Extreme Closeups
Among the very nice comments I have received from imodeler members over the years I have been uploading pictures of my builds, I have been asked on a number of occasions if I could post some closeup photos of the models. So tonight I have shot some closeups of my recent builds specially for imodeler. The models shown here are: Eduard's 1:48 Bf 109 F, Spitfire VIII (FT-F), Spitfire IX (GW-S) and 1:72 Spitfire IX (NN-M). The Ju 87 is the Airfix Ju 87 B-2/R in 1:48. Please bear in mind that these are extreme closeups, on your screen these will be many times life-size, (in particular the 1:72 Spitfire which is a pretty small model!) and as such will show every mark or defect.
These photos show how I 'see' the the models when I'm building as I work very close up to them all the time. I'll be posting some photos of GW-S over the weekend, this has only been finished this week. I hope you enjoy the photos.
Great close-ups!
Great stuff! Thanks for posting!
Outstanding close-ups, Alan!
Beautiful, Alan. Beautiful. Go on, if you had one tip to pass on about precision building, what would it be?
Thanks David, my one tip would simply be work close up to your model. I use +3 dioptre glasses to get close enough. If it looks good when your that close, you know it'll look good when you see it at a normal distance.
Thanks, Alan. On the way from a well known market place even as we speak.
WOW, nothing to hide, perfect pictures. Every detail is in right position, I am amazed
These really show off your talent(s), Alan...beautiful workmanship, sir.
Alan, macro is always totally unforgiving - and this set of shots shows such precision under that scrutiny - amazing! Can I ask (briefly) what camera and lens you used - and if you shot with a flash etc?
Thanks Paul, these were shot on a Nikon D7100 with a 60mm Micro Nikkor lens in my studio set which has two 500w photofloods, one with a silver brolly reflector and the other with a diffuser brolly. All shot on a tripod at 1/6 of a second at f22 and processed through Adobe Lightroom. This is my standard setup for shooting all my magazine work.
Thank you Alan - the diffused/reflected light combination is working beautifully, and the colour is spot on!
Nice macro work and your models are absolutely fantastic. I use Zeiss and Schneider Makro lenses and my favorite is the Schneider 90mm TS Makro. The TS stands for Tilt-Shift. It's an incredibly sharp lens, but only goes to .25x magnification. My 100mm Zeiss isn't as sharp, but it goes to .5x.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Holy Mackerel, George - I know it is all about the human behind the camera, but that TS lens is to die for (and to get a second mortgage for if I remember correctly). I now understand part of the reason your presentation is so stunning! I haven't taken model photography too seriously yet - mine don't stand up to the scrutiny. I do however do a little 'insect' macro - using a Canon MPE-65 which goes to 5X. The models get the Canon 100mm IS, or the 50mm f1.2 if I'm looking for something more forgiving! I should set up studio lighting for the models - I have done it before for 'insect' set pieces.
Here's a young Argiope spider at 5x - although the file is small! Apologies for side-track - love talking to photographers!
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Great pic's Alan and Paul !
Excellent photograhpy and amazing details! Very inspiring I must say.
great photo work, I really want to take pictures like this but I suck at it. Its a shame b/c I sell off all my model work and so only record I have are my pictures of them and they suck. I purchased an old Cannon Rebel DSLR but dont have other decent equipment due to cost. Do you recommend a less expensive started lens to do MACRO work? I also need to invest in some better lighting and a decent tri-pod. Right now my Phone takes better pictures then my rebel b/c dont have right set-up.
Also love your model work. I am especially jealous of how well your surface detail pops such as panel lines, and rivets, etc. I do a lot of work with panel washes and such to highlight panel work and surface detail but always seem to struggle.
Thanks Paul, believe it or not, all my magazine photos are shot on a 17-55 Nikkor zoom, not a macro lens. Most zooms will get easily close enough to photograph models. Use a tripod, stop the lens down and use a wider angle, I use 28 to 35mm on the zoom. This gives a better depth of field. Only fill half the frame with the model, again to increase depth of field. You will have no problem cropping the image to make the model fill the final picture later on. Remember for website use, the images are very low resolution , 800 to 1000 pixels wide so you can afford to crop heavily.
Alan, those are great close-ups. I envy your camera and also your modeling skills. 🙂
Good stuff. Thanks for posting.
Love the modeling work I can see so clearly. Having rediscovered my decal sheet with the "snake" that Stuka is inspirational.
Thank you, Alan, for posting these photos. Anything that can stand up to that kind of examination is truly fine craftsmanship. Amazing stuff. Hard to pick between them when it comes to choosing a favorite.
A big 'thank you' to everyone who has commented and enjoyed these photos, I'll try and make this a regular feature in future, a 'closeup roundup' of builds!
Wonderful pictures Alan. So clear & sharp. I congratulate you on your modelling skills too, Thanks for all the tips!
Amazing work
Tom