The DIORAMA Thread; Tips, Tricks, Tales, Pics.

[photonrider]

Great Post, AOS - very creative way of going about it, and you obviously have a unique perspective on it. It will be interesting to see how you develop this idea. What camera are you sing, BTW? I can see that you are using multiple light sources.

Here's something I was playing around with today:

This is a 1:32 Jada '09 GT-R, the parts on the floor by it are from Revell.

 

[AOS-]

I'm using a Canon T3i, as I said before.

 

[photonrider]

Yes, I reread that last paragraph a little better now - it's amazing that you getting these shots by trial and error. A Point and Shoot is easy enough to get good shots with, but handling a T3i - which is a DSLR is quite something else isn't it? I would think you will be using a lower ISO for finer detail, and if you are using a lot of light, then you can afford to do that (low light requires higher ISO - faster reaction time). For long exposures (shutter open for a longer period of time) you are probably using a tripod to keep it steady. The T3i has 18 MP in comparison to your Sony's 4.1 - so you are getting a lot more detail and clarity with the DSLR. Good work.👍

 

[ForceMotion]

I love your stuff photonrider! Very inspirational.. As said here some pics i did this evening, with that stage setup you did.. I yet have to try make a shoe box like a garage but i need the right tools for that

 

[Sonygamer455]

Awesome photos Photonrider!👍 I really like those shop photos!👍 I would like to see you try that with these right here

 

[photonrider]

Thanks, Sonygamer - you are too kind; I'm glad you're enjoying the show.
Now that I have your attention - I recall you telling me that you use your PSVita for taking your photos, and I can understand why you are struggling to get the quality you want.
Not really easy with handhelds like that - but here's something you can try - increase your lighting. Place your cars on a bright windowsill for instance, and then check the results you are getting. In fact, take a couple of cars, and move around your home trying out various locations till you see the Vita pick up the detail you need. Also - try taking a few different 'distances' - as in try taking the shots from a foot away, then two feet, then maybe try 6 inches away, etc.
I am very confident that your photos will improve - I have seen many a member on here whose photography has improved tremendously by keeping at it and focusing on what they want to get, and finally getting it.

ForceMotion!!!!!! Wow! I am impressed by that effort. Great job, man, love that first shot most because the monotone disguises the fact that the truck is so precariously balanced on that rock, and adds to the realism.
Are the trains real toys or is that a poster in the background? I see people . . .

I am hard put to find trains and planes that are suitably scaled - wanted to do a diorama of the Shuttle being flown on the Jumbo, and still looking for one that will go with the MB Shuttles I have.

I'm also looking for a suitable Aircraft Carrier - the really good ones are way out of my reach right now, since other priorities eat up my money. Not sure what scale it's going to be - but the USS Ronald Reagan would be nice. Hopefully now that China has its own Aircraft Carrier those toy manufacturers over there will get the right idea.

I would like to display a photo in the OP from each of you guys who have already placed shots in here - but I have to find a suitable block of time for that - will do soon.

There is a huge amount of possible diorama ideas - and I know sometimes picking what to do is half the problem. For instance:

1. Tracks. - These could be bits (corners, finishing straights, etc) that can come from real world locations or imaginary places in one's mind. These can be Road Courses, Indy ovals, Rally tracks, etc.

2. City Scapes - Intersections, small Plazas, Parking lots, Highways, etc.

3. Pits, Garages, Workshops.

4. Automotive dealers and Showrooms.

5. Car shows, Rallies, Parades.

6. Construction sites, Farm scenes, Expeditions, etc.

7. Other Special efforts - as in using the Mars Rover, or the DMC 12, or K.I.T.T.

I have many ongoing projects, but recently have started spending more time on a Cityscape that would be useful for many possible angles and vignettes:

Remember - half the fun about Dioramas is that you get to actually play with your toys while you work. And then, there are all those little engineering puzzles one has to solve with the use of math, physics, and even some chemistry . . . which of course is tremendously valuable to your personal neuroplasticity.

 

[Nessy]

That looks like a lot of fun, has got me thinking. 👍

 

[AOS-]

I get the joy out of making things regardless of how useful or useless it is.

I'd make a diorama, but I personally wouldn't "play" with it all too much. I would however, make stop motion animations and that is the only time I'd ever "play" with my cars.

 

[photonrider]

That looks like a lot of fun, has got me thinking. 👍

Yes, it is . . . a whole lot of fun, and as addictive as worldwide attention. Now people like architects (and the odd contractor like me that designs parking lots IRL ) find these little cars useful, when a structure has to be made for a client's perusal.

But I tend to take it further, and try to recreate scenarios that would be impossible or difficult to photograph IRL.
As you may notice, most real car photography is at eye-level. Or at its most creative a worm's eye view. Nowadays, because of the technology, race organisers place their cameras everywhere -from in front of the wheel to shots from a blimp - but unless one was on a 40 foot boom - it's hard to create those shots that look like they were taken while hovering 50 feet away and in mid-air.

