Dioramas

[chessie4155]

Does anyone else have a diorama they built for taking pics of your trains?
My son and I have started this one and could use a few pointers from anyone who has already built one. Here's a pic I took of it in the garage, I couldn't wait till we took it outside in the yard...ops:

Thanks for any help, and please post some pics of your Dioramas
Mark

 

[UP SD40-2]

Hope this might help

Mark:wav: , i have lived in a small apartment for the last couple years with my son, and i only have enough room for a switching layoutops: . ANYWAYS, i felt you could only post so many pics off an 8'x30'' switching layout, before folks start getting sick of the same old scenesops: , so i developed a diorama that could EASILY change, to give different looks:up: . Fact is, a lot of the pics i have posted on here come from my diorama . ALL the pics i am putting in this post came from THIS 2'x4' diorama.

as you can see, i only grassed one side of the diorama. the other side is for "props".

there are several items(props) i have to help create different scenes. here are some of the items i use to make up QUICK, EASY, different scenes:
1- paved road, i use styrene for this.
2- dirt road, i also used styrene for this.
3- assorted houses/buildings
4- assorted trees
5- loose clump foliage
6- power lines
7- assorted backgrounds. using the real outdoors is GREAT TOO:up: .
8- assorted vehicles
9- create different hills, or mountains that are easy to take on and off. (my best friend Steve(Nazgul), was nice enough to create a SLAP FANTASTIC dessert mountain for my diorama. THANKS STEVE!!! )
10- a grassed strip, to add grass to the non grassed side of the diorama if you decide you need it for different looks. i use sheet styrene for this too, just glue the grass on it, makes it quick and EASY to change out:up: .

There are TONS more things you could do to create AWESOME scenes, quickly and easily:up: . heres some examples from MY diorama, of different scenes using the items i have listed . notice the different roads, trees, buildings, and bushes, and backgrounds, you can go from very simplistic, to more complex scenes quickly doing as i have described:up: .

Want to showcase some work you have just done, the diorama is PERFECT for doing this. notice how there is next to no scenery to take away from the object you want to show .

How about a roll-by, your diorama can work GREAT for that too!:up:

Mark, i hope some of these tips and ideas will help you out .
GOOD LUCK! -Deano

 

[TruckLover]

Mark, How big is that diorama? I mean like how long and how wide?

Deano, Thats some AWESOME advise and AMAZING pics to go along with it!! I am going to be building a small diroama also to take some pics on when I go to my grandmas and grandpas. Figure it would be better to have a smaller protable diorama then to take them on the kitchen counter lol. Thanks for the tips!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Biased turkey]

Nice "Transformer" diorama Deano.

 

[CNJ999]

Mark - Quite honestly, one can do very well just swapping around scenic elements and save a lot of time not lugging a big board around, although I'll admit that a small "board" can come in handy sometimes.

The following photos were obtained mainly with just the details visible in the picture, using careful framing and the camera's field-of-view to cut off unwanted things that "give away" the shot's special effects technique, like what's supporting the end of the bridge, how big is that city above the railroad cut, etc.

CNJ999

 

[MasonJar]

Dean, CNJ999

WOW! That's some phenomenal work! :thumb: :thumb: I am actually at a loss for words to describe your photos... outstanding, excellent, brilliant - those don't come close! WOW (again ).


Mark -

My diorama has been incorporated into another layout, but here's an article on how I did it... Small diorama kickstarts layout landscaping.

Andrew

 

[doctorwayne]

As Dean's diorama shows, if you leave it pretty basic, you have the option of building whatever type of scene you want to best show off your modelling work, plus, you still have a place to run trains (a bit, at least).
CNJ999's idea can be used anywhere: the kitchen table, on the hood of your car, etc., but the important thing to remember for both approaches is that you control what appears in the picture. You can use a photo or painted backdrop, or a real scene outdoors, or even use computer "magic" to fill in the background, but one of your most useful tools is camera placement. (I know, lots of my pictures have unprototypical elements in them, ops: but that's mostly a case of laziness on my part.) :mrgreen:
Nice work, both of you. :thumb: :thumb:
By the way CNJ999, your pictures remind me a lot of those of Vic Roseman, especially the second and third shots.

Wayne

 

[chessie4155]

I appreciate all the input. Lots of excellent ideas. The pics yuall posted are fantastic. Thanks Again.
Mark

 

[nolatron]

I think I'll probably create one using a piece of wood I left over from the benchwork. I have plenty to spare

I like Deano's style and will probably create something similiar for taking pictures.

 

[ocalicreek]

CNJ999 - excellent weathering on the rails...IMO, not too dark, too red, too anything - just right!

I've done some fun photos using combinations of dioramas I've made as well as various kits. This was all a couple years ago to submit as photos for the Walther's catalog contest. I painted a sky backdrop with clouds on a piece of canvas and clamped it to shelving. Then I used my adjustable-height workbench as a stand and set up my camera on a tripod. A few clamp-on floodlights later and I had decent lighting. That's when the real fun begins of trying different structure, tree, people, etc in various positions. And with a digital camera I can shoot as much as the memory card can hold and keep the shots I like.

When I get home mebbe I'll dig out some of these pics and share them.