Portable photography

This time last week, I attended the London Toy Fair. My plan each year is to see what both Hornby and Oxford have announced at the show. This time, I knew what Hornby's plans were - well most of them anyway, but more of that on Sunday.

Oxford can always be relied on to bring out several new diecast vehicles plus new samples from the railway range. I'll usually spend an hour or so photographing things.

My trip down involves a train, tube and overground trip. The way back usually takes in a bus and perhaps some tube followed by the train. On all this, I really don't want to be lugging masses of gear. If the cloakroom system at Olympia moved at something more than a glacial pace, this might be easier, but it doesn't.

Anyway, in my bag is a tripod, small tripod, G12 camera, video camera and microphone system. I have a portable booth, but it really needs it's white melamine base so models sit will all wheels on the deck, and that definitely isn't going along.

Instead, I bodge things with an A3(ish) size bit of plastic, clipboard and loads of paper. Using tape, clips and Blu-tack, I can construct enough background for the models, even the whopping big railgun. I use long exposures, photo stacking and available light rather than taking extra illumination. It's not pretty, but it is effective.

Once back home, I can stack the images, clean up the backgrounds and the results look pretty good.

You might think this seems a bit amateurish, but it's better than the mag photographer who was sitting the models on the black chair until being loaned my plastic for the background...