OK. First 8' of backdrop is now painted and up. What I would to do is take photo's at local yards and place on background. Has anyone done this? What I am curious about is with a digital camera how far back from building should I be? The track is within 2 inches of backdrop in the yard area, so I wanted to take pictures of a train yard in our area. Would I just take the picture, then adust height of nearest engine to same height of engine on layout? I also have 35 mm camera if anyone has used this format also.
First, if using a digital camera, you will need a very good one to avoid seeing the pixels "grain" on an enlargement suitable for a background. You might want to use the 35mm for this - and even then be careful on the film selection. I would check with the local photo shop with whom you are planning to have the enlargement with for their suggestions (Determine the final photo size before seeking their advice). Photography is art and skill all on to its own. To see really good, albeit expensive, backdrops check-out "BackDrop Warehouse" at www.histvideo.com That's what I'm going to use. Good luck!
Barry, another option would be to take slide photos of the various locations you want to use in your backdrops. Then project the slides onto the walls and paint what you see. Doesn't have to be highly detailed, just give the general impression of what want to see. You could even combine parts from various slides ... add a building from one slide to the background from another. Also, be a darn sight less expensive than enlarging a photo ... If you don't have a slide projector, maybe a friend has one, or you probably could rent one from a local tool rental place ... ? [ 08. January 2003, 14:10: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
