The guy who does the incredibly lifelike dio photos: another article

[Ace-Garageguy]

https://fstoppers.com/bts/model-maker-turns-toy-cars-nostalgic-life-images-200-point-and-shoot-867

[Harry P.]

Incredibly lifelike dio photos that lack life.

While he is obviously very good at what he does, there are never any people in his shots. There are cars "driving" down the street with nobody inside! The lack pf people gives his photos sort of an eerie, "ghost town" quality. Of course , in some of his setups it's perfectly believable that there would not necessarily be any people in the shots... but in others the lack of people looks odd.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I agree, but the article does have some thought-provoking information on how he achieves his startling realism. A lot of diorama builders might benefit from some of his ideas.  

[keyser]

Well Harry, thanks for your usual diss I see in "Under Glass", etc. Can you EVER be positive about something you deem "inadequate"? I've never seen it. 

Bill, I think it's cool someone makes dios like that. Takes a lot of skill. Plus, I've not seen anyone else do models of the Rapture.

[Harry P.]

I'm not sure which "diss" in Under Glass you're talking about, but no, I can't be positive about something I see as inadequate. That's dishonest and doesn't help the builder become a better modeler. What am I supposed to say? "Hey, great job getting that hood to fit so poorly!"

I don't give false praise. But I also don't go out of my way to slam anyone's work just for the sake of being mean. And I don't comment on every model I look at here. In fact, I only comment on a tiny minority of all I see here. If I see an obvious mistake or something the builder can go back and improve on, like, say, adding a black wash to the grille, for example...I will mention it. And if I see something that really wows me, I'll say that, too. In fact, many of the models that have appeared in past issues of the magazine were models I saw here on the forum, and was so impressed with, that I contacted the builder and asked if we could feature his model in print. So no, I don't only criticize. In fact, I would bet that my total positive comments outnumber my negative ones by a wide margin. But you have only read a small number of my posts and don't have the overall "big picture."

[keyser]

Guess I missed all those. Never asked for false praise. Just not being rude. 

I heard you have cancer, sorry. My wife is 5 years in with stage 4, and I'm 4 years in with LGL leukemia, 13 diff chemos, had maintenance today as every Tuesday. We discussed that once, you said "who cares?" or equivalent. 

You may want to get a whole lot more positive/tolerant, and care a h3ll of a lot more about others. Or your life will be long and miserable. Your choice. 

I get the "Big Picture" that matters.

[ChrisBcritter]

Plus, I've not seen anyone else do models of the Rapture.

Soda, meet screen and keyboard. Best laugh I've had all day!

[unclescott58]

The guy does nice models and nice photos of them.

 

[06daytona]

Harry, there is another article which describes why he doesn't include people in the models:

“From the very beginning, I decided that there will be no people in Elgin Park,” Michael explains. “I felt that having people interfere in the photograph, and the rest of the scene sort of disappears. I didn’t want that. Now, viewers can get involved in the photograph itself.”

I think overall, most of us really don't notice the lack of people in the scenes, although there are some shots that could use them. But I find that I get so engrossed in the other details that I overlook the lack of people. The shots are just that good, far as I'm concerned.

[peteski]

Guess I missed all those. Never asked for false praise. Just not being rude. 

I'm just curious as to which specific statement in "Incredibly lifelike dio photos that lack life. While he is obviously very good at what he does, there are never any people in his shots. There are cars "driving" down the street with nobody inside! The lack pf people gives his photos sort of an eerie, "ghost town" quality. Of course , in some of his setups it's perfectly believable that there would not necessarily be any people in the shots... but in others the lack of people looks odd." is rude?

To me that sounds like someone's honest opinion.

I also think that no matter what Michael says, if he included people figures, the realism would be instantly lost. I have not see any 1:25 scale figures out there (no matter how well done) which would look like real humans.  You can instantly tell they are figures. Michael strives for ultra-realism by using natural (not modeled) backgrounds. Figures would ruin the illusion.

[Daddyfink]

This guys work has been around for some time now, the article is three years old! And once again someone found it and posted it here, again. Someone posted their feelings about it and someone didn't like their feelings. Now all feelings are out. 

All for a three year old article. Nice. 

