I am shooting some12inch tall blocks and I want to make them look really big and tall like buildings. I have tried to shoot from many different angles and some tilts of my view camera, but the image which came out does not satisfy me. Is there any tip to get this kind of effect? Or, 12inch tall is not enough to make it to look big and tall? I am using 165mm super anglon for 8x10. thanks joe

-- joe (joe787@lycos.com), July 24, 2000

Answers

Hi Joe. I have seen some unbelievable photographs taken of model railroads. Some of the best were done by John Allen over 30 years ago.

One of the most effective methods is a pinhole camera used at table- top level. That perspective makes it seem as if the photographer were standing beside a real scene taking pictures. The results are amazing. I think "Model Railroader" magazine has published a booklet on photographing dioramas. -Dave

-- Dave Richhart (pritprat@erinet.com), July 24, 2000.

12 inches should be tall enough. At that subject distance you could probably get full coverage with a Nikkor 120 SW or even an SA90XL, but the 165 should be wide enough to make it loom.

Remember that tilting the back, not the front, will create a looming effect, and the closer the camera is to the subject, and the lower it is, the better (ideally, lens is exactly at table top height, with the "buildings" near the edge of the tab

-- Simon (fourthpres@aol.com), July 24, 2000.

As mentioned above, extreme backward tilt of the camera back.

You can refer to The Photographer's Studio Manual (pg. 170) by Michael Freeman for an example.

-- VNC (chettu99@tyenet.com), July 24, 2000.