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elminero67
Engine Wiper
USA
386 Posts |
 Posted - 07/04/2011 : 11:32:12 PM
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i haven't posted on RRL for a while, so I thought Id post progress of the mining railroad as Im working on it-as a footnote, it is located in the garage, which has horrible lighting for pics, particularly for a sun-baked desert. It is on wheels and rolls outside when Im ready to take better pics, so bear with:
The railroad is a copper mining railroad set down near the Arizona/Sonora border circa 1940. Currently Im struggling with a mining town: When I started the layout, I didn't plan it with photography in mind, but lately that part of the hobby is starting to appeal to me.
The mining town shows some of the challenges: From this angle the dirt road leads the eye directly to where the backdrop ends: Another problem in this photo angle is that the track is too close to the edge of the layout for pics. Ideas? Suggestions?
This angle shows still under construction town from the other side. I had originally planned to build a row of businesses on the lower left, but after mocking it up realized that it blocked the train from operators and photographers: May do a low profile station instead, but looking for other ideas as well...
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dallas_m
Fireman
USA
3142 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 12:36:32 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by elminero67
Currently Im struggling with a mining town: When I started the layout, I didn't plan it with photography in mind, but lately that part of the hobby is starting to appeal to me.
The mining town shows some of the challenges: From this angle the dirt road leads the eye directly to where the backdrop ends
First reaction: Don't shoot it from that angle! (Patient: It hurts when I do this. Doctor: Don't do that.) 
Second reaction: You've got some really cool stuff going on there with lots of potential. On that scene mentioned, try setting the self-timer on the camera and place it on the track just in front of that turnout ... let it cut off the top of the hill ... pretend you're a railfan visiting this railroad and focusing on the trains ... the background/scenery all becomes "setting" ...
Lots of opportunities here ... probably just need to change some of your thinking about holding and placing the camera ... experiment and "discover" what works. At some point, you may wish to get into PhotoShop, etc and look at "painting in" the missing backdrop digitally. There's a tutorial about that somewhere on the forum.
Also, from these shots, you're standing over the layout and pointing down with the camera ... think like a railfan ... get down to track level, play with placing the camera on the layout and letting it shoot pix on the timer, etc.
Really like what I see so far ... neat stuff and very convincing environment! |
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Neil M
Fireman
Australia
2173 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 03:48:48 AM
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I like the angles and gradients in the scene but I think photos would benefit from a removable backdrop section where the gap in the backdrop is.
I really like the cabins on the hill but I think the side wall for the building on the extreme right is too high and makes the scene unbalanced.
Neil  |
Built a waterfront HO layout in Ireland http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=22161 but now making a start in On30 in Australia |
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milocomarty
Fireman
Netherlands
4971 Posts |
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quarryman
Fireman
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 07:17:41 AM
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Duane-
I like this scene ... especially like the arrangement of the houses at the top of the hill. Great coloring and texture. An immediate impression is that the tipple scene could use more elbow room. Maybe some of the business district could be moved up on the hill to serve as a destination for the road that leads up and out of the scene. A little more space around the tipple would allow more development of the mine scene. But it looks great the way you have it.
Just a thought,
Mark Chase
Richmond VA |
Visit my Piedmont & East Blue Ridge Railroad
http://www.eastblueridge.com |
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Bill Uffelman
Crew Chief
USA
907 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 07:37:56 AM
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Agree with others, the scene is good, just need to change the camera angle to "eye level". If I am seeing it right, the commercial business on the front edge has its back to the track implying another street out in the aisle so expansion of the commercial district will only be in your mind and not block anything.
Have we seen a track plan and overall photos of your RR? It looks very interesting.
Bill Uffelman
In Ocean View DE for most of the summer |
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northern6400
Fireman
Canada
3143 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 08:07:05 AM
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| You have got some great suggestions there. Your scenery is very nice. |
Chuck Faist
Burlington, Ontario
Enjoy yourself it is later than you think! |
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mabloodhound
Fireman
USA
4670 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 09:22:06 AM
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Instead of a row of businesses on the left, try just two or three with visibility of the tracks between the buildings.
Really nice layout so far and should offer some great photos following the advice above.
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Dave Mason
D&G RR (Dunstead & Granford) in On30
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”~Benjamin Franklin
The 2nd Amendment, America’s 1st Homeland Security
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Dustymalaymann
Engine Wiper
Malaysia
133 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 10:36:31 AM
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Well I love the dirt road going up the hill & the overall scene gives the impression of a mining town stuffed into a very small space in a narrow valley with not much flat land about except that which has been created. Looking good.
Keith Miller |
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elminero67
Engine Wiper
USA
386 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 8:19:56 PM
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Thanks for the good tips.
I will try to get a "railfan's perspective," and lower the camera angle and see what happens. I know that the buildings are not well detailed, maybe thats why I try to keep the camera at length.
Neil-will lower the building at far right, it does look out of sorts, but fortunately is just a mock-up at this point. |
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wslco
Engine Wiper
USA
193 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 8:26:59 PM
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| Good looking work. But the row of stores are out of place. Having lived in a copper mining camp in ht e1940's, I can tell you that there would only be a general store/gas station (owned by the company and/or run by a contractor). |
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quarryman
Fireman
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 10:29:28 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by wslco
I can tell you that there would only be a general store/gas station (owned by the company and/or run by a contractor).
That occurred to me, also. Why would such a small town have a commercial district at all? But it could be the Sonora equivalent of Thurmond, West Virginia. Banks and businesses in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I guess it could happen.
Mark Chase
Richmond VA |
Visit my Piedmont & East Blue Ridge Railroad
http://www.eastblueridge.com |
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MinerFortyNiner
Fireman
USA
2028 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2011 : 12:23:26 AM
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Perhaps it happened more than many of us realize, as boom periods of mining caused speculation about a town's future to run rampant. The successful mines, and their surrounding towns, measured their prosperity in decades. The ones that went bust measured it in months or years.
Mining towns often built in haphazard and random patterns, without the logical layout of a town that formed over decades of gradual growth. Perhaps because of the rugged terrain, everything is on different levels and scattered about the mining activity to create a unique look. The only parallel I can think of is larger logging camps.
I think Duane is well on his way to capturing that look, and fine tuning the structure locations and sightlines will make the scene even better. The camera's perspective has a way of making all of our modeling better by giving us a new way of seeing the little worlds we create. There are a lot of great suggestions above, and I look forward to watching progress on the Torres y Prietas! |
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elminero67
Engine Wiper
USA
386 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2011 : 12:43:31 AM
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moved the camera to a lower angle put an old piece of backdrop behing the buildings. Fortunately I used the same shade of blue so I should be able to paint them to match. None of the buildings or details are finished and the lighting is still dreadful, but the composition seems to work from a lower angle with some of the deatils removed:
In the last couple of years Ive become interested in 20th Century mining camp architecture, All of the buildings are based on prototypes found in mining camps in Arizona, New Mexico or Sonora.
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k27rgs
Fireman
Australia
4287 Posts |
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jcoop
Crew Chief
USA
999 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2011 : 02:07:18 AM
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I love what you have going on there, keep it up and keep taking pics
John
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John
Sitting along side the orignal Central Pacific Rail Road.
Home of The Great On30 Barn Meet, that will be held April 27th 2013 |
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Torres y Prietas mining narrow gauge
