Building Fronts For Backdrops

[chuck geiger]

Found these while surfing, other than the NMRA St. Louis page that has great industry fronts.

https://unsplash.com/s/photos/building-front

https://www.google.com/search?q=building%20front%20view&tbm=isch&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS812US812&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCAQtI8BKAFqFwoTCOC1hOGsmvkCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAP&biw=1903&bih=945

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Not terribly useful, but I like this one:
https://unsplash.com/photos/S9rYCM3F7w4

[chuck geiger]

I cant use any of the either, someone could mesh them together for a low relief background.

[C855B]

I'm looking to do low relief backgrounds myself. I think at this point other than scratchbuilding, it's going to be store-bought whole structures that I cut the fronts and backs off of.

For photo-based ideas, I experimented with a Google street view that showed the front and side of a building and a little bit of the back, with enough there to Photoshop the rest of it. It might be OK for deep background, but the lack of relief on the façade was fairly unsatisfying.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

For photo-based ideas, I experimented with a Google street view that showed the front and side of a building and a little bit of the back, with enough there to Photoshop the rest of it. It might be OK for deep background, but the lack of relief on the façade was fairly unsatisfying.

Streetview is the way.

Use this: https://svd360.istreetview.com/

And then, and this is the important thing, use a FAR away part of the image.

Start with this.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Crop it to this.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Then match the background to your background, or copy it into a larger image.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

The hard part is finding spots that work for your season AND where the subject has enough distance for you to use.

[chuck geiger]

Ed is right -

[chuck geiger]

I'm looking to do low relief backgrounds myself. I think at this point other than scratchbuilding, it's going to be store-bought whole structures that I cut the fronts and backs off of.

For photo-based ideas, I experimented with a Google street view that showed the front and side of a building and a little bit of the back, with enough there to Photoshop the rest of it. It might be OK for deep background, but the lack of relief on the façade was fairly unsatisfying.

Absolutely agree...I am going to do the same thing. Real building fronts. Or get to Hemet, CA and take the pictures myself, which I have done before.

[wm3798]

I just "unfold" a DPM kit, and use all four sides depending on how it works in the surroundings.  I also use printed images of other model buildings, which look more convincing than actual buildings when juxtaposed to the full model buildings in the foreground.



Can you tell which ones are flats?

Lee