How realistic are your models? Photo challenge.

[AnEntropyBubble]

Hi Westener, 

 

The wide shot photo in my post is one of the raw unphotshopped, unstacked photos. In this case though, I think it tells a better story if I hid the bricks with the trees from the other side of the model.  

 

These are the same models on a different day looking from the other side with blue card for the sky behind the module.  Its just focus stacked.

 

 

 

Andrew

[DLT]

Brilliant work Andrew, but please can I ask how you go about "masking out the background" as you did in the second screen?

That's the bit that's always stumped me when using Photoshop.  Is there a quick way of doing that or do you have to carefully drew round it by hand using the mouse?

Thanks very much, Dave.

[Loconuts]

Whilst a brilliant photo, considering the amount of Photoshoping I suspect one might be disappointed when seeing the loco and wagons in real life.

 

True, I was disappointed when I saw 'Hursley' in the flesh having seen all those marvelous and realistic photos in the MRJ. As Andy York will testify you can do a lot with a photo and taking great care composing the shot makes it.

 

If you take Mudmagnets excellent photo of his diesel depot one or two things let it down. One is the sheen on the cabs of the loco's and the other is the background in the top right of the picture. I have noticed that a lot of photos of model diesels have that plastic sheen on the roof area.

 

As modelers many of us are not photographers and the thought of composing pictures does not come naturally, I am just the same with what few pictures I take ending up with photos I would not dare to publish here. But my son, who's hobby is photography and knows how to compose pictures, has done a photo using a Willys Jeep abandoned in a field of static grass. If he still has the photo I will get him to publish it here. His background was real trees taken in the New Forest and the whole lot was photo shopped together.

 

Loconuts

[DLT]

The photos of Hursley in MRJ were just that; photographs of a model railway.  They were taken LONG before digital was invented!

 

I am very interested in the abilities of Photoshop, the main thing I want to do is isolate the layout from the general background clutter of its surroundings, hence my question.  

Although of course, this thread is about models, not one's Photoshopping abilities!

 

Cheers, dave.

[Waverley West]

There are signs of an oil leak on the side of HST power car 43091 Edinburgh Military Tattoo as it races down the ECML heading for King's Cross in the late summer of 1989...

 

 

[gwrrob]

4575 class 5551 departs for Kingsbridge in the autumn of '47.

 

[mudmagnet]

 

If you take Mudmagnets excellent photo of his diesel depot one or two things let it down. One is the sheen on the cabs of the loco's and the other is the background in the top right of the picture. I have noticed that a lot of photos of model diesels have that plastic sheen on the roof area.

 

 

 

Loconuts

I take your point and largely agree, but I'd only taken the photo on my phone at the Wigan show. The light coming through on the top right is from the layout lights and contributing to the excess glare on the cab roofs. Having typed that, you do make valid points. If I was taking more time, then I would ensure that excessive and unwanted light was covered.

 

It does go to prove that taking a decent photo is not simply the case of pointing a camera (digital / phone or otherwise) at a subject and getting a good photo without thinking about the composition. You certainly see plenty of poorly composed photos. I'm no expert and always more to learn.

[davefromacrossthepond]

Mudmagnet,

You are correct in that taking a pic is more than just pointing the camera.  I do have to say, however, that your modelling is top notch and if the pic you posted was a "snapshot" with your phone, all I can say is . . . well done.  

[mezzoman253]

Pure luck with this one. The graininess helps with the atmosphere of a damp day on the network.

EWS shunter fills up for the day ahead.

 

Rob

[PjKing1]

A train and two buses who would of thought! Apologies, the type 2 was going faster than I thought so I missed front

 

 

Cheers

[Derekstuart]

Mudmagnet,

 

if I may say so I thought the photos you posted were very good indeed.

 

To paraphrase a Douglas Adams character: "The quality of advice that anyone can give you about railway modelling is only as good as the quality of their own railway modelling work."

[PjKing1]

A couple more, wasn't sure which I liked the most so here's both.

 

 

 

Cheers

[AnEntropyBubble]

Brilliant work Andrew, but please can I ask how you go about "masking out the background" as you did in the second screen?

That's the bit that's always stumped me when using Photoshop.  Is there a quick way of doing that or do you have to carefully drew round it by hand using the mouse?

Thanks very much, Dave.

 

Hi Dave, there is no real quick and easy, one click way cutting out the background. I took advantage to the straight lines and used the polygon selection tool.  You can also set the selection to add to or remove from a previous selection to build up a bigger selection. That way you don't have to try to get it in one go (you can also save selections). Once you have the selection you can use the Refine Edge (or Select and Mask as it is now called) tool to feather or move the selection edge.  Just a bit of feather to soften the edge helps get rid of the sharp edge.  The Phlearn youtube channel has some good free tutorials about selections and masks as well.  Also the keyboard shortcuts for the tools are well worth learning.  

Hope this helps.

Regards,

 

Andrew

[Ruston]

Manning Wardle H class Jervis and a couple of mineral wagons at the exchange sidings of NCB Royd Hall Drift, Summer 1966.

[DLT]

Hi Dave, there is no real quick and easy, one click way cutting out the background. I took advantage to the straight lines and used the polygon selection tool.  You can also set the selection to add to or remove from a previous selection to build up a bigger selection. That way you don't have to try to get it in one go (you can also save selections). Once you have the selection you can use the Refine Edge (or Select and Mask as it is now called) tool to feather or move the selection edge.  Just a bit of feather to soften the edge helps get rid of the sharp edge.  The Phlearn youtube channel has some good free tutorials about selections and masks as well.  Also the keyboard shortcuts for the tools are well worth learning.  

Hope this helps.

Regards,

 

Andrew

 

Thanks very much Andrew, I must have another play around with it.

My version of Photoshop is VERY old, but seems to do most of the things I need.  Maybe I need to update it

Cheers, Dave.

[chaz]

Thanks very much Andrew, I must have another play around with it.

My version of Photoshop is VERY old, but seems to do most of the things I need.  Maybe I need to update it

Cheers, Dave.

 

I suspect that, like most of us, you use the cut-down Photoshop Elements rather than the full-blown job. it may well be worth up-dating but there can be a steep learning curve to overcome if you do this after a long time using the older version. How do I know this.....?

 

Chaz

[SRman]

I find Photoshop (full versions I use at work) unnecessarily complicated for normal, everyday requirements - it has a lot of features aimed at professional usage. Elements would probably be more suited to hobby uses - we even use it for our students where I work.

For my own home use, I am using a very old version of Paint Shop Pro - it does everything I need so why upgrade it? As the expression goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

[stewartingram]

For what its worth, I'm still using Photoshop 5 on Win 10 ok. Not a very ardent user of it though, just basics.

 

Stewart

[RBAGE]

Is there a thread on photo shop that can be used for this or should I unfollow this thread?

[DLT]

Er yes, I'm using Photoshop Elements 2, that must be over ten years old now.  Which "Elements" are we up to now?

Cheers, Dave.

[phil_sutters]

Er yes, I'm using Photoshop Elements 2, that must be over ten years old now.  Which "Elements" are we up to now?

Cheers, Dave.

I am using 10 but 15 is being advertised.

[Bristol_Rich]

Down at Frampton a shockvan sits awaiting its turn for unloading...

 

[great northern]

A rather experimental photo shows a busy scene at Peterborough North in 1958.

[Peterkern23]

My workshop in 00, bricks scribed, fully scratchbuilt and painted.

 

[RBAGE]

My workshop in 00, bricks scribed, fully scratchbuilt and painted.

 

image.jpegimage.pngimage.pngimage.png

Incredible. If only I had half you skill.