Awesome work from all! Love the thread. Great camera work as well on many shots. A couple I have online, I'll post more later.
My oldest son (who taught me most of what I know in Photoshop) had a lot to do with this one....I still haven't quite figured out how he did the heat wave distortion... I just showed him some McMillan calendars and he figured it out! That's an old shot now, that well, well, predated any Athearn FP45's - that's a Lima on an Atlas chassis.
You can isolate an area and use gaussian blur on that area to make it look like that. Then blend the edges in with the blur tool.
I've stopped showing my shots. They've become amateurish compared to what is now being done. When I get everything relocated, I will take new shots.
I don't agree. I've always liked your photos. But I also won't discourage you from taking more.:tb-biggrin:
I think I am glad that I may have spurred others to take better photos in the past. I think I have to review my efforts, especially in point of view and lighting. Taking great photos has become a moving target of excellence, and I think that is a great development. I will learn from those who have surpassed me--although that wasn't very hard to do. When I have my railroad reestablished in Ohio, I will start experimenting again.
No way, don't stop. But if you or anyone wants any advice I'm more then happy to share 20 years of photo experience. The key after using getting great lighting is depth of field (in the case of model photography the more the better) I remember using pin hole photo techniques to get decent macro shots. Now with most Point and shoots camera (due to physics in their design) can be superior to some of the pricey Digital SLR cameras in getting more in focus.
This might be my favorite shot. Not that I have very many, since so little of my layout is finished. As you can see, this track wasn't even ballasted.
Pete, don't feel bad. I thought I was doing OK until I saw Verne Niner's stuff and had to ask him how the heck he was doing it. I got tips from him (mostly on lighting) that I've used ever since. That FP45 shot is actually kinda 'flat' - notice the lack of distinct shadow, and using the 5000-degree halogen keylight clipped to the ceiling grid has fixed that problem. But then once you do that, it seems like none of your old photos are worthy anymore. It's fun though when you make a breakthrough and get to try stuff all over again. You've got possibly the coolest ship/harbor collection in N scale, so we'll wait for ya!
That makes me feel kind of bad, since a) I don't have the proper photographic equipment and b) I have enough trouble finding time and energy to work on my layout without delving into the aspects of taking professional photos of it as well. Good photography is nice to see, but I just like seeing other peoples' layouts.
Id' like to see this scene finished! So...another spectrum 2-8-0 runner? What region/locale/railroad do you model? If you want an SP connie, I have pictures of a c-8 I built from a spectrum 2-8-0 in my SD&AE albums.
Don't you just love the Spectrum 2-8-0? That there is the New Mexican Central. That's why it has no markings yet. I'll need to spell it out one letter at a time with white letter decals.
