This month, let's start with the photos. I've been a busy boy, and you'll find three layout shoots by me in this issue.
First, we have the East Derbyshire Mineral Railway. This EM gauge layout wasn't what I origionally contacted owner Mick Payne to talk about - but I'm not complaining, this fascinating rural line is one of the nicest I've ever pointed a camera at. With more than enough shots in the bag, I could still have worked away for another hour.
It helps that we share an interest in building kits of unusual locomotives, especially Centre Models kits, so the chatting was very pleasent.
I've never fancied owning a layout built into a room before - but I could enjoy building this one very much thank you.
From the countryside, we move steeltown with Burnroyd Works. Apart from the scale, the two models share nothing. It's all big diesel locos, dirt and metal here, and all the better for it. There's even that DCC sound stuff. Deservedly popular at shows, this isn't a big layout, but it's got a lot of action in the space.
Finally, we have some N gauge in the form of Midholme. What I like here is that this is a spacious branch line station that uses the smaller scale to give the atmosphere of a quiet line. In the photo above, I bet you can't tell it's N either - cracking modelling.
Back at the bench, well, we have a guide for benches, the sort you sit on.
I've dig around to find a selection of station benches for different lines. This was harder than I expected as I really didn't want anything generic. Also, I had to buy the kits and then build them. Fiddly work with a deadline approaching!
Finally, one of those kits I spot, and immediatly want to have a go at. This time, it's Metcalfe Models "Ramshackle workshop". Lovely design, and crying out for some minor upgrades so it could sit in any layout.
Oh, and on BRM TV, I'm answering a reader's call to weather the inside of some wagons.
Phew! That was a busy month!
6 comments:
Phil
I am always delighted by the photos in BRM which are of such high quality. I understand that you use focus stacking on studio layout images but do you use the same technique for your exhibition grabs and technique article images or do you have some other way of achieving "all in focus"?
Nope. Same trick. It's really important for the smaller stuff like benches as when you get in close, it's amazing how fast the depth of field falls off.
With very few exceptions, the layout shots are all stacked, it just looks better on the page that way, and is worth the effort.
Does your camera do automatic stacking (both taking & processing) or is it a manual process with Photoshop to actually do the stacking?
The camera (Cannon G12) has some software on it to do the focussing, and the stacking is carried out by Helicon Focus software.
I picked up a copy of BRM yesterday in WHS at St. Pancras, mostly for the East Derbyshire Mineral Railway article as I've seen some bits about its locos and stock elsewhere and it's good to see them in their natural habitat. Nice to see a freelance/fictional model of a whole railway system, and in EM Gauge too! I've been collecting kits and so on for some years with the aim of producing a freelanced light railway; though I doubt I'll build an empire like this, it's very inspiring nevertheless.
Cheers,
Simon.
Simon - I'm with you on this. A freelance standard gauge system is really rare, but I loved this one. Definitely, a "layout Phil would love to build". More photos next month when we feature the 009 line I had originally planned to photograph!
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