Best scale photo!
05-01-2011, 03:10 PM
#4356
RE: Best scale photo!
ORIGINAL: tom czenthe
Bombs away at Top Gun 2011
Bombs away at Top Gun 2011
I got a chance to catch a few planes dropping some bombs / aux fuel tanks at the Scale Masters qualifier, Gunsmoke, held at our club. Took a few sequences for me to figure out where the pilot would be releasing. Camera sounded more like a machine gun than a camera to make the capture.
SunDevilPilot
05-04-2011, 06:06 PM
#4358
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RE: Best scale photo!
Great stuff John G. Even though the grass may be a little large, they still posses the presence of full-scale aircraft.
Nice detail on that AT6/Harvard or whatever it is.
Paul
Nice detail on that AT6/Harvard or whatever it is.
Paul
05-05-2011, 12:24 AM
#4359
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RE: Best scale photo!
Thanks Paul, .......if you all can indulge me one more time, this was from The Temora Invitational Scale Classic held last November. I don't know how correct the P-47 is but I tried to frame it as it waited on the apron at Temora.
Cheers,
John G.
Cheers,
John G.
05-05-2011, 02:06 AM
#4361
RE: Best scale photo!
Ha, that first Jug shot from John MG is seriously spot on.I don't think I'v seen an stationary pic that has the hieght of the camera so accurate.You know it's a model... but you feel that you can walk up to it and look up at the prop hub. Excellent.
05-09-2011, 12:46 AM
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RE: Best scale photo!
ORIGINAL: David Bathe
Ha, that first Jug shot from John MG is seriously spot on.I don't think I'v seen an stationary pic that has the hieght of the camera so accurate.You know it's a model... but you feel that you can walk up to it and look up at the prop hub. Excellent.
Ha, that first Jug shot from John MG is seriously spot on.I don't think I'v seen an stationary pic that has the hieght of the camera so accurate.You know it's a model... but you feel that you can walk up to it and look up at the prop hub. Excellent.
At first and even second glance it looks "real" ( full-size ) and may fool many into thinking it is. I like the comp., light, location, and as David stated, the camera angle "sells it". It's not easy to accurately gage the height at which to shoot from. If too low you get too much unscale foreground and too high you get that feeling or question in your mind ( maybe he's standing on a ladder or tug ) "something's just not right" and then you start picking the picture apart.
So kudos for taking the time to think before you click. I sometimes spend 30 to 40 seconds ( on grab shots ) at each position / station around the model "blocking" and adjusting before taking the shot. One trick I learned is right before you click, close your eyes for five seconds and when you open them ask yourself "am I looking at a real plane"? It's important to get that fresh perspective as you open your eyes....it's that first impression you get that will tell you if you have the right angle / camera height.
If I have lots of time and I know the owner of the model, I will spend several minutes composing each shot. But that started twenty five years ago while shooting film and you had to make each shot count. I think with digital, people have lost that willingness to slow down and "make photos" rather than "take photos". They all to often just ( bang away ) at the shutter and think that "something will come of it" or fix-it in Post.
It does help when you are presented with a superbly scale model to photogragh
Excellent "camera work" on the jug.......AND I also like the Tiger Moth above.
Ken.
05-09-2011, 02:13 AM
#4363
RE: Best scale photo!
I agree with David,
At first and even second glance it looks ''real'' ( full-size ) and may fool many into thinking it is. I like the comp., light, location, and as David stated, the camera angle ''sells it''. It's not easy to accurately gage the height at which to shoot from. If too low you get too much unscale foreground and too high you get that feeling or question in your mind ( maybe he's standing on a ladder or tug ) ''something's just not right'' and then you start picking the picture apart.
So kudos for taking the time to think before you click. I sometimes spend 30 to 40 seconds ( on grab shots ) at each position / station around the model ''blocking'' and adjusting before taking the shot. One trick I learned is right before you click, close your eyes for five seconds and when you open them ask yourself ''am I looking at a real plane''? It's important to get that fresh perspective as you open your eyes....it's that first impression you get that will tell you if you have the right angle / camera height.
