How To Photograph Your Models in a Realistic Setting

[tim boyd]

Creating Scenic Backdrops That Make Your Model Cars and Trucks Look as Though They Are Real

Today the subject for your consideration is setting up backdrops for model cars that you are photographing. I am not talking about dioramas, as those are permanent displays and involve a much greater degree of preparation and work. Instead, this is about arranging temporary settings behind the model you are photographing that make it look as though it is a real 1.1 scale car. Not only is this a fun and creative activity, but you may soon find that it can build a whole new level of enjoyment to our model car hobby.

This is a story I've been wanting to share with modelers for decades now (see the image above showing folder of reference work I've been keeping on this subject over the years).  I've approached every magazine Editor I've worked with for the last two decades about a feature story on this subject, and every single one has respectfully declined to run it. The general view I think could be summed up as a judgment that most model car magazine readers just aren't all that interested in an article about photographing their work in a semi-professional setting, and certainly not in a background that makes it look like a real car rather than a scale replica.  In fairness to my Editorial colleagues, there was also some concern about the timeliness of the content, as some of the photographic scenes in the article date back as far as the 1980s. 

I trust these guys and accept their conclusion, but I also think that at least a few of you would still be interested in the subject and enjoy reading about it. So, I've posted the entire (unpublished) article at my Fotki site, and if the subject interests you I encourage you to check it out at this link.   Use the "Roll View" feature to easily scroll through the images and read the photo captions/view the pix at your leisure (no password needed). 

Whether your resulting photography of model cars and trucks in a scenic background ends up as the lead image in a model magazine article (some of you may recognize the photo outtake below from an article in one of the early issues of Model Cars Magazine), or shared with your friends on your favorite social media site, or even just kept for your own personal use, I'm guessing you'll have a good deal of fun creating your own lifelike scenes - and isn't that what auto modeling is supposed to be about?

Thanks for looking, and best wishes for a fantastic 2025 to you all and your families!

Edited January 8 by tim boyd

[iamsuperdan]

That's excellent!

I've said many times that outdoor shots and natural lighting help improve the perceived realism of any kit. And it's something I want to do more of for sure.

 

[peteski]

Pretty clever idea.

Back in the days of film 35mm SLR cameras (about 30 years ago), I used to take my models outdoors to a setting where buildings and vegetation were far enough away to make the model appear like 1:1 scale vehicle. Since 1:1 asphalt texture is too coarse for realistic 1:25 scale look, I placed the models on a sheet of rubber roofing material which looks like scale asphalt.  And I agree that natural sunlight/shadows add to the realism. Here are some examples

 

This one is 1:8 Pocher kit.  With a larger scale model the 1:1 asphalt (no rubber mat) looks a bit rough, but not too unrealistic.

 

 

[tim boyd]

7 hours ago, peteski said:

Pretty clever idea.

Back in the days of film 35mm SLR cameras (about 30 years ago), I used to take my models outdoors to a setting where buildings and vegetation were far enough away to make the model appear like 1:1 scale vehicle. Since 1:1 asphalt texture is too coarse for realistic 1:25 scale look, I placed the models on a sheet of rubber roofing material which looks like scale asphalt.  And I agree that natural sunlight/shadows add to the realism. Here are some examples

 

This one is 1:8 Pocher kit.  With a larger scale model the 1:1 asphalt (no rubber mat) looks a bit rough, but not too unrealistic.

 

 

Peter....those are outstanding examples of what I am advocating here.  The first two images of the wrecker....it looks completely real.  Way to go, and thanks for posting these images...TIM 

[peteski]

Thanks Tim!
I was also quite happy with how the wrecker photos came out. I had my Nikon FG sitting on the ground (with me also lying on the ground) to make the photo appear to be taken by a 1:25 human holding the camera at their eye level (how photos were taken back in those days since one had to look through thye camera's viewfinder).  I also used a wide angle lens (28mm) to slightly exaggerate the perspective, and f32 aperture to maximize the dept of field.  Back in those days you had no idea how a photo came out until you had the film developed.  How things have changed since those  days . . .

The '50s cars are actually 1:32 scale so those are even harder to make  them look like real cars.  If I recall it correctly, the photo of my 1:8 Mercedes was my first attempt to try this type of photography.

Here are few more photos I took during that photo session.

I also wrote a magazine article about that wrecker (including these photos among others featuring some construction photos) and sent them into FineScale Modeler Magazine.  They accepted it and even paid me, but the article was never published. Not sure why. It was my first attempt writing an article so it probably was not very good, but I suppose the editor could have punched it up a bit.  Again, this was around 30 years ago and back then FSM pretty much was into non-automotive subjects.

[Jon Haigwood]

Some great looking pictures and good info. Thanks for posting. As of late I have ben toying with using some computer software. My first attempt was on a Salt Flats for a Rolling Bones tribute  for a Rolling Bones tribute. 

Edited January 2 by Jon Haigwood

[Falcon Ranchero]

I find that snow also helps with realism, and totally outside is ideal. Was hoping to experiment with perspective to make a car look real size in front of a real garage but it was a little too snowy today. On calm snow days it's really neat. The photos of my 1962 Pontiac Catalina are the most real appearing ones I took so far.

[MeatMan]

On 1/1/2025 at 2:52 PM, tim boyd said:

Creating Scenic Backdrops That Make Your Model Cars and Trucks Look as Though They Are Real

Today the subject for your consideration is setting up backdrops for model cars that you are photographing. I am not talking about dioramas, as those are permanent displays and involve a much greater degree of preparation and work. Instead, this is about arranging temporary settings behind the model you are photographing that make it look as though it is a real 1.1 scale car. Not only is this a fun and creative activity, but you may soon find that it can build a whole new level of enjoyment to our model car hobby.

