Thanks, John! The standard answer is "it's NEVER done". The basics are complete and now it's detail time - and detail includes rationalizing the fleet - both cars and locos. Add a little here, add a little there - hopefully for the rest of my life!
Can you explain what effects a mirror creates on a photograph? If the answer is "makes the photo look like reality" then here-here!
Use of a mirror allows you to get views that are simply impossible to get any other way. The camera would have had to be in the corner of the layout to get the shot, with absolutely no room for the photographer! And since it was a Helicon Focus shot, the camera HAD to be tripod mounted for the multiple exposures needed. Of course you also need to remember to "flip horizontal" in your processing program to get the view correct. In this day and age there ARE other ways to do this; some experiments with a webcam would be interesting...but I'm using a fairly bulky (read traditional) camera, and when it needs to be tripod mounted AND accessible to the photographer, your options are limited. The mirror simply opens up new possibilities. As far as "making the photo look like reality", if the modeling isn't there neither will the reality be. Comment appreciated!
The mirror also extends the depth of field allowing for the use of larger F-Stops for better resolution of the shot. Amazingly cool photo Jim.
I normally shoot aperture priority which will increase DOF, but in this particular shot I was also zoomed quite a bit which meant to get the sharp focus I needed to use Helicon - having the camera farther away gave more distance to the closest focus point, a necessity when zooming...and of course manual focus as well. My camera has a maximum aperture of F11 - I lust for some of the SLRs I've seen that go into the 20s. But I have what I have. Maybe someday...
Jim, your photography skills are only beat by your modeling skills. I wish that I could do what you can do, and I wish that all those yellow engines were gray
Thank you, gents! I don't consider myself a particularly gifted photographer or modeler - but I am persistent. If something doesn't work the first time, keep trying until you get it the way you want it. I'm just a stubborn kraut.
me too...i really want to sneek in, put my tunnels and U30C with full SP lights on the front of that train and force him to take a propper picture!
The Oakville engine service facility has just gotten a few changes - the most noticeable being an additional sand tower. Here we see workers running an ES44C4 through a check:
We see a northbound earthworm at Bealville. Of interest is the switch machine - one of the NZT machines especially molded to fit Atlas code 55 switches. And a closer view:
I don't think there's any train you haven't covered, is there? Unless you want to start getting into the old SP stuff? Sugar beets and tunnel motors maybe?
