So, how many folks are tired of seeing my basement walls' simulated brick pattern? Since I'm getting ready to move in less than 4 months and this was a rental anyway, extensive permanent backdrops were never really an option. However, portable backdrops for photos are easily done. Case in point:
Before:
After:
Let's move it a bit and use it to highlight a locomotive:
Now, what's at the end of the yard? Not bricks anymore!
Now even the other side of the yard that doesn't have a permanent backdrop can have one for photos!
How'd I do it? Some scrap pieces of foam core, some acrylic craft paints, glue, and ground foam. That's it!
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Dave
Being as I was probably the first one to open my mouth about your fake bricks let me say that simple backdrop makes a night and day difference and serves to give your modeling the attention it deserves
I need to do something like that. Right now you can see the rest of my layout when I take pictures of my trestle. Cheap, easy and effective.
Looks much better!!! Your layout has really come along!!
"Rust, whats not to love?"
What works about this is now I have a number of shots that weren't available before. For example, roster shots right where the loco or car happens to be. Up first is my kitbashed H10sb:
Followed by a Trainman Erie 40'-er...
Now the highway bridge doesn't have to dump traffic over the edge and into the aisle. Now it can head straight into a mountain!
My self, I never looked at the Brick, but your great modeling. Does help and I need to something like that as well.
Ken
I hate Rust
Many years ago I needed a portable backdrop for my model photography, much of which was on dioramas. I bought a set of backdrops from Walthers by a European firm can't recall the name now, that were photo reproductions of some gently rolling hills and lots of sky with clouds. The scenes were quite similar to our area and were perfect. I mounted one 3 foot section on a piece of corrugated cardboard, making it portable. I've used it for many years, and the only problem is the sky is too light, especially when lighted by several photoflood bulbs, it would be more useful if it were darker. But the backdrop has served me well, and is still available.
Might be an alternative to painting your own.
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
This sky background is just a piece of foamcore board, too. I found some sky-blue spray paint, and within 3 minutes I had a background.
Dave, I don't think I've seen the GG-1 on your layout before. Can we get some more pictures? I love that engine.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Dave,
though I would not have chimed in in the discussion about the brick wall background, I do think, that your pics are gaining tremendously in realism with that portable background. Very inspirational! As always - looking forward to seeing more, not that I am overly curious
Looks really good Dave. What a difference a nice little backdrop makes, specifcally for photos.
Good job!
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
Nice work with the backdrop - but I have to admit that I really didn't find the brick walls all that distracting as your modeling was always the centerpiece of your pictures.
An idea I've always wanted to try is to use a chroma-key backdrop to better facilitate the insertion of digital backdrops. Maybe a bright purple so it doesn't conflict with other colors that might be present in the scene.
I use a 35mm photo enlargement poster done at Kinko's Copy Shop of the Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada's near Lone Pine along the SP's, Jawbone Branch. If you look closely at the top left side, a little piece of blue painters tape still in view.
Where's the Air Force sending you to now?
csmincemoyerDave, Where's the Air Force sending you to now?
Hurlburt Field, FL.
Congats there Dave, guess you and Major Mom will be hunting hurricanes now instead of chasing tornadoes!
A few more Conrail shots...
The conrail shots are sweet and seem to go with the backdrop better. (dunno why yet)
csmincemoyer Congats there Dave, guess you and Major Mom will be hunting hurricanes now instead of chasing tornadoes!
There are still a fair amount of Tornados in Florida. It's just they are almsot always really weak.
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
Dave VollmerMy role at Hurlburt won't be weather forecasting for Florida. Anyone familiar with the mission at Hurlburt will understand why I'm not being more specific... ;)
So you will be able to have your layout set up there?
My backdrop looks more like a basement wall right now---forget about faked brickwork lol
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Understood.
Good luck and like many others here, I never even noticed your fake brick walls. There were so many more interesting things to look at in you pictures!
-George
AG1 USN(ret)
"And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers ride their father's magic carpet made of steel..."