 

This is a story I've been wanting to share with modelers for decades now (see the image above showing folder of reference work I've been keeping on this subject over the years).  I've approached every magazine Editor I've worked with for the last two decades about a feature story on this subject, and every single one has respectfully declined to run it. The general view I think could be summed up as a judgment that most model car magazine readers just aren't all that interested in an article about photographing their work in a semi-professional setting, and certainly not in a background that makes it look like a real car rather than a scale replica.  In fairness to my Editorial colleagues, there was also some concern about the timeliness of the content, as some of the photographic scenes in the article date back as far as the 1980s. 

I trust these guys and accept their conclusion, but I also think that at least a few of you would still be interested in the subject and enjoy reading about it. So, I've posted the entire (unpublished) article at my Fotki site, and if the subject interests you I encourage you to check it out at this link.   Use the "Roll View" feature to easily scroll through the images and read the photo captions/view the pix at your leisure (no password needed). 

Whether your resulting photography of model cars and trucks in a scenic background ends up as the lead image in a model magazine article (some of you may recognize the photo outtake below from an article in one of the early issues of Model Cars Magazine), or shared with your friends on your favorite social media site, or even just kept for your own personal use, I'm guessing you'll have a good deal of fun creating your own lifelike scenes - and isn't that what auto modeling is supposed to be about?

 

Thanks for looking, and best wishes for a fantastic 2025 to you all and your families!

Thanks much!

[tim boyd]

On 1/2/2025 at 9:11 AM, peteski said:

Thanks Tim!
I was also quite happy with how the wrecker photos came out. I had my Nikon FG sitting on the ground (with me also lying on the ground) to make the photo appear to be taken by a 1:25 human holding the camera at their eye level (how photos were taken back in those days since one had to look through thye camera's viewfinder).  I also used a wide angle lens (28mm) to slightly exaggerate the perspective, and f32 aperture to maximize the dept of field.  Back in those days you had no idea how a photo came out until you had the film developed.  How things have changed since those  days . . .

The '50s cars are actually 1:32 scale so those are even harder to make  them look like real cars.  If I recall it correctly, the photo of my 1:8 Mercedes was my first attempt to try this type of photography.

Here are few more photos I took during that photo session.

I also wrote a magazine article about that wrecker (including these photos among others featuring some construction photos) and sent them into FineScale Modeler Magazine.  They accepted it and even paid me, but the article was never published. Not sure why. It was my first attempt writing an article so it probably was not very good, but I suppose the editor could have punched it up a bit.  Again, this was around 30 years ago and back then FSM pretty much was into non-automotive subjects.

Looking at your pix again, the thought strikes me that it is not just your photographic and background treatments that make the wrecker look so real, it is the outcome of an excellent kit painted and assembled by one very, very talented model builder.  Again, my congrats!   TIM 

[tim boyd]

Thanks to all who looked at this post, and especially to those that went to the photo album at the link in the first post above to read the details and ideas. I hope you all find challenge and enjoyment from trying out these techniques and always feel free to share the results here at the MCM Forum!   Cheers....tim 

[slusher]

On 1/2/2025 at 8:11 AM, peteski said:

Thanks Tim!
I was also quite happy with how the wrecker photos came out. I had my Nikon FG sitting on the ground (with me also lying on the ground) to make the photo appear to be taken by a 1:25 human holding the camera at their eye level (how photos were taken back in those days since one had to look through thye camera's viewfinder).  I also used a wide angle lens (28mm) to slightly exaggerate the perspective, and f32 aperture to maximize the dept of field.  Back in those days you had no idea how a photo came out until you had the film developed.  How things have changed since those  days . . .

The '50s cars are actually 1:32 scale so those are even harder to make  them look like real cars.  If I recall it correctly, the photo of my 1:8 Mercedes was my first attempt to try this type of photography.

Here are few more photos I took during that photo session.

I also wrote a magazine article about that wrecker (including these photos among others featuring some construction photos) and sent them into FineScale Modeler Magazine.  They accepted it and even paid me, but the article was never published. Not sure why. It was my first attempt writing an article so it probably was not very good, but I suppose the editor could have punched it up a bit.  Again, this was around 30 years ago and back then FSM pretty much was into non-automotive subjects.

Fantastic Wrecker Peter, beautiful photography!

[1972coronet]

On 1/2/2025 at 6:11 AM, peteski said:

Back in those days you had no idea how a photo came out until you had the film developed.

Hard to imagine / believe these days. 

One of my friends here ; he's in his twenties , and a real photography fan (he owns a couple of vintage cameras , including a Polaroid ) and he takes photos frequently. 

Just felt compelled to chime in here with this sidebar .

[TarheelRick]

Thanks for this in-depth tutorial. I enjoy tinkering with photography, and this has further piqued my interest. Years ago, I attempted to do something similar with my state-of-the-art Yaschica TL Electro-X SLR but waiting for film developing and immediately noticing visual mistakes put a kink in my plans. This may push me into getting more enthused about realistic looking model photos.

[peteski]

On 1/11/2025 at 5:28 PM, tim boyd said:

Looking at your pix again, the thought strikes me that it is not just your photographic and background treatments that make the wrecker look so real, it is the outcome of an excellent kit painted and assembled by one very, very talented model builder.  Again, my congrats!   TIM 

Thank you Tim. This means a lot to me coming from a modeler of your caliber.  I still have that model and occasionally I display it at local model shows. Unfortunately the clear coat yellowed, so it lost some of its visual appeal.  Back when I built that model I didn't know about the yellowing Testors clear.