Weekend Update - 9/12/2010

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Aside from innovative technology, a good photo shoot also requires paint cans, cardboard boxes, and chunks of foam.


Fawning admirers...   :


Taking advantage of the set up with my crummy camera...

Lee

OK spill the beans... what kind of lighting, and how much?

[justTRAINcRaZy]

Looks like you found the right mix to me.

KB

[DKS]

OK spill the beans... what kind of lighting, and how much?

500 Watts of Tungsten-Halogen.

Rather than spend $$$$ on professional lighting gear, I use outdoor security light fixtures--which use the same bulbs--for a fraction of the cost. I had two units on hand, but we only needed one. Although for one shot we used an additional 100W? floodlight to fill in a dark corner behind the camera.

The nice thing about using old-school brute-force hot lights is that you have virtually guaranteed color temperature. You also get a little more natural-looking direct light, like brilliant sunlight (lessons I learned from Lou Sassi). Look at that shot Lee took with his "crummy" camera--the color temperature isn't funky, like it is in many of the shots he normally takes. You just need to take a little extra care to be sure you don't melt anything.



It was great shooting at Lee's because he's more than happy to get out a saw and chop away some scenery to make room for the big hulking DSLR, or come up with an endless supply of clamps, paint cans, rocks, and all manner of other assorted stuff to help nail the shot.

@DKS - would you perhaps give us another thread on Helicon Remote so that we, the unwashed, may benefit from your work (which is steller as always)?

There's already a thread on Helicon Remote: http://therailwire.net/forum/index.php/topic,22033.0.html

I learned quite a bit doing Lee's shoot, so I'll add that to the thread in a little bit.

[SirTainly]

I believe the word is REEFER!

If you've got 'em, smoke 'em.  :

Lots of flying plaster this week.  I cast or carved about 15 foot of rockwork.  Rockwork that is ready for painting has been sprayed with India ink.  Other rockwork that still needs detailed carving, notably the rockwork in McRae canyon and the short Paulson tunnel, has not been sprayed.  Rockwork that will eventually be covered in snow at Farron is also still a work in progress...

md

Hope you are leaving enough room for the camera car!

I'm hoping to pick up another flat this week for the next iteration of the camera car so we'll be able to capture your new scenery "on tape"!

A big ole' THANK YOU goes out to David K Smith who daytripped it down the Shore to help me with creating a cover shot for the article that's pending for the Nov/Dec N Scale magazine.  It was great to meet David in person, and to work with him (more like watch him work!) to create some amazing images with the Helicon system.  The experience has made me a "true believer" and as soon as the dollars make sense again around here, I'm going to see about adding that to my arsenal...  Anyway, here's some of the fun...

Looking forward to seeing the finished article.

Great work this weekend everyone!

I spent the evening practising for some upcoming product photgraphy with an old boxcar:

Tim

Nice, I'm looking forward to the subject of your upcoming product photography!

[esa123]

Here we go, same post as before only this time with pictures that work!

Here is my Fast Tracks testing device. Basically just some simple butt splices which fit perfectly over code 55 rail and were attached via 22 gauge wire to two splitters (+/- charges) which I then connect to my DCC system.



This is a close up of the apparatus. I test each section with a voltmeter and compare it to the printed track template. By far the biggest problem I ran into were PC ties that didn't gap completely with my initial filing.



Up close view of the end connections and a Conrail GP38-2 confirming the frog's isolated and everythings working!



Erik

[Chris333]

After waiting almost 2 months I got a bunch of decals from the Ma & Pa Historical Society.

Opened them up and they're HO scale  :-\

[up1950s]

After waiting almost 2 months I got a bunch of decals from the Ma & Pa Historical Society.

Opened them up and they're HO scale  :-\

Maybe Ma & Pa are now old enough to have developed cataracts ?

[wm3798]

You didn't happen to order a set for the bobber caboose did you?  I got some, and the envelope got pitched during a spousal cleaning frenzy...

I'll take 'em off your hands if you haves 'em.  (I have an HO 10 wheeler that needs to be properly punctuated.)

Lee

[Chris333]

Yeah I got 3 yellow steam sets and 3 white caboose sets. I'll send them over.

I actually also have an HO 4-6-0, but I hate the cast metal drivers Bachmann uses. I pulled each driver and tried to true them on my lathe, they are better, but I still can't stand watching it run.

[sizemore]

Taking advantage of the set up with my crummy camera...

Lee

That is such a SEXY shot.... 

The S.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Looks like you found the right mix to me.

KB

I agree, that scene is really awesome.

[wm3798]

That is such a SEXY shot.... 

The S.

How about some full frontal Wild Mary... ;D



(Not the Cover Shot)

And yeah, SAH... that bridge shot is bangin!

Lee

[wcfn100]

How about some full frontal Wild Mary... ;D

How about a 9 meg picture.  I just missed half an inning of MLB.TV on my PS3 downloading it.  


Jason

[GaryHinshaw]

Reminds me of Lance's Monon (may it Rest in Peace).  You're really developing quite some authenticity in this scene, like the white safety paint on the crib-work to pick one thing.

-gfh

[SAH]

Reminds me of Lance's Monon (may it Rest in Peace).  You're really developing quite some authenticity in this scene, like the white safety paint on the crib-work to pick one thing.

-gfh

Thanks guys.  Pretty high praise if you recall Lance's Monon when you see mine.  Since it's a prototype scene, it's a pretty easy 2 step process:  1) Observe the prototype, 2) Copy it.     Now that I've practiced with the back side it's time to work on the front.  Kind of figuratively holding my breath - but then, it's just scenery.  If it doesn't work out it can easily be redone.

Steve