. The fact that the bike is so large helps with the illusion, I am going to try more outdoor shots when I get more time.

Mike

[Cool Hand]

Hey Mike,

Good to see you post one of your builds.

The bike looks excellent from where im sitting,very clean build.

Last pic gives the illusion of realism for sure.

[Harry P.]

Mike, those shots are very cool. Nicely staged and photographed. I'd say you got about as close to being "real" with that model as possible... but once again if you look closely you can see the things that give it away... the seat stitching, the thickness and optical distortion in the windshield, no wear on the brake rotor, etc.

Not that you didn't do a fantastic job on it, you did. But the camera sees all, and that illusion of reality is tough to pull off.