More about this project - once I had a mini-mockup, I couldn't help but play around with the cars instead of moving to the real thing!

Micros are easier to handle when making a quick mock-up - but when I move up to the HW mainline scale (which is actually all over the map - and sometimes into the :80s, and not true :64s) then I have to look for a bigger surface. So I've now moved the template to a large 30 inch by 40 inch Fome-Cor board.

This means a bit of math - and some draughtsmanship - both skills which are easily picked up in life. Or school.

I have to plan width of roads, sidewalks, etc, to reflect the proportions of reality.

As you may have noticed, along the way, there were some changes to the Northern end (I'm facing South in this pic) and the T-Junction began to assume snake-like properties conducive to tire-squeal, and other auto-orgasmic sounds.

Some asphalt laid down - and the bigger cars come out, impatient to play now.

Playing, of course, always turns into horseplay.

Yeah, the cops were summoned to break it up. A cub from the Harrisville Reporter caught it all, while doing a leisurely fly-over.

At this stage, the 3D effect hasn't been appled yet. Soon. I want to play. I have to go to work.

Okay . . . more later. And hoping to see some new pics from you guys. 👍

 

[Nessy]

That's some great stuff Harry, some of the micro machine pics remind me of the original GTA and the horse.... 👍

 

[ForceMotion]

Thanks photonrider The background i used for my photos was a poster indeed, and found some rocks and made that structure which was working well Thanks to you, it inspired me to do that and i been hunting down Ebay for some 1:64 scale cars etc, and working now on some showroom I love your ideas for this kind of thing, it opens up a new world for me lol

 

[VspecZR1GT2RS89]

Thanks for the tips and ideas Harry, I always appreciate the creativity you bring out with these guys 👍.

Yep, the micro cars with the bird's eye view reminds me of GTA1 and 2 alot. 👍

And there's loose horses on the street that broke out of the local Zoo. I see that the cops got alot of cleanup to do in traffic.

 

[Apok]

I only made one diorama so far in september 2010.

Excuse the shoddy pictures that are NOT suited for a diorama at all.

A quick project. All made from scraps I found around the house.
Even the grass is made from colored sawdust (which is essentially what is sold in hobby shops)

I'm working on another diorama, but it's been put on hold for a month or so now. Should look good when I eventually get to finishing it.

 

[MatskiMonk]

I've nothing to contribute.. but I am impressed with the level of creativity and effort that goes on in this thread 👍

 

[AOS-]

If you guys ever do plan on making dioramas that aren't enclosed rooms, make it big so that you have more room to play around when composing photos. If for example you made a section of a track like what Apok posted above, you're limited to taking photos from a top view close up. If you got eye-level with the car, you'd end up photographing your room as well which clearly isn't what you're going to want. 👍

 

[photonrider]

Thanks photonrider The background i used for my photos was a poster indeed, and found some rocks and made that structure which was working well Thanks to you, it inspired me to do that and i been hunting down Ebay for some 1:64 scale cars etc, and working now on some showroom I love your ideas for this kind of thing, it opens up a new world for me lol

I have received many a compliment here, ForceMotion, and it only spurs me to do better in this community - but I find your words very rewarding, and your appreciation and understanding of the concepts we are all trying to develop here together is heartening.
Yes - I thought that might be a poster because of the scale of the people in the scene - however, you used it to good effect. If I hadn't spooted the people in the bottom left corner I might have been completely taken in by the illusion you had created.
As for eBay - you don't really have to be a 'collector' to indulge in the pleasure of this hobby. Just buy only the cars or vehicles you like to set up dioramas with - for instance you may only like to do trucks and trains. Or just muscle cars. In the end - there should be no stress. After all - the purpose of a hobby is to relax you and give you a suitable activity that makes you happy.
When I'm alone in my mancave, looking at all the cars on my wall, or on my counter and playing around with them, taking photograph after photograph is when I am very happy - doing what I want to do - not what I have to do.
I can see that you have got that idea, too. 👍

I only made one diorama so far in september 2010.

Excuse the shoddy pictures that are NOT suited for a diorama at all.

A quick project. All made from scraps I found around the house.
Even the grass is made from colored sawdust (which is essentially what is sold in hobby shops)

I'm working on another diorama, but it's been put on hold for a month or so now. Should look good when I eventually get to finishing it.

Sawdust!! Yes. Great idea, Apok. That little section of roadway for some reason reminds me of a section at de la Sarthe. I am now all excited to see what else you come up with. Also - more shots, please of this location - try some warm-toned cars, and macro mode. People waving would be nice, Some flags on the roof of the building . . . yes. Also experiment with your lighting - a read-up on the way photons behave in quantum reality might help.
Great effort! 👍

I've nothing to contribute.. but I am impressed with the level of creativity and effort that goes on in this thread 👍

Now what would us artistes be without an audience, Matski. Thanks for that.

