I spent just a little time today testing out the backdrop scheme for my "high" bridges. These bridges are only a few inches away from the garage door, and have other tracks running just a few inches above them. Bill Doyster (saydoyster) suggested I try a magenta backdrop and throw lots of light on it to burn out shadows. I could then Photoshop in an appropriate backdrop. This was just a test--the image for the background needs to be chosen more carefully, and the magenta card has to be cut a little more carefully, and extended. The card was actually resting against the top of the taller bridge. If you look through the lower lift bridge, you can see the two slave flashes I used to illuminate the card. Yes, those are RDCs floating in the harbor--this was a quick test while a brochure was printing. But I think it worked! In ordinary use I'll have a photo backdrop in front of the magenta one. But for photography the shadows were killing the effect.
I sure like the picture and the bridges. But, I don't think I understand. I thought magenta was pink and I don't see any pink. Are you trying to not have shadows on the backdrop? Because the upper bridges are so close? I will just keep watching the thread. Really looks nice.
By the description (and the purplish reflection on the water at the bottom), I believe he's doing what the TV people call "chroma-keying." It's the way they put images "behind" the weatherman, when he's actually standing in front of a blank wall. Basically, he uses a backdrop that's a solid color--magenta in this case--that doesn't appear anywhere in the scene. Then, in Photoshop, he can replace the magenta area with another image, and it'll look like it's painted on the backdrop.
Rob's got it! I replace the magenta with a picture of clouds, sky, or whatever. I chose magenta because most printing devices use CMYK--that's Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black(the "Y"). It isolates very well, so I can select it easily in Photoshop. Rob, thanks--I hadn't noticed the reflection on the water. Another problem to resolve. . .
Whatever you end up doing, light the scene so you can keep the bridge reflection in the water; it's a nice touch. Plus, since you have such long runs through several scenes, are you planning on consistent weather/backdrop throughout or some variation? The full clouds in your test are very unique and would make a very distinctive presentation. Therefore it could be lit with fluoresecents for a more subdued effect (so long as you can still see the train!)
SG, I do like the cloudy effect. Growing up in New England, cloudy was probably more prevalent than sunny. My backdrops are purposefully a little "stormy" throughout the run of the layout. This happened a bit by chance: on my first painted backdrop, I used the color my wife had chosen for the "water closet" instead of the blue I had bought for the layout. It was a little purple-ish. I liked the effect. As a sometimes photographer, I know that cloudy skies can have an amazing amount of subtle color. Using lights, I can make scenes look like a sunbeam just happened to break through the clouds, or, alternately, like it's really raining. Since I grew up with mushrooms blooming between my toes, and rugs so musty that my neighbors wrinkled their noses for weeks after we moved to dry New Mexico, I'm going to pursue these effects.
The water, by the way, is black. Near the door, the water picks up the magenta from the card. Further away from the door, it picks up other colors from around the room. It's also very dusty and dirty in this shot--I didn't bother cleaning.
