Mixed Media Diorama.

[carlos filipe]

Hi John:
Great work.
Picking the initial issue of the multimedia, your work is a fine way to show the potentials of paper, combined with scratchbuilding.
Actually there's a trend to go back to paper models laser cut. There are already a couple of big manufactures turning to this media thanks to the laser cuting technique.
So maybe in a couple of generations the talk will maybe the way around: I also use plastic in my models... can I get in?I just hope that those future generations don't even bother to compartmentelise modeling by media one uses...
Either it works or not. Either it looks good or not.
Rgds
Carlos

[JohnReid]

At the end of the other "Road Taken" lies a "Dead End" quite literally one of loss and destruction, represented here by the old burned out car and all the dead leaves.The sign represents the folly of misplaced patriotism by the public and the pressure that was put on the young to get involved in giving up their lives for nothing.
On a personal note : My view is that WW1 and most other wars are a waste of good lives on both sides. WW2 on the other hand was unfortunately necessary to rid humanity of a great evil.

[JohnReid]

Originally Posted by carlos filipe

Hi John:
Great work.
Picking the initial issue of the multimedia, your work is a fine way to show the potentials of paper, combined with scratchbuilding.
Actually there's a trend to go back to paper models laser cut. There are already a couple of big manufactures turning to this media thanks to the laser cuting technique.
So maybe in a couple of generations the talk will maybe the way around: I also use plastic in my models... can I get in?I just hope that those future generations don't even bother to compartmentelise modeling by media one uses...
Either it works or not. Either it looks good or not.
Rgds
Carlos

Thanks ! glad you like it .I agree it is the results that really count.Cheers ! John.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Why Keep Posting ? You may be asking yourself,why does he keep posting this stuff when there is so little active response to his posts?

Number one is, to fulfill a promise that I made to myself 12 years ago to spread the word about dioramas as far and as wide as I possibly could,simply because I love dioramas.

Number two is, how do I know anybody is tuning in ? well in only one year I have got almost a million hits on my photobucket site. Yes,I can't believe it either.Most are repeats but still a million hits is very encouraging to keep on going with this stuff.
On occasion someone will tell me how they have been following my stuff for a long time ,sometimes on another site.

Number three is the amount of hits that I get on some websites that I post to.You guys may not always respond but I know that you are following along.

I want to thank all you guys and gals who have supported me now and in the past.You will never know how much your support means to this old guy. Cheers ! John.

[ltla9000311]

You are not wrong about us here. I may not make a post about your work, but I have been watching and learning so that I may be able to use at least one of your techniques in my own work in the future. Thanks for continuing to post here Mr. Reid, I have, and I am, enjoying your information.

[JohnReid]

A large scale diorama can be built for taking pictures of all types of models.They can be built expressly for that purpose or as in my case as a temporary backdrop before I ship it off.This backdrop was originally made for my airplane diorama "The Road Taken".The airplane has been temporary stored in my home and can be re-installed back in the diorama in as little as five minutes.Actually I have more fun taking pictures than the actual modeling and in some cases I like the pictures better than the model or diorama.Storyboarding using your own pictures is also a lot of fun too when using them in a picture book or album.In my case the storyboard albums will be for members of my family and friends because the real thing will be gone to a better home.
This thread is about ideas not a specific type or genre of modeling.Website owners please feel free to move it or delete it at your own discretion if you feel that it does not meet the standards of your site.I don't mind,honest !

[JohnReid]

Warning!! the next picture that you see may be disturbing to some viewers, yes it is a car. I used it here only for information purposes.Airplane,RR,figure guys etc...will just have to try to avoid looking at it ! Please let me explain.

The pic below depicts a car of course but it really could be anything.The point here is the backdrop and how it was used to create a little vignette within the larger diorama.
Here I have taken a 1/18th scale car and put it in a 1/16th scale diorama.By using camera angles,lighting,focus,forced perspective etc... I was able to create the illusion that it is all the same scale.
I deliberately selected a very shiny new car right out of the showroom for this example. Using proper lighting I was able to control any excessive shine which would otherwise only serve to make it look toy like.This is especially true of figures.You have to learn how to control the shine.Even in this picture it is still quite shiny but you should see it if I didn't play around with it a bit.
My technique is very simple, I just experiment and shoot lots of pics using different kinds of lighting.I have no professional equipment and I use a point and shoot camera.(In the old film days ,I wound be broke by now.)If you get 1 in 20 that looks good you will be lucky.Don't spend a lot of time and money on fancy equipment,you just don't need it.Most of my pics that I am taking now of an outdoor scene I just bounce the light off a white ceiling and use a hand held clip on light with a 60W bulb to produce shadows.Don't be afraid to keep moving the light around by hand until you get what your looking for.Sometimes an accidental shot will be the best of the bunch.
For my indoor shots in hangars etc.. I usually set up overhead lighting controlled by a rheostat especially when I am using figures to take advantage of the shadows that this produces, which is usually better than anything that I can paint on by hand.Simply underpaint only and play with the light to bring out the detail.In a controlled light setting this works very well.My figures for example look best indoors and in artificial light.Outdoors I have got to work a little harder but either way I am no Shep Paine with painting figures,that's for sure.

To make the scene look like it is all one scale there are a few things that can be played with.Camera angle is one.Low angle shots worked best in this case as it distorts the scale.Out of focus background also helps.Take shots that don't give it away.For example anything that is of readily known proportions like figures in the foreground or windows in the background must be used very carefully.In the above pic for example the fence can come in various sizes in real life but everyone knows the approximate size of a standard door or window from that era.

to be continued.......

[JohnReid]