5&9Models' Blog

Just fabulous!

Exquisite

 

Adrian

Yep, that really is top class. 

Brilliant again. Those boys on the wall, are they your own make? I ask because I've been thinking of something similar for my current  layout in the making (boys on a perimeter wall).

2 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Brilliant again. Those boys on the wall, are they your own make? I ask because I've been thinking of something similar for my current  layout in the making (boys on a perimeter wall).

Thanks Mikkel. Yes, they’re carved from styrene. My first round of figures were carved from plaster but it was too frustrating. You’d get 75% of the way through and a leg would snap off or something equally traumatic. Styrene is a bit more forgiving although it still takes bl***y ages! The seated figure on the right is a casting from the styrene master. The one on the left was too ‘spidery’ to cast so he’s a one-off.

Super modelling and very well photographed, too.  I have written before that phones and small cameras are often very good for models, because the small sensors and lenses provide good depth of field.  The sensor in a phone is roughly equivalent to an 0-scale model of a Victorian full-plate camera, so the perspective and depth of field should be similar to what the early photographer captured from the prototype!

2 hours ago, MikeOxon said:

The sensor in a phone is roughly equivalent to an 0-scale model of a Victorian full-plate camera, so the perspective and depth of field should be similar to what the early photographer captured from the prototype!

That’s fascinating. I had thought about trying an app to convert some of the photos into old looking prints, any ideas?

27 minutes ago, 5&9Models said:

That’s fascinating. I had thought about trying an app to convert some of the photos into old looking prints, any ideas?

I don't know whether you already have any image editing software but most will convert an image to black and white and will ad sepia toning.  I use Photoshop Elements and have a handy (although quite old) plug-in for it from  www.photo-plugins.com  that does B/W conversions with all sorts of filtering and toning options.  It can even simulate the old colour-blind plates that were completely insensitive to red light, so fuelling the GWR red wagon controversy.

11 minutes ago, MikeOxon said:

I don't know whether you already have any image editing software but most will convert an image to black and white and will ad sepia toning.  I use Photoshop Elements and have a handy (although quite old) plug-in for it from  www.photo-plugins.com  that does B/W conversions with all sorts of filtering and toning options.  It can even simulate the old colour-blind plates that were completely insensitive to red light, so fuelling the GWR red wagon controversy.

I’ve only thought about altering them on my phone but in light of your suggestions, I’ll forward a few pics to work and play with them on my work computer which will have much better editing software.

20 hours ago, 5&9Models said:

Thanks Mikkel. Yes, they’re carved from styrene. My first round of figures were carved from plaster but it was too frustrating. You’d get 75% of the way through and a leg would snap off or something equally traumatic. Styrene is a bit more forgiving although it still takes bl***y ages! The seated figure on the right is a casting from the styrene master. The one on the left was too ‘spidery’ to cast so he’s a one-off.

 

Extraordinary work, I wouldn't know where to start. The boy with the leg hanging down the wall must have been particularly nerve-wracking!

 

10 hours ago, 5&9Models said:

That’s fascinating. I had thought about trying an app to convert some of the photos into old looking prints, any ideas?

 

Mike's advice and the computer is best of course. For a quick and lazy aged postcard effect this online page works quite well. The logo can be removed by clickling the "pho.to" icon on the left hand side: https://funny.pho.to/old-photo-effect/

 

3 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

Extraordinary work, I wouldn't know where to start. The boy with the leg hanging down the wall must have been particularly nerve-wracking!

 

 

Mike's advice and the computer is best of course. For a quick and lazy aged postcard effect this online page works quite well. The logo can be removed by clickling the "pho.to" icon on the left hand side: https://funny.pho.to/old-photo-effect/

 

Thank you, and thanks also for the photo tip. I’ll see if I can have a go in my self-isolating lunch break!

Very interesting! Always liked the weird symmetry on the back wall of the row houses.

2 hours ago, 5&9Models said:

Thank you, and thanks also for the photo tip. I’ll see if I can have a go in my self-isolating lunch break!

Well I had a go at the simple photo effect (it's free so no harm in trying), and the results made me smile. Thanks.

 

Absolutely brilliant, Chris!

I'm tempted to use that second photo as a backscene!

Great result - I must try Mikkel's tip myself

This is definitely another level of modelling.....superbly observed.

7 hours ago, Ian Simpson said:

Absolutely brilliant, Chris!

I'm tempted to use that second photo as a backscene!

 

This is something I've been contemplating more generally. It's difficult to find proper urban and industrial backscenes for the pre-grouping era (there's always something too modern in real-life photos), so I've been thinking about using a photo of one of my earlier layouts as a backscene for my new layout. 

 

It could even be done on the same layout, by taking a photo of one of the buildings and then mirroring and editing it  to make it a little different, before using it as a backscene.

8 hours ago, Ian Simpson said:

Absolutely brilliant, Chris!

I'm tempted to use that second photo as a backscene!

What a great idea, go for it!

1 hour ago, Mikkel said:

It could even be done on the same layout, by taking a photo of one of the buildings and then mirroring and editing it  to make it a little different, before using it as a backscene.

I think this is a great idea. I’m happy to take a few level shots and email them to anyone who wants to edit them into back scenes.

Funny what little things can trigger memories.

 

When I was about 11 or 12 we had some new neighbours whose father drove an E-type Jag and children wore designer everything.  Feeling sorry for myself, I whinged about having to wear supermarket own-brand jeans and was put very firmly in my place by my father (born in 1925 and spent the first few years of his life living in the Elephant and Castle) curtly informing me than when he was my age, half the kids in his class at school didnt even have shoes.

 

Looking at those two barefoot lads sitting on the wall reminded me instantly of him and made me smile ruefully.

Edited March 24, 2020 by mike morley

1 hour ago, mike morley said:

Funny what little things can trigger memories.

 

When I was about 11 or 12 we had some new neighbours whose father drove an E-type Jag and children wore designer everything.  Feeling sorry for myself, I whinged about having to wear supermarket own-brand jeans and was put very firmly in my place by my father (born in 1925 and spent the first few years of his life living in the Elephant and Castle) curtly informing me than when he was my age, half the kids in his class at school didnt even have shoes.

 

Looking at those two barefoot lads sitting on the wall reminded me instantly of him and made me smile ruefully.

That’s lovely to think that it’s triggered such a memory. Thank you for sharing it.

Those back yards bring lots of memories of my Grandmother's house.  The privies were adjacent to the gates into the back alleys, to allow easy access for the 'night soil' men.  By the times I remember, an indoor bathroom had been installed but the outdoor privy was still there, although with a flushing WC.

14 minutes ago, MikeOxon said:

Those back yards bring lots of memories of my Grandmother's house.  The privies were adjacent to the gates into the back alleys, to allow easy access for the 'night soil' men.  By the times I remember, an indoor bathroom had been installed but the outdoor privy was still there, although with a flushing WC.

Me too. My grandparents lived in Ramsgate and I can well remember the privy attached to the scullery out the back. I've included a communal night soil chamber for the row which is in one of the back yards. The circular stone lid is just visible in the photo of the two children on the wall.

 

I have two final pics before I get back to modelling.