Beeston Market Station forecourt/backscenes
Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
Agree with Peter. Actually, even knowing what to look for I wasn't sure where it started and stopped.
Philip
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
I think there might be different reasons for wanting a backscene. I've always wanted to try them just for photography reasons. For those with nice gardens and plenty of good 'vistas' they may not see the need. But I have only a few view angles which don't have fences, sheds or houses in them. Consequently, I've been considering the printed banners offered by print shops, but not yet got around to ordering them. The hard part seems to be finding suitable colour pictures and I spend much time on the web searching.
But as a 'mockup' example, this is why I'd like to try them. Here's my Fibro Flat station against my house and a maybe backscene.
Greg from downunder.
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
Only for about 10 seconds - and only with non perishable items!
Rik
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
Eagle eyes!
Greg from downunder.
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
I see your point Greg. It does improve that shot tremendously but that illustrates what I was trying to say earlier. It does look good in a still photo but in a long banner type shot the perspective would possibly go wrong unless you were either very lucky or able to choose a picture with no real reference points.
Philip
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
I'm not good enough at understanding perspective so 'someday' I'll get around to actually spending (wasting?) $50 or so and try a banner. Maybe it won't work unless my pics are at right angles to the wall, or maybe I'll need a really long banner for 'along the track' shots.philipy wrote: ↑Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:46 am I see your point Greg. It does improve that shot tremendously but that illustrates what I was trying to say earlier. It does look good in a still photo but in a long banner type shot the perspective would possibly go wrong unless you were either very lucky or able to choose a picture with no real reference points.
Your low relief buildings are great and do what you say. But I don't want buildings, I want country.
Greg from downunder.
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
If the back scenes are for photographic purposes, you could always create temporary green screens and add your own backgrounds in Photoshop afterwards.
Would this be considered ethical?
The post production back-scene could just be a better shot of your own garden.
I suppose it raises the question should people touch up their photos before posting, and to what degree?
For instance does re-cropping count as editing. Is it any different from 'staging'.
Edit - Sorry for hijacking your thread Rik, and what you have produced 'au natural' is still way beyond what most of us could fake up in Photoshop.
Would this be considered ethical?
The post production back-scene could just be a better shot of your own garden.
I suppose it raises the question should people touch up their photos before posting, and to what degree?
For instance does re-cropping count as editing. Is it any different from 'staging'.
Edit - Sorry for hijacking your thread Rik, and what you have produced 'au natural' is still way beyond what most of us could fake up in Photoshop.
Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt / backscenes
No problem - as I said earlier, I posed the question and so am interested in a range of responses. I wish I had the luxury of a large enough garden to be able to take shots of my trains from any angle - but over 50% the views will show the house, garage, sheds or garden paraphernalia. I can erect green screen material when I want to stage particular shots but most of my filming and photography happens during normal running sessions, which is why I'm wondering whether some sort of scenic screening would be appropriate. I could erect blue plastic tarpaulins permanently to then photoshop them out when I want to record what's happening, but then I would have to live with the blue screens all the time, which is why I wondered about some sort of backscene.
The alternative is to plant some quick growing natural flora to screen out the ugly bits of the garden - but that will take a few years to become established - and I don't fancy festooning the house with Virginia Creeper.
Rik
Last edited by ge_rik on Fri Jun 08, 2018 5:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
I prefer to view photos of a member's line in the raw. My eyes tends to focus on just the railway aspects and disregards the rest.
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
The stream does it for me Rik, I love the sound of trickling water over stones.
If I ever build another outdoor railway a water feature will be a must!
If I ever build another outdoor railway a water feature will be a must!
Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt
Must admit that it is probably the most pleasing aspect of my railway and what most visitors comnent on. Even my wife was delighted when I installed the water wheel!tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Fri Jun 08, 2018 4:05 pm The stream does it for me Rik, I love the sound of trickling water over stones.
If I ever build another outdoor railway a water feature will be a must!
