More photo backdrops

[Gavin Hince]

Have been lurking here a while, but thought that I'd better come out into the light & share some progress.

I'm modelling Clear Creek Canyon circa 1930 in On3, in a 'studio' room above our two-car garage. That provides a comfortable layout space, complete with carpet, TV and a beer fridge! The layout is about 2/3 scenically complete, running from staging (for Golden) via Elk Creek & Forks Creek, to Black Hawk, Idaho Springs & Silver Plume. Most scenes aim to capture the 'flavour' of the prototype - I'm more focussed on making an interesting layout (so far from Colorado here in Australia!) than an exact replica.

On Friday I was scanning old forum posts and happened across Doug Tasgold's panorama of the hillside behind Idaho Springs. My own scene had only a blue-painted wall as yet. I contacted Doug off-post and he kindly shared his image file. Five trips to our local printer later, by Sunday evening I could mount a nice photo backdrop behind my scene. The IS depot is scratch build from card, using windows and trim laser-cut by Outback Model Company (thanks Laurie); other structures are freelanced and as yet, are just propped in place. The backdrop gives the whole scene a lift - this should spur me to get stuck into adding structures & details, etc.

Thanks very much Doug - a great example of collaboration via this forum!
Cheers...Gavin

[Jeff Young]

Hi Gavin,

That backdrop looks fantastic!

(Nice weathering on the rolling stock, too.)

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Jim Courtney]

Indeed, beautiful work!

Interesting how C&S fans in the Southern Hemisphere seem drawn to the Clear Creek line.

I'd love to see more photos of your On3 rolling stock.

[Don Gustavson II]

This turned out great.
Would like to see more pictures of your layout.

[Mike Trent]

Very nice, Gavin, it has an authentic feel that jumps out and grabs you.

These photo backdrops add a new dimension to everything we do, especially when they represent the actual location of the scene, as yours does.

Very creative solution to your depot, as well!

Mike

[Konrad Schreier]

Gavin - that is a hugely effective backdrop,  and cures one of the big problems in getting a model scene to become believable.  Did you have  to manipulate the images to create a seamless panorama?

Great looking layout,

Konrad

[Bill Uffelman]

Subscribe to NG Down Under  Don 8>))

Bill Uffelman

Ocean View DE

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

On Fri, Apr 28, 2017 at 1:06 PM, Don Gustavson II [via C&Sng Discussion Forum]

<[hidden email]> wrote:

This turned out great.
Would like to see more pictures of your layout.

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[Doug Tagsold]

Konrad,
The backdrop is composed of five individual shots that I used photoshop to merge into one long panoramic image.  
Here in the states, the entire image can be printed on two 2 foot by 8 foot prints which Walmart calls "Banners" for under $30 each.

Doug Tagsold

[Doug Tagsold]

If there are any other C&S modelers interested in using this backdrop on their own layouts, I'd be glad to send them my image file.
Doug Tagsold

[Gavin Hince]

Now I'm crying, Doug! I paid about $A200 (around $US170) for a 12" high print; you guys can get a bigger one for much less!

I did like that my print was on self-adhesive film (a plasticised-style paper). This made it very thin, so the vertical seams didn't show; and the self-adhesive backing made it quite convenient to apply.

Now I'm doing the math, on the linear feet of photograph prints I'd need to stretch around the rest of the layout...

[Mike Trent]

Last weekend I finally got around to putting down some ground cover. No Buffalo Grass yet.... As I was putting things back in order this afternoon, I came upon a scene that I'd never really imagined. A cool find, because it was almost accidental.

Just the addition of a few square feet of dirt and boom! Suddenly the range North of Dillon pops out from an angle that would have looked awful with bare homasote.

#76 as an in train helper.....

 

[John Greenly]

Mike,

that's beautiful!  What a great scene.

