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It's funny how getting down on your stomach to take a picture changes the entire feeling of the image:

Ignoring the background for a moment and just looking at the model itself, this is Stephen White's superb Centurion, which must be one of the most realistic 1/6th models in the world, from any distance:

With the photo taken at 1:1 head height, it's obviously a model, despite of all the work which has gone into it.


But at 1:6 head height, it's almost impossible to be certain it's a model:


Adrian.

Fooling the human eye is very hard, i did read we are aware of 20,000 different tones of colour, shade, light and dark, from the days of food gathering and ilness recognition, so putting a nice coat of colour on a model is tricky, you never know how it's going to turn out, The cent is a stunning model what ever its photgraphed against, regards simon.

Wow, kind comments Adrian and Simon. I think you're both onto something here. Photographing and displaying our models is tricky. I'd like to see a Knowledge Base Topic on it. I'd be happy to edit and upload one if there is anyone willing to contribute ideas to it. I've admired Brian Ostlind's quality photos and of course Phil is the master of real or fake, period shots. Plenty of other great photos on the Forum too but how to do it?

Adrian, getting down to it works. With the modern camera gimbals, it's becoming much easier to get a low level stabilised shot with a mobile. I've just bought a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal and it is producing good results. There is also the display problem. When we show our models, the public only gets to look down on them but we build them at head height. Different perspectives. Since we can't invite the public to get down and dirty, I'd started to think about how we might raise the models up, without a lot of effort. I've had to do a lot of decorating recently and I've thought of a better use for decorator's step up platforms:


They cheap and relatively easy to transport. Two of those and a ramp and you've got an instant model display platform. Add another ramp and you've got a bridge.

Simon, I took a couple of pics yesterday at the Yeovil show and, comparing them with shots taken indoors under LED lighting, show how the latter can make colours look odd, which in daylight look OK. I thought the weathering I'd done at the back end was a bit suspect but in daylight, I think it looks OK:


All the best.

Stephen

I totally agree that getting down to 'scale height' can change the way the model appears. I have taken two approaches when taking photos, one is to photograph the tanks as a model so the elevated perspective is fine, the other is the close up 'scale effect' shot and for that an inline or lower angle works best. I am strictly an amateur and an still learning how to compose better photos bearing in mind my usual targets are fast flying aircraft so the techniques are completely different.

As Stephen says the background is another issue as it is (paticularly at a show) almost impossible to get a neutral background without bystanders or a burger van throwing off the scale effect. Some editing can get around this and as an example this is what I was able to do with the Mark IV tank lineup at the Amiens100 event last year:-

Original
Edit
This year I to have also added a gimbled camera mount so hopefully I can get more scale effect shots to go along with my regular shots
Of course scale effect works the other way too

Great stuff Dan. The background issue is easily fixed if you're a Photoshop guru. I've just started an online course having played with it and thoroughly confused myself.


Just a very quick background blur:

Hi Adrian, Stephen
2 years ago at our first show I built this bridge to get the tanks up to a viewing height, we put it just far enough away from the fence that no one could reach it.
We are hoping to have better lead in and out ramp next show.
Good photos can be hard to get right even with the elevation, sorry the photos are not so good.

Thanks
Liam

Never mind the photos! The bridge is absolutely stunning Liam!

How do you transport it? Can it be collapsed?

Hi Christoffer
Thanks, yes the cross bracing underneath unbolts so you end up with the 2 sides and the main deck, plus the 2 short on ramps.

Thanks
Liam

Great Pics guys and really awesome bridge Liam!

On another forum there's a guy who uses an interesting technique with models in that he oil paints the background scenery on a canvas. This combined with a belly level shot of the model with background makes a very convincing photo.

Would like to try this technique. Of course photoshop can do the same thing!
Bob