If you guys ever do plan on making dioramas that aren't enclosed rooms, make it big so that you have more room to play around when composing photos.

Very much so, AOS- eye-level photography reduces the viewer to the scale of the cars, so when going close-up and eye-level one must remember that the background does play a big part in the picture.

Some examples:

Sometime all you need is a plain backdrop that looks like the side of a building to give your picture some drama:

Remember in the end it's all about having fun. We put aside the cookie-cutter photography for a moment and try to remember the old time painters - who used paints, and brushes, and canvas in diversely unique and personal ways to express the beauty they saw.
We have cameras (the canvas), photons (the paints) and our techniques (the brushes) that we use, to turn us into Rembrandts or Picassos, or Van Goghs.

Or Monet.

Good luck, and have fun - hoping to see more art from you guys. 👍

 

[Nessy]

Iv'e finally got hold of some card, just need to figure out what i'd like to do, obviously i should have thought about what i'd like to do then get the materials (in that order).

 

[AOS-]

You could print out images of a garage for example, but you'd need a lot of space to make a large enough garage that you can blur out the edged with your camera. This way, you can get the impression of the garage without giving away the obvious flat image of a print.

If I were to actually make a replica of a garage, I'd sculpt in brick texture. Can't fool anyone then.

 

[Nessy]

Don't know whether i'll do a garage yet, also my printer doesn't work, so printings out of the question ATM. I wouldn't mind doing a shipping dock... couple of fork-lifts, warehouse, storage crates and shipping containers maybe.

 

[AOS-]

Are you going to buy scale Forklifts (if that's even easy to find)?

Speaking of, I bought a Back Slider the other day and I'm going to add that to the current diorama soon so we can be expecting a white tow truck soon.

 

[Nessy]

I was thinking Matchbox maybe for fork-lifts, either that or i'll scratch build one... should be fairly simple as they're simple in shape.

White back-slider sounds cool. 👍

 

[AOS-]

I don't want to tell you what to do, but grabbing an existing casting would probably be the ideal path since you're a busy person. While it may be simple, it's definitely going to take a lot of time and I personally don't feel it's worth it (for a background prop). I mean, how long have you been working on that wide body Datsun now?

 

[Nessy]

True indeed . But TBH i guess i'm in no real rush, having said that.. i may try something simpler for my 1st diorama and build the components for the 'Illegal Import/Export Dock' diorama on the side, (similar to what i'm doing with the RWB Porsche). BTW, the Datsun is nearly ready for primer.

 

[AOS-]

Only the priming stage? Damn, you took your sweet time Mr.Milliput.

 

[Nessy]

These old hands just ain't got the knack anymore.

 

[AMG.]

For those that need some inspiration, check this one out, it's astounding in detail. Click on the pics to view larger.
http://nicadraus-lambo.blogspot.nl/2009/02/lamborghini-garage-diorama-118-scale.html

 

[Nessy]

That's Amazing! AMG 👍, 1/18 scale is perfect for that kind of attention to detail, good use of 'GI-JOE' figures too. If i had the money, the space and the time, i'd love to try doing something like that.

[EDIT] Actually, the size is pretty good, doesn't really take up that much space.

 

[AOS-]

Daaamn that's killer. It's still not something I'm crazy about making myself though.

The artist in me doesn't let me be satisfied with replicas for some odd reason.. like it's doesn't have enough ... something...

 

[photonrider]

I smell discrimination again against the 1/18 collectors

👍 .

I don't shoot my 1:64 as often as I should.

Thread is now modified to welcome you gentlemen.
Thank you for the interest. 👍

Crikey - AMG! I'm going to be spending all day at that site! Thanks for the link.

 

[AMG.]

Given that I recently bought some new car models and photography is my main hobby I thought I'd give this a go too.
Above is my first IRL car in scale 1:18.
With the help of a Dymotape machine I was able to recreate the correct Licence plate we used back then in NL.
Next step was to visit scour the net for background photographs. This one is used for scale H0 model trains.
It's rather large and perhaps next time I'll buy a smaller one. From the same shop I bought some bushes.

I was pondering what to use for the road and realised I still had 2 spare slate tiles lying around (30/60cm).
So put these on the cardboard box and cleaned off the dusty tiles. Set up the camera and reflector and took some pictures.
When I looked at the end result on my screen I realised the wet look enhanced the photographs.
Do pay meticulous attention to the whole set. it pays off in the end to get your end result as realistic as possible. It's good fun too.

Specs: Aperture priority mode, 20 seconds, 57mm, ISO 200, f18.0 for good DoF.
Specs: Aperture priority mode, 18 seconds, 57mm, ISO 200, f18.0
Camera set to 2 second delay to eliminate vibration.
Reflector to bounce back some light on the subject. You can use alu-foil as a cheap alternative.
No flash used.
Some White Balance adjustment and slight cropping applied in Lightroom.