I'm a very bad amateur watercolor painter, but I know that what you have going there with colors is really helping the illusion.  The contrast between the yellowish-reddish, warmer tones of the foreground dirt and the very blue-dominated background is just what our visual minds have learned to expect to see in the sweep from close-up to great distance.  The foreground boxcar color adds to the effect nicely too.

Please show us more photos!

Cheers,
John

[Mike Trent]

Thanks John, but really, it's just dumb luck.

Like a blind squirrel finding an acorn.

[Lee Gustafson]

Mike nicely framed the locomotive with yellow reefer and the red box car. A well composed photo. Dumb luck or a natural sense of composition ? I think Mike is modest his work speaks for him.

Lee Gustafson

[Mike Trent]

Thanks, John and Lee, for the complimentary encouragement. I'm both proud and surprised with the results. I remember reading as a kid that the late great John Allen was a photographer who became an excellent model railroader with his famed G&D. I consider myself a passable model railroader, who is the son of a very good railroad photographer. If I see something that catches my eye these days, I'll pick up my phone and see what happens. A lot of times the results are disappointing, but this was a one and done and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was pretty good, and knew just where to put it, in this backdrop thread. The point is, taking a few pictures along the way is a nice way to document your progress. And, also a really good way to see how things really look, as your eye tends not always to see things in a critical way. Who'da  thunk this one, Jeff? Just a postage stamp piece of one of the long views North.

For those of you who think that you don't have room for any modeling, be aware that you are looking at here a space of about 24" square, and this is On3. Anyone has room for 36", so that's not an excuse, even in a nursing home. In the space of the top of a bookcase you can make a nice 3D shadowbox depicting a narrow gauge train climbing toward the top of the world, Boreas Pass. All it takes is an engine, a couple of cars, some track, dirt, and a backdrop. And a few trees.  

I'll see if I can get a few tufts of Buffalo Grass planted before Train No 71 rolls by this same place.  Stay tuned.

[Bill Uffelman]

It is a great scene showcasing your fine modeling.

Bill Uffelman

On Tuesday, August 8, 2017, 2:40:58 PM EDT, Mike Trent [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Thanks, John and Lee, for the complimentary encouragement. I'm both proud and surprised with the results. I remember reading as a kid that the late great John Allen was a photographer who became an excellent model railroader with his famed G&D. I consider myself a passable model railroader, who is the son of a very good railroad photographer. If I see something that catches my eye these days, I'll pick up my phone and see what happens. A lot of times the results are disappointing, but this was a one and done and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was pretty good, and knew just where to put it, in this backdrop thread. The point is, taking a few pictures along the way is a nice way to document your progress. And, also a really good way to see how things really look, as your eye tends not always to see things in a critical way. Who'da  thunk this one, Jeff? Just a postage stamp piece of one of the long views North.

For those of you who think that you don't have room for any modeling, be aware that you are looking at here a space of about 24" square, and this is On3. Anyone has room for 36", so that's not an excuse, even in a nursing home. In the space of the top of a bookcase you can make a nice 3D shadowbox depicting a narrow gauge train climbing toward the top of the world, Boreas Pass. All it takes is an engine, a couple of cars, some track, dirt, and a backdrop. And a few trees.  

I'll see if I can get a few tufts of Buffalo Grass planted before Train No 71 rolls by this same place.  Stay tuned.

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[CBryars2]

I'm doing Idaho Springs and woould love a copy of the banner.

Thanks Cameron - [e-mail]

[Lee Gustafson]

Doug,

I am interested in obtaining a copy of your back drop file. Thanks.

Lee Gustafson

Bagustaf at aol dot com

[Doug Tagsold]

Hi Lee,

I'll send you both the Idaho Springs backdrop, and the Black Hawk backdrop in two separate emails.

Doug

[skip]

Doug Tagsold wrote

If there are any other C&S modelers interested in using this backdrop on their own layouts, I'd be glad to send them my image file.
Doug Tagsold

Doug, Thanks for the offer. I would love a copy! [e-mail]
Skip Egdorf