Many, many years ago, when we were walking on a footpath beside a small stream with my daughter in the Lake District, I told her that one day I would build a stream in our garden. I was determined to fulfil that dream. Needless to say, she has no recollection of that 'promise'. Kids, eh?
Rik
Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt / backscenes
Have you considered some suitably bushy pot plants that can be moved around to screen unwanted gaps, etc. for photographic purposes?
Plants are the best background for a garden railway in my opinion. Although I find I can mentally edit out the standard Oz backyard fence in the background of photos, I can't do it with brick walls and bits of houses.
Another issue with painted/photographic backgrounds is matching the lighting conditions. It doesn't matter that the background to my indoor HO layout perpetually shows a sunny day in an Aust. summer, as the lighting matches that. It would however have looked distinctly strange in my garden today, as the weather was cold, grey and wet.
Regards,
Graeme
Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt / backscenes
I like the idea of using pot plants as a background. Personally I'm not too bothered about a backscene for my railway as my garden is too small and has too many features that will be difficult to hide. I run my railway because I like operating trains so realistic settings and landscapes are not too important for me.GTB wrote: ↑Fri Jun 08, 2018 7:05 pmHave you considered some suitably bushy pot plants that can be moved around to screen unwanted gaps, etc. for photographic purposes?
Plants are the best background for a garden railway in my opinion. Although I find I can mentally edit out the standard Oz backyard fence in the background of photos, I can't do it with brick walls and bits of houses.
Another issue with painted/photographic backgrounds is matching the lighting conditions. It doesn't matter that the background to my indoor HO layout perpetually shows a sunny day in an Aust. summer, as the lighting matches that. It would however have looked distinctly strange in my garden today, as the weather was cold, grey and wet.
Regards,
Graeme
Ian
Ian
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt/backscenes
This is a great topic and bringing out useful ideas. It shows that different people have different requirements and solutions and also different ways of 'having fun' with garden trains.
I seem to have progressed beyond enjoying just running trains, to enjoying being able to photograph or video them to look realistic. I have no photographic training or expensive camera, but just enjoy looking for angles and subjects.
I think we are talking about two different ideas here - PERMANENT backscenes as used in HO indoor layouts, and 'moveable' ones more for photography.
I agree that when I visit a garden railway, my eye can blank out the sheds, house, fence, clothes line and whatever else. I just see the trains and tracks and buildings.
So a permanent backscene would not be really useful for me as a visitor.
BUT when I get home and look at my pics I think how much better they could have looked IF ONLY I had not got that garbage bin in the background.
The idea of plants in pots is a good one, but maybe big pots would be heavy to move around.
Graeme's comment on lighting conditions was something I had never considered. I wonder how much of a problem it will be. I usually don't have a lot of sky in my pics anyhow. But I can only find out by trying it.
I have used plenty of Blue/green screen video effects and they are a lot of work. As Rik says they wouldn't be something you'd want to leave hanging around your yard everywhere as they would really distract the eye. If you are using screens to allow videos, you'll need really large ones if you want to allow the camera to move. I have only ever used a fixed camera and then created a blue screen pic using Paint, to let through what I want.
What I am wanting is some screens that I only put out when running and maybe can be used at a number of locations as a 'general' scene. Probably not possible, but I dream. As soon as I find a suitable pic I'll order one.
I seem to have progressed beyond enjoying just running trains, to enjoying being able to photograph or video them to look realistic. I have no photographic training or expensive camera, but just enjoy looking for angles and subjects.
I think we are talking about two different ideas here - PERMANENT backscenes as used in HO indoor layouts, and 'moveable' ones more for photography.
I agree that when I visit a garden railway, my eye can blank out the sheds, house, fence, clothes line and whatever else. I just see the trains and tracks and buildings.
So a permanent backscene would not be really useful for me as a visitor.
BUT when I get home and look at my pics I think how much better they could have looked IF ONLY I had not got that garbage bin in the background.