If I have lots of time and I know the owner of the model, I will spend several minutes composing each shot. But that started twenty five years ago while shooting film and you had to make each shot count. I think with digital, people have lost that willingness to slow down and ''make photos'' rather than ''take photos''. They all to often just ( bang away ) at the shutter and think that ''something will come of it'' or fix-it in Post.
It does help when you are presented with a superbly scale model to photogragh
Excellent ''camera work'' on the jug.......AND I also like the Tiger Moth above.
Ken.
06-05-2011, 10:05 PM
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RE: Best scale photo!
There's unlimited possibilities with a photo like this. Thought I'd have a little fun with it.
The first one is the original then I take it step by step to perhaps give it a more authentic WWI look.
2nd: just remove the tree-line ( it's a distracting element for "scale realism" )
3rd: tried to simulate the very common (of the day) "film fogging" in order to hide the division line of the foreground grass. ( also distracting FOR ME )
4th: added a little contrast. (subjective)
That's all I did.
For those unfamiliar, "film-fogging" occured with field cameras and still can. It's caused by a small amount of light "leaking" around the edges of the film holder, (made of wood back then) I thought I could get away with using that "artifact" to desguise the line between the foreground and background.
If the original photog would use more of that foreground surface by stepping back with the model and try to "push" the tall grass back much further then it would be more convincing. In my opinnion.
Yes, it may all be a little "heavy-handed", but I wanted to show what things can be done to further enhance the Scale-realism of a photo of a nicely detailed model.
Ken.
The first one is the original then I take it step by step to perhaps give it a more authentic WWI look.
2nd: just remove the tree-line ( it's a distracting element for "scale realism" )
3rd: tried to simulate the very common (of the day) "film fogging" in order to hide the division line of the foreground grass. ( also distracting FOR ME )
4th: added a little contrast. (subjective)
That's all I did.
For those unfamiliar, "film-fogging" occured with field cameras and still can. It's caused by a small amount of light "leaking" around the edges of the film holder, (made of wood back then) I thought I could get away with using that "artifact" to desguise the line between the foreground and background.
If the original photog would use more of that foreground surface by stepping back with the model and try to "push" the tall grass back much further then it would be more convincing. In my opinnion.
Yes, it may all be a little "heavy-handed", but I wanted to show what things can be done to further enhance the Scale-realism of a photo of a nicely detailed model.
Ken.
06-06-2011, 03:10 AM
#4369
RE: Best scale photo!
I don't care for the heavy edited look. In fact, I like the original photo by "ST" better. But I suppose that's in the eye of the beholder. It's true that photo studios back in the WWI era used to use often quite heavy-handed "tricks" when printing from negatives (usually large-format) negatives. But the photography of the time was quite good with large-format cameras producing large negatives which would often contact printed so there was no lose of quality.
06-06-2011, 10:57 AM
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RE: Best scale photo!
ORIGINAL: abufletcher
Yes, Don is correct. However, I think in this case the original photog was maybe replicating a photo made in the field (under not so great conditions) by a less than professional photographer and this "print" was one that was made in a field studio with dirty equipment under wartime conditions.
Ken.
There's no reason we can't have a little fun with this "thread".
06-17-2011, 01:42 AM
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RE: Best scale photo!
.... one of my favorites, 1/3,5 Messerschmitt Bf109E .... too bad that this fighter is equipped with a 2-blader, a solo-prop would fit better and would give the perfect scale-look. The Emil is self constructed and power by a boxer-engine with 130ccm
06-17-2011, 01:44 AM
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RE: Best scale photo!
.... fantastic ship ... quarterscal Mustang, 95ccm 2cylinder-in-row engine .... okay also 2-blader .... but look at the pictures, there is a funny fault at that plane I donts mean the not retracted scale wheel, this was a pressure failure. Btw. the P51 crash at his third flight whilest malfunction right flap. It flipped and was completely destroyed [
] ..... really completely
I donts mean the not retracted scale wheel, this was a pressure failure. Btw. the P51 crash at his third flight whilest malfunction right flap. It flipped and was completely destroyed [] ..... really completely