Sometimes, there just isn't a mural big enough! If your train room restricts photography and your layout can't be carried outside to pose against natural backgrounds, you can bring backgrounds indoors to the layout with an inexpensive program like Adobe PS Elements. Extended depth-of-field, here, compliments of another fine program, Helicon Focus. Scott
Nice job masking out that background! I have to do the same masking on some of my shots. Mt. Hood in the background?
Thanks, Pete. I was tired when I took this - should have done a better Helicon DOF job. I'd like to do-over with a macro or better zoom. Naw, you're way off - Mt. Shasta. Took the shot towards the south from approximately the mill's prototype location at Weed. Hope you enjoyed Alaska - that's where I did my 1st N-scale scratchbuilding Scott
No land yet, because my wife and I are still debating. Most likely the Kenai or near Juneau. However, since all our kids are now back on the East Coast, she's pushing for a cabin in the Catskills. Or both. I have skilled friends in both areas, so once I get a foundation and water and power in, we can build a small house (1000 sq. ft) in a hurry. Over the years I've earned a lot of chits in both places because I know how to design and build a house. And Anchorage to NYC isn't a bad flight at all because you're flying near the north pole, and it's almost always a non-stop.
Yeah, ANC is on the Great Circle route, so you're closer to lots of places than you'd think. Great air service. I worked there for Uncle Sam, then for an airline. Our daughter was born there, and my college partner lives in Homer down on the Kenai. Lotsa difference between JUN ("South-Central") and ANC/Kenai, but you know that already. Sounds great! And Northern Lights Hobby in ANC used to be a great place to drop your paycheck. Chiltkoot Scott
Homer is a possibility, but it is truly an end-of-the-road community. We may end up as far south as Ketchikan. But it's probably closer to Anchorage, as we both like "bigger" cities. BTW, traffic in Anchorage in 2003 and 2006 was sometimes miserable. I like the hills southeast of Anchorage, on the way to Girdwood, and saw plenty of affordable properties there in 2006--most with basements perfect for an Alaska Railroads layout!
Girdwood - we'd stop at the Birdhouse on our Saturday morning run to the Glacier for cocktail ice. "Bue ice" - dense glacier blue ice, not airplane blue ice. Remember that the Turnagain Arm area is not real geologically stable - a little shaking and a little tsunami activity. Still signs of damage from the (1964?) quake and wave. If you ever get a chance to look at the Department of Interior book on the building of the Alaska Railroad, make time. As I remember, it's a large format limited edition 2-volume set (lotsa pix) printed shortly after the line was finished sometime around 1919 or 1920. I tried to buy a set in 1972 - it was going for several 100 dollars then, so I didn't. Scott
Which is why I design my own houses! I also enjoy building them. At least for myself, family, and friends. Girdwood and Portage were destroyed in 1964, and moved to their current locations. I'm more thinking of the hills overlooking Anchorage, well out of tsunami range. Girdwood and Portage simply sank 6 feet. Downtown Valdez and Seward's waterfront were also destroyed or sank. Along 4th Street in Anchorage, there's about a 30-foot(?) drop caused by the quake.
This is the old site of Girdwood--completely subsisted with trees pickled by seawater. Those stumps have been there since 1964 and will likely survive much longer. They are not quite fossilized, but may become so.
I am really amazed at the metamorphosis of your train photo. Great info to know about Adobe elements. I have that program, but have not used it yet. Thanks for showing us the great results. Bonnie Worthington Author, Engine Ed's Colorful Train