More coffee. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

This guys work has been around for some time now, the article is three years old! And once again someone found it and posted it here, again.

So sorry if you don't find anything of any value here. I'm fully aware it's an old article, I'm fully aware many people already know the guy's work, and I looked at several other posts about him on the forum to get an idea of whether there was any NEW information in this article that might be helpful to people making dioramas and photographing them.

I failed to see this article posted earlier. Please post a link to the particular thread, if you'd be so kind.

I sincerely apologize if that is in any way offensive. Apparently it is.

I guess EVERYBODY already knows EVERYTHING about how the guy gets his results.

 

[Quick GMC]

you guys are worse than children. Stop being so sensitive

[Ace-Garageguy]

... Stop being so sensitive

Is that an order, or merely a suggestion?  

[Daddyfink]

So sorry if you don't find anything of any value here. I'm fully aware it's an old article, I'm fully aware many people already know the guy's work, and I looked at several other posts about him on the forum to get an idea of whether there was any NEW information in this article that might be helpful to people making dioramas and photographing them.

I failed to see this article posted earlier. Please post a link to the particular thread, if you'd be so kind.

I sincerely apologize if that is in any way offensive. Apparently it is.

I guess EVERYBODY already knows EVERYTHING about how the guy gets his results.

 

Well, I do believe it is pinned in the Diorama section, but, just in case, here it is. 

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/27452-michael-paul-smiths-incredible-dioramas-and-models/

I guess I should not assume that you would know that, but, given your high posting count, I assumed you would have been around here longer than me and would have known this. But, there I go assuming once again. 

No offended, just tired of the senseless bickering over old stuff. 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Well, I do believe it is pinned in the Diorama section, but, just in case, here it is. 

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/27452-michael-paul-smiths-incredible-dioramas-and-models/

I guess I should not assume that you would know that, but, given your high posting count, I assumed you would have been around here longer than me and would have known this. But, there I go assuming once again. 

No offended, just tired of the senseless bickering over old stuff. 

 

Similar content, all of which I scanned through before posting this particular article, which I believe includes additional possibly useful information on "how to".

Some of the older links over there are also broken.

I probably should have just posted this particular article at the end of the old thread, rather than starting a new one here. 

 

[Jordan White]

No offended, just tired of the senseless bickering over old stuff. 

 

You were kinda the one who started this whole thing with your passive-aggressive comment.

(Well, other than Keyser's dig at Harry.)

Edited September 14, 2016 by Jordan White

[Daddyfink]

You were kinda the one who started this whole thing with your passive-aggressive comment.

(Well, other than Keyser's dig at Harry.)

Good, glad you caught that and edited yourself. 

[Maindrian Pace]

Maybe he's just not good at figure painting, and he didn't want a bunch of toy-looking people goofing up his otherwise realistic scenes.

[Lunajammer]

“From the very beginning, I decided that there will be no people in Elgin Park,” Michael explains. “I felt that having people interfere in the photograph, and the rest of the scene sort of disappears. I didn’t want that. Now, viewers can get involved in the photograph itself.”

Like most of us, I'm a big fan of his work. But this seems like the easy answer. If he could do people well, they wouldn't interfere with the photo. They would enhance it and viewers would not be less involved in his accomplishment. But at least he knows where to draw the line. I wonder if he's tried adding people at some point and didn't like the results.

[iamsuperdan]

 

 

Never thought of the lack of people making the pics eerie. Now all I can see is an I Am Legend sort of landscape. Which makes them even better! I love dark and creepy.

 

 

[gbdolfans]

Anyone bring the popcorn????

[Xingu]

I enjoy these articles. Having photography as another hobby I am not very good at, they give me some new ideas to try.

[keyser]

Anyone bring the popcorn????

To the Rapture? Cool, won't have to share . I'll be hanging out with all the leftover empty cars. 

Funny, interesting links get posted, and someone either complains it's been posted, old news, yadayada, or has a "yeah but" comment. That seems more passive aggressive than pointing it out. The opinion was more important than the info in the link, or the age of the post. 

Google it up, kids. It's a waste of electrons posting. Everyone has all this technique thing down. Nothing to see here, move along. 

[espo]

I have seen articles before profiling his work. Phantom drivers aside I still enjoy seeing his photography and its settings.