Digi photos for backgrounds

seanm

Member
Has anyone taken digital photos of buildings and used the photos cut out as background flats? I think this would be pretty easy in my scale (N) as even 4x6 pics would be abvout the right size... and even an 8x10 could cover one large building....

Anyone done this and care to share some techniques or pictures?
 

spitfire

Active Member
Sean, I've tried it and thought it turned out quite well. I don't have any pics from before I started rebuilding my train room, so I've taken this quick snap to give you a rough idea.

The other thing that's neat about using photos in the background is that you can get some atmospheric perpective (where distant things appear lighter), which really adds a sense of depth.

Val
 

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seanm

Member
Now that is what I was looking for!! I assumed it would work, but it will be a while before I get to that stage. Thanks!!!

Anyone else try this?
 
This is one end of an "Inglenook"-type switching layout. The entire background is digital photos. The far background is made up some photos sent to me of Danbury, Conn. pasted, mirrored, and enlarged/reduced from scans of the original prints + a couple of buildings in Inverness. The warehouses were a series of photos taken with a really cheap digital camera in a local industrial estate here in Northern Scotland, printed out, then cut and pasted and stuck onto a sheet of hardboard (masonite?) Just make sure the shadows all fall the same way!!! The hardboard was then cut along the roof-line and a black marker pen run along the edge. The fence along the front disguises a strip of plexiglas to keep wandering "pokey-fingers" away when it was exhibited. Hope it helps.
Shortliner(Jack) away up here in the Highlands:thumb:
 

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N Gauger

1:20.3 Train Addict
Here's one I did in G --- An engine in a bookcase. The entire background is made up of pics:

~~ Digital pic of the sky..
~~ Digital pic of the Baldwin Building
~~ Builder's cards that were torn at bottom, I cut them out & pasted them in.

Bookcase Display
 
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