Photo backdrops

[Chris333]

Can anyone here tell me how make photo backdrops other than the Backdrop Warehouse?

I bought a few scenes from my local shop and now I want more. The company was based in Pittsburgh I think and they have scenes with just hills, hill with houses, and heavy industry like steel mills.

But I can't fine them anywhere online.

Any help?
Thanks

[Chris333]

Awww crap, just found them right after I posted:
http://www.sceneryexpress.com/products.asp?dept=1100
 :

[JoeD]

I did a google search for Panoramic photo's and found a bunch of sites that had huge wide shots of all sorts of environments.  I down-loaded a few and sized them in Corel and then had them printed on an Epson Printer/plotter. 

Joe

[Chris333]

I was looking specifically for these certain ones since I had used them already. I cut off the sky and cut different shapes out to over lap. I used them here:

[randgust]

One trick I learned many years ago was to edge-paint the paper backdrops, usually close to the color on the front.  i.e. use green paint or green marker on the trees, etc.  Getting rid of that white edge does wonders.  Darker works just fine.

[asciibaron]

i'm planning on something very much like Chris has done.  putting the scene on a foam core board and cutting it out to add layers for some depth in the "town" should work nicely.

btw. that scene will look hawt once the grass and earthy materials are applied - me likes.

[sirenwerks]

There was a good article in MR about using Photoshop to make your own. I think it concentrated on urban situations, but I'm sure it has helpful hints that would work in non-urban settings. I'm pretty sure there have been other articles on similar topics as well. I imagine use of a roll-fed printer would help keep seams to a minimum. Kinkos always seem to have those for printing banners and such. You even might be able to do one continuous image/print for a whole layout room, though it better be designed spot-on to match up with your scenery and installing a 50' long backdrop might be challenging, especially for us lone wolf types. I can peruse my scanned article collection for anything I have, if you want.

[ChrisNH]

This guy http://www.geocities.com/larcproducts/ did a clinic at Hartford. It was kind of interesting. I actually originally thought it was about model railroad photography, not about making backdrops, which is what got me in there.

He spent a fair amount of time talking about not only creating the backdrop but also about printing it on standard 8.5x11 and then piecing it together for a complete panorama without worrying that you will harm your fancy wide banner printout. If you screw a piece up just print another sheet..

Chris

[Chris333]

I noticed one of his buildings:
http://www.geocities.com/larcproducts/027.jpg
Is the one I patterned mine after:
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/7001/ppuser/3174
 ;D

[sirenwerks]

The buildings in his background, at least in that pic, have a painterly quality, a somewhat Hopperesque look to them. Am I imaging that?

[Chris333]

Just wanted to say that my backdrops showed up quickly and they have been updated. They have been digitized and the detail is greater (hey they looked good before)

[haasmarc]

Chris,

Those backdrop photos look nice.  Question, what building is that?  Second, the only thing I see that doesn't look quite right is the backdrop photo on the left has close-up trees like the one on the right yet is much more grayer which would normally push it further away from the viewer.

I really like that hopper!

Marc Haas
Keeping the Reading alive in N-Scale!

[Chris333]

That corner of the layout has a backdrop that curves about a 12" radius. So I think the grey color is just that those tree are at a different angle and reflecting the light.