Chuck Doan Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Tthanks for posting that Virgil! Mike, that is a great backdrop! The multi-sided one Ken Hamilton did is also a favorite of mine-very clever. Storage is always the biggest issue with these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 OK... there's no model car in this photo, but this photo is one of the rare ones where there is absolutely nothing that gives it away as a model. Everything is perfect. Obviously Chuck has a keen eye for detail... look at the realistic grass clumps, perfectly in scale... the detail of how the poured concrete stoop looks along the edges, perfectly recreating how the concrete would have been poured into a wooden form... the rust on the gas pump, the way the bottoms of the garage doors are rotting away, the perfectly in-scale peeling paint on the building. This is a case where no detail was overlooked, no matter how small. And that's why this can easily pass for "real"... because no detail has been overlooked and everything, every last detail, is in scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Harry, that's precisely what a builder like Chuck Doan thrives on . . . all his builds seem to me to be working towards this goal of extremely realism, and lots of Chuck's builds are in 1/48th scale. This one, of course, is 1/24th. I think. Chuck can chime in if I am wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 This thread really fired me up about taking my new work out into the woods and seeing if I could take some nice shots . . . (I'm still in the process of photographing the models. I have all the equipment in the car and the setting for this is not far from the house, so I'm having fun). Here's the setting/backdrop . . .and the best part is that these last few days have been overcast and really dreary, which is perfect. This is an abandoned subdivision where they laid down new pavement and opened the lots, and then they ran out of money . . .the story of the economy today. When you look at this next picture, I hope it light a fire under your own seat ( :lol: ) because I'm telling you there's no better way to feel like a kid again than to go out into the woods (into the field, as surveyors call it) and play with your toys. When you do this, here are some important recommendations. Take sunscreen, a hat, a chair, bottled water . . . etc . . . you will be ready for a long few hours . . . I was lucky that I found a place where nobody ever comes to, so I worked undisturbed . . . How long does it take? I don't know yet, I am still photographing, still looking for just the right pictures . . . you really start to get the right feel for perspective, angle, depth of field, etc . . . and sometimes you realize that as much fun as you are having, the pictures are still not good enough . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Very first photograph right off the bat, and the excitement continues . . . You begin with just trying to frame the shot . . . again, never a perfect science, but you have to relax and not feel any stress, or else what is the point, right? I like this shot . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Those pics look pretty cool, doc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Thank you, Jim. I tell you, this kind of stuff really does a number on the Old Doctor. I am like a kid in a candy store. You guys on this forum really make this hobby a blast, that's all I can say. And I will forever be grateful of the friendships, and more importantly all the inspiration you guys have shared and have worked so hard for. LONG LIVE STYRENE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Here's a better look at the set up, hope you enjoy the little video: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 LONG LIVE STYRENE! I'll drink to that! Maybe I'll wait until later when Marcia gets home and have Jim Beam & RC Cola with tonight's pizza. Maybe another one with the popcorn while watching WWE Friday Night Smackdown. Now I'll go look for some parts in the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 You betcha, my friend. It sounds like your life is similar to mine, good times with friends and family (a loving wife) and lots of STYRENE ADDICTION. Cheers, and let's have a great 3-DAY weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Here's a bit more fun: Some of these pictures are getting close to what I am looking for . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Doan Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Harry, thank you very much! Virgil your'e right its 1/2" scale. That is a nice kind of backdrop to have Virgil. I know I shouldn't care but I am still reluctant to do something like that in public with my models. It really works though. Mike, being able to fold up that dio makes it even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMc Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Ditto to what Virgil just said. Another thing to be sensitive to (which you have done well Mike -- this is for others) is to keep in mind how tall a scale photographer would be. I see lots of model shots taken routinely from what would amount to a scale fifteen or twenty feet above the ground. While shots from high above are not verboten, and can work, a human level shot is sometimes more convincing when it comes to models. Also check out the worm's-eye view (cam on the ground) to give your subject more importance. EXCELLENT ROGER !!! I many times shoot with my butt on the ground. This gives me my "3yr olds view" I have also learned that the "plane" the lens axis is on will contribute many differences in the finished look. As little as a 5 degree shift, along with the compression of the lens can make a major difference! I tend to look at most auto studio shots and try to set up the camera position..it can be a lot tougher than your lighting..and then throw in natural light and clouds moving.....OH what fun ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rmodeler Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Really nIce shots, Dr ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMc Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) Virgil...this is the one...notice how your edges run into each other without a seam? You did this with a LOW camera angle. In the first two if you look to the left of the "orange arm" see how its sharp...then not? ditto behind the van...thats your edge. Look in your VF and lower the camera (tripod) until you don't see the edge. same with the left side, as you lower the camera your view or angle will change and take care of it. Edited February 17, 2012 by MikeMc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rmodeler Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 MikeMc yes... By the way, here's something I've been doing lately ... When I shoot a model I have either a figure model handy (or just a piece if paper will do) that is six scale feet high in the same scale as the subject model. I can then position the center of the lens at that very height so it sees what a six-foot-tall person would see were he/she standing there. Best, Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMc Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Excellent idea! I usually set a ruler on my first shot if I do not have a background set....Doc....think of this on the first two shots....see how your shooting like your 12 feet tall...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Thanks, Mike. Yes, I gotta go back tomorrow and take more shots at the lower angles. The problem today was that I forgot to take my chair and some water to stay hydrated. I also plan to take a few more vehicles just to keep it fun. Chuck, what is it about being outside with your models you hesitate over? The onlookers? Questions, the fact they will think what you already know? That you are a STYRENE ADDICT, or worse, a plastic geek? LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Doan Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Probably the geek thing..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Nah, if you find a desolate spot nobody is going to bother you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Nah, if you find a desolate spot nobody is going to bother you. Does that mean you might wear the one piece PJs out there? Very scary!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rmodeler Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) Dr. Cranky wrote: "Chuck, what is it about being outside with your models you hesitate over?" To that, I add a sidebar---> Beware Shooting in the Full Sun! I took this shot out in the sun when I realized that there IS no light source, other than the sun, that can produce those sharp defined shadows convincingly. I set up the tabletop and "set pieces" outside, put the car and figures in place before I went to the camera to adjust settings. I swear, not more than two minutes later I was set up, framed and ready to go! A small nudge to the car and ... and ... it was hotter than s**t! I quickly moved it to the shade where it cooled. After that, it was frame the shot, put the car and figures in place for a few seconds, expose the film (it was nineties), then move them back to the shade. The sun can be hot! (doh) To the right of my shot is a shot of the real thing. PS: Haha MikeMc, I must have been at least 30 feet tall here! Edited February 17, 2012 by Rmodeler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf15 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Does that mean you might wear the one piece PJs out there? Very scary!!! Now , who in their right mind is going to bother him when he's wearing that thing !!! They'll take one look and run off in the opposite direction , screaming at the top of their lungs ! Add the Loosieyana Lunatic to the mix , now the planet ain't safe ,let alone the local population ! Scary ? That there is down right frightening ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Virgil, those latest photos you posted are excellent. The way you set the camera angle, the way the diorama blends seamlessly with the "real" background... those photos could pass as "real." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMc Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) PS: Haha MikeMc, I must have been at least 30 feet tall here! I thought that was from the Goodyear Blimp..... Edited February 17, 2012 by MikeMc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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