Any suggestions for a big one

[olsbooks]

This is a 1/16 I've been piddling on for years. It's been banged up pretty bad over several cross country moves but remains a personal favorite. Other than tires and wheels and the air cleaner, its scratch built.  Anyway, I limit myself to no more than 12"x24" for size.  That's what the "road" is.  Want more to provide a setting but with so little space have not been able to come up with the right thing.  Suggestions welcome. 

Edited October 5, 2019 by olsbooks

[Anglia105E]

I would suggest that maybe you could line up your 12" x 24" section of roadway with a real section of road, and then use the forced perspective technique to create the illusion of your road continuing into the far distance.  This is quite tricky to do....... as I found when I tried it out this last Summer. The true master of this  clever photographic technique was the great Michael Paul Smith, of Elgin Park fame...... he really had a feel for this. Your 1:16 scale truck is exceptionally well built, and I am most impressed that this truck is almost entirely scratch built. 

David

[olsbooks]

David,

Have you or anyone ever had much luck using photographs as a backdrop when it has to be so close to the primary subject and cannot be curved?

The idea of using the night shot below would be nice and have the truck passing thru a truss bridge. Me wonders if  the ironwork of the bridge would aid in the transition and hide some of the damage to the truck. Eyes would be drawn to the bridge work first.  

Your dark red shot as i called it at Hooper provided the inspiration as it leaves much to the imagination and keeps me from rivet counting....though on an open girder bridge i guess that's not quite true.,

Edited October 5, 2019 by olsbooks

[Gramps46]

Transitions can be as simple as curbs, fences, grass, or walls.  Or combinations.

Your truck is fabulous.

[Anglia105E]

JC...... I didn't have much luck with backdrop photos, or indeed a hand painted scene in acrylics on foam board, but the outdoor transition technique did seem to work quite nicely as long as you take many, many shots...... a few of which are okay. Here are a few examples.....

David

[olsbooks]

Those are incredible!  Thanks for sharing.

[ThreeThree]

wow. you would think that was a kit and a very well built one at that. the fact that its scratch built is amazing. you clearly have a deft hand. all your work on here is a pleasure to see. thanks for sharing.

[1930fordpickup]

That truck looks great. How about the Truck running for the  State line?

[Shambles]

Amazing for scratch built! Michael Paul Smith did some truly incredible work using outdoor settings for his dioramas. I've never taken the time to try that, but it's inspirational to look at what he did: http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/SmithMP.htm

I've done a few 1:25 dioramas over the years and started using Photoshop to place background images. The trick is to find a digital image large enough for the background so you don't have to enlarge it and it becomes pixelated,. Then matching the lighting angle and intensity in your photo to that of the digital background image. Even with decades of computer graphic design experience, this is still a challenge that I'm enjoying in retirement.

http://www.shamblesmodels.com/dioramas.html

Edited October 9, 2019 by Shambles