The idea of plants in pots is a good one, but maybe big pots would be heavy to move around.
Graeme's comment on lighting conditions was something I had never considered. I wonder how much of a problem it will be. I usually don't have a lot of sky in my pics anyhow. But I can only find out by trying it.
I have used plenty of Blue/green screen video effects and they are a lot of work. As Rik says they wouldn't be something you'd want to leave hanging around your yard everywhere as they would really distract the eye. If you are using screens to allow videos, you'll need really large ones if you want to allow the camera to move. I have only ever used a fixed camera and then created a blue screen pic using Paint, to let through what I want.
What I am wanting is some screens that I only put out when running and maybe can be used at a number of locations as a 'general' scene. Probably not possible, but I dream. As soon as I find a suitable pic I'll order one.
Greg from downunder.
The Sandstone & Termite's website: https://members.optusnet.com.au/satr/satr.htm
The Sandstone & Termite's website: https://members.optusnet.com.au/satr/satr.htm
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt/backscenes
I greatly admire all your modelling skills and the realistic scenes and enjoy viewing them but I'm dissapointed to find that some of the photos and videos are being, or will be, digitally enhanced. They are good enough without this and more natural for a railway that is in a garden.
Please, no fake photographs or videos.
Michael
Please, no fake photographs or videos.
Michael
Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt/backscenes
Hi MichaelSouthern188 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:27 am I greatly admire all your modelling skills and the realistic scenes and enjoy viewing them but I'm disappointed to find that some of the photos and videos are being, or will be, digitally enhanced. They are good enough without this and more natural for a railway that is in a garden.
Please, no fake photographs or videos.
Michael
Interesting. Does that mean you normally blank out an ugly looking background? It's only the background which has been or will be changed (and so far I've only touched up the background on the one video listed).
I'm asking because I'd like to take pictures from angles different to those I've been using for the past ten years. The reason I've not taken pictures of those parts of the railway before is because of the backgrounds (ie brick walls, wooden fences, sheds and general garden clutter). For example, there are very few pictures of the swing bridge because in one direction the background is tatty sheds and the other direction is the house or garage.
Rik
Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt/backscenes
OK - to further the debate. I've been tinkering today.
Here's an unadulterated photo of one of my trains crossing the swing bridge with its actual background (ie the sheds etc)
Here, I've erected a screen of blue plastic to hide the sheds
And in this shot I've chroma keyed a background. It's a bit rough and ready as you can still see the wrinkles in the plastic.
Now, the question is, should I develop this approach further or am I wasting my time?
Rik
PS - My thinking is that, as my railway is hypothetically situated in a real location, I could take photos of the locality and occasionally use these as backgrounds. Will it add an extra dimension or actually detract from the garden railway?
Here's an unadulterated photo of one of my trains crossing the swing bridge with its actual background (ie the sheds etc)
Here, I've erected a screen of blue plastic to hide the sheds
And in this shot I've chroma keyed a background. It's a bit rough and ready as you can still see the wrinkles in the plastic.
Now, the question is, should I develop this approach further or am I wasting my time?
Rik
PS - My thinking is that, as my railway is hypothetically situated in a real location, I could take photos of the locality and occasionally use these as backgrounds. Will it add an extra dimension or actually detract from the garden railway?
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Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt/backscenes
You should do what you want Rik and not post to appease others.
My railway is not realistic enough to worry about such things as it's a railway that just happens to be in a garden.
My railway is not realistic enough to worry about such things as it's a railway that just happens to be in a garden.
Re: Beeston Market Station forecourt/backscenes
IMHO, anything artificial in a photo attracts my attention away from the intended focus... the trains, track and lineside structures. Perhaps it's because I know that our model railways are set in a real world of tool sheds, wheelbarrows, fences, etc. My mind's eye sees these items in photos but dismisses them automatically. Perhaps this is because after years in the hobby my mind has become "trained" to the trains.
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