Page 56 - FLIPMAG.NET

Home Photo Projects
HOME PROJECT #3
CRAFT
REALISTIC
MINIATURE
SCENES
➜ AS SHOT BY CHRIS KENNEDY
AVE YOU EVER HAD
big plans for your next
photography project, only
for the realist in you to
think it unachievable?
HWell, miniatures just may
be the answer you were looking for.
Even the biggest Hollywood blockbusters
sometimes employ the use of models to
make the seemingly impossible possible.
Chris Kennedy takes us through the
creative process that led to capturing
these ambitious scenes.
Chris explains: “The best thing about
shooting miniatures is that there is no
limit to what you can do. If you have the
creative vision, you can achieve it with
the right know-how. The process can
take up a lot of your time, especially
when you build your own sets, however
THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU INVEST INTO
IT PAYS OFF MORE OFTEN THAN NOT
TECHNIQUE TIPS
56 PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHY
this is certainly an enjoyable process and
the time and effort you invest into it pays
off, more often than not.
“I have worked on a number of
different miniature projects, all of which
had varying levels of complexity. The
most straightforward was the model of
the Formula 1 crash. This was initially
a case of using an image from a racing
book to form the background, a printout
of some track as the base and then
introducing the two model cars to the
scene. I then added elements of realism
by lighting an indoor sparkler to create
the sparks that you would expect to see
from the crash. These have a much more
realistic appearance than relying on
Photoshop to add them in.
BRING YOUR MODELS TO LIFE
Let your imagination run wild and follow
these steps to create your very own
realistic model scene...
n Use a focal length between 50mm and
100mm. This increased focal distance
helps draw your background and subject
closer together.
n Try to position your camera low, looking
slightly up at your model in order to give
your subject a larger, more realistic
perspective in your composition.
n Pay particular attention to the way
you light your scene – this can be the
difference to giving your scene a realistic
“The setup for the SWAT team model
was more complicated, but a lot of fun
to create. I had built the 1/6 scale model
set for a previous firefighter project, but
added additional details to reflect the
new tactical theme. I only have one
figure so the final image you see here
is made up of three shots composited
together in Photoshop, showing him in
different positions within the scene.
“I once again decided to add the
realistic effects in camera. The explosion
was simulated by filling the end of a foot
pump, positioned behind the door, with
cement dust. I also used a small smoke
machine for added atmosphere. The
scene was lit with a three-light setup
– one to the right with a blue gel to
highlight details of the smoke, one with
an orange gel positioned behind the door
to simulate fire, and one with no gel
positioned to the left as a fill light.
look. Aim to recreate expected lighting
conditions with gels or specific bulb
types. For a daylight effect, opt for colour
temperature bulbs between 5000 and 6500
kelvin. To recreate fire or sunset lighting
effects, use directional lighting fitted with
bulbs between 1800 and 2800 kelvin.
n Get creative with your backgrounds.
Use images in books, computer screens or
even print off your own to give your model
scene a more realistic appearance.
n Don’t rely on Photoshop to create all
of your effects. Adding smoke with
substances such as dry ice looks more
realistic if you create it in camera.