Actually I don't feel bad--I feel really challenged to do better. I've always been a bit lackadaisical about my lighting, figuring I could fix it in Photoshop. And I've never gone to great lengths about composition. I know how to do both--but they are just not primary interests. But I feel good about re-learning a topic that has fascinated me since I was 12. Photographing my layout has always been a chore for me--I'd rather be out stalking bears with my cameras. And, quite frankly, I've always had rather accomplished art directors to prepare my work in the corporate world--not so with my railroad. So, when I get everything back together again, I'll have more space for trains and for modeling, and a renewed interest in imaging. I just may make the jump in a few years to producing some ship kits, because my masters are getting pretty good, if I do say so myself.
This has always been one of my favorites, combining trains, ships, bridges, and the type of sky I really like, although the lighting is too flat:
This is one of those shots that shows off N scale's potential for larger yard scenes. Again, the lighting is too flat. I could perk up the contrast, etc., but I should have paid more attention to some key lighting to start.
I finally got my Cameron, IL bridge done (mostly) and scenery applied. I love my new homemade grass master. John
Great shot John!!! Lots of awesome pictures in this thread, glad to see the bridges again Pete, and nice yard! my best, Jan
Great pictures everyone! I would post some, but unfortunately my layout is still in the "blue" stage.
Wow, that is one fancy lookin' bridge, John. Is it based on a prototype? I made a grass-master, too--haven't yet got around to making grass. Yours looks nice enough to roll in.
Another view of Homer--er, Portsmouth, under a threatening sky. Let's see, I've been there nine days on three trips and never have never seen anything but a threatening sky.
Here's a cliff I photographed in Girdwood, Alaska. By gluing bits of scenery at the base and in certain locations on the photo, I got a nice 3-D effect--even in person. In the background is a stretched photo of the San Juan Mntns in southwest Colorado.
Pete, for somebody that says they don't have any pictures, you're still leaving my jaw hanging.... Have you ever officially named it, something cool like Port Nolan? Hey, I like that pan shot. I see you a pan shot and raise you a blur shot.... that's "N Scale Norm" getting pulled over by the police for train chasing Jerry DeBene's GP60 trio on my layout:
Well, it's West Harbor and East Harbor, which locates them on the west and east walls of the layout room. It's really supposed to be the entrance to the Great Bay area of Portsmouth, all switched around. When I look at these photos, I just see how they could be improved so much with only a little more light and effort.
Thanks. Here's the real bridge in Cameron, Ill where the Santa Fe goes over the BN. I've been looking at this hole in the wall for years where trains disappear into the ether (Galesburg staging). A couple months ago we had a regional NMRA meet here in Cedar Rapids and I got to run some trains on an n-track layout with some old friends. It really got me geared up so I thought I would hack together something quickly. I took some short cuts and liberties but I'm pretty pleased with it. And I no longer notice a hole in the wall. Now if I just had a nice A-B-B-A set of GP60s to set up there.
