Pah co chu puk

The Western Slope Division sent out a patrol yesterday to scout for movie locations. The staging area was located south of Grand Junction, Colorado overlooking the Gunnison river canyon. Limited maneuvers were conducted, then the crew did a field maintenance check before returning to the staging area. The exercise was a success, a good movie location was found, and no vehicles were damaged, no equipment was lost.
Units deployed:
1/16 scale Heng Long Abrams M1A2
1/16 scale Bruder JBC backhoe
1/18 scale UNIMAX Bradley
1/18 scale Maisto Humvee
1/18 scale UNIMAX figures
Camera notes:
No movies were shot on this trip, just still pictures to plan future movie backgrounds and angles. The best shots were captured by keeping the camera close to the ground, at scale figure eye level. I brought the background into focus by backing away from the models, and using the camera zoom to bring the subject in close. I always shoot the pictures with more background in the frame than I need, then crop to enhance the models. In every photo shoot, I take several pictures from several angles to find the light angle that shows the model best. Early morning or late evening photo shoots have low angle sun and show shadows well, enhancing those details we all work so hard to get right.
When choosing a background, I look for features that either “pop” and provide a second subject besides the model, or a background that is sort of bland and nondescript to enhance the model as the subject. Backgrounds that “pop” can be used to imply a location relevant to the tanks history and thus add to the story each picture can tell the viewer. Bland backgrounds focus the viewer’s eyes on the model making the model “pop” in the picture. Bland backgrounds are good to show details on the tank, or to enhance the showing of paint schemes.
Figures and props add action and dimension to the story each photo tells. A tank is just a tank till the crew mans it. Then it becomes a vehicle of history. Have fun posing figures with your tanks for pictures. Use lots of different ideas and postures. Add scale props to enhance the scene you portray. Try to tell a story or show a situation in the picture using the model, the figures, the props and background.
As you look at these pictures, note where your eye lingers, and ask yourself what in the picture makes the toy RC tank look full sized and real. Ask yourself what location is implied in the picture? Would the implied location be different if the tank was a WWII tank?
Above all, have fun.

MAUS45

The photos with the sun behinde the tank look like a real tank and crew!!!

RichJohnson

Good staging. A few things, everything is way too clean. Our stuff tends to stay pretty dirty. Also need to weather the treads and tires. On the humvee, the rear view mirrors should be either CARC tan 686 or CARC green 383. So many trucks that are tan have green parts put on them these days. The tublar brush guard does now come in black though, but flat. Wheel centers are either black or tan or mismatched... I love maing humvees with a green door, green headlight bucket, green mirror or even a green hood. Makes a great theater model.

Pah co chu puk

I am still working on them, they are all new. I will weather them to match the dirt color out there. Right now I am making periscopes and a gun shield for the loader's machine gun on the Abrams. The periscopes have a strange red/purple hue and it is tricky to reproduce. After that, antennas and markings, then it will get an electronics upgrade. I bet It's a year before this Abrams is done. The Humvee will get weathered to match the Abrams. I like the idea of green parts as replacements in the field. Both the Abrams and Humvee will get that treatment. The Bradley is my kids so only he can paint it.

TigerTankMan

Great pictures - thanks for sharing them

afv aficionado

Hi Pah co chu puk
Brilliant. Agree with Richjohnson that theyr'e way too clean, but sounds like you're planning to fix that. Are you going to armour the JCB & give it a tactical paint job? The NZ Army has the armoured versions in service, so they're CARC green.

Mal

Pah co chu puk

I just grabbed the JCB off my sons toy shelf as a last minute whim for the pictures because it is 1/16 scale. I bet he would think that was a cool thing to do to his toy. He let me paint his Bruder semi truck OD green.

Thanks guys for all the nice comments. I love to see the pictures of all your tanks too.

olegnA

great shots and angles. thanks for sharing camera tips and notes.

Imex-Erik

Great scenery as always from you I wish we had more than just sand here... oh wait, I forgot about sand spurs! Tons of those things too...

Pah co chu puk

We have sand and rocks. Here is a little different perspective on the photo shoot location.

Thanks for all the comments.

MAUS45

First photo showing the flat area next to the river looks like the Siani Desert. Did you see any M-51's running around down there?

Imex-Erik

Yes but do you have sand spurs? I never even heard of them until I moved to Florida! You would think with all the sand around here you would be able to walk barefoot occasionally... NOPE. These things are evil and will leave you with splinters so you get to dig them out. Did I mention they grow like wildfire?

I used to live in the Denver area for around a year and a half. I actually bought a car from John Elway Toyota Is that place still around?

Green Amphibian

Is the HUMMV an RC one? If not, can it be converted to be?

Herman

Pah co chu puk

The Humvee is not RC but I think the body would work on a RC rock crawler. It is quite detailed inside with seats and an engine.. The steering wheel even turns the front tires. All that would have to go to RC it so I think only the body on an existing rock crawler is the way to do it. I got it as a movie prop for the Abrams but if I can find a RC rock crawler that fits it, I may buy another Humvee and gut it to do that conversion. It would be cool to have the Humvee follow the tanks in a movie.

Rex Ross

Pak co chu puk

Your dioramas and photography just keep getting better and better. The positioning of the figures are very realistic looking. The background scenery you have available is truly beautiful. I envy you and I really enjoy seeing your efforts.
rex

Pah co chu puk

Thanks Rex, it would be fun to photograph one of your amazing scratch builds out here. Your current project would look great out in the west end where they mine the Uranium. There is some odd stuff out in those canyons.

Pah co chu puk

I did a Fall deployment of the Abrams and Humvee. I practiced driving the tank onto, and off of, the semi trailer. That is a challenge.

purgatory

Nice set of pictures, I enjoyed each of them. Great job there. Some looks so very real, you have to look twice

Rex Ross

The photos of your Bruder trailer rig and AFVs makes my day!.

I woke up grumpy this morning (as usual), but looking at all of the postings on this forum is like taking a happy pill.
rex