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    What's in a picture?

    Went on the Google the other day to read about realistic layout photographs. A common refrain across sites I visited was on the order of 'low level, perspective of a miniature person, take the photo like a little track side person, etc., etc., etc.' And I must say, I agree. A trackside avatar is a great choice, as is being on an embankment or bridge, or a mall/hotel complex's third-floor mezzanine level outdoor atrium with a view of mountains and overlooking the tracks or standing at the windows of the hotel's eighth-floor rooftop restaurant / jazz lounge with the same views.

    All possible realistic locations, all probable realistic views.


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    Eye level despair - Taking a ground level snap I noticed some large soft pastel tubes peaking above the side of one gon. What ever could they be? What's behind the gons, more gons or what? Inquiring minds...
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    Third floor mezzanine - The loads are three years worth of stripped wire insulation, cut yet unused heat shrink tubing, a few other oddities and a number of real world desiccant containers (large polyethylene tanks as part of the load). I like the idea of scrap plastic industrial tubing – lots of color in a rail scene, light weight scrap for mill gon loading, and reminds us of unique loads seen in/on gons/flats.

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    Mount Alcovy Roost - The rooftop restaurant / jazz lounge offers a broader view of the various loads. The idler flat is fully in the scene. These cars have a unique unrequited roll in railroading and they have been a favorite since my first encounter back when the earth was young.


    But, back to the ground level avatar. Placed next to the car (roadside, parking lot) close to the tracks and holding some sort of gizmo with a buzzzzzing overhead. Our little friend is using a drone to take pictures of the railyard area. What a clever idea. A drone is a real thing and does allow pictures of real stuff. And, Avatar Avery is at eye level to the trains.

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    In the age of drone photography we are capable of sharing an additional sort of lifelike views of our playing field.

    So, what's in a picture?

    BJB

    P.S. While technically you can photograph trains using a drone, it's generally not recommended due to safety concerns and potential legal issues as trains are considered critical infrastructure, and flying a drone over them could be seen as a violation of FAA regulations and may even be considered trespassing on railroad property depending on where you are flying; always check local laws and contact the railroad company before operating a drone near tracks.

    P.P.S. Kind of like a visit to a layout; ask permission before taking a snap or two.

    P.P.P.S Of course if you own the railway...you can gleefully present it any way you want!

    Last edited by BillyJoeBob; 10-25-2024, 09:49 AM.

    #2
    Taking photos of your models on the layout is a good way to look for things that need doing to the model and/or layout.
    These photos are a good record of progress made over time.
    Some photos I have of my locos and rolling stock are kept in a computer file for insurance purposes (along with photos of my power tool serial numbers)

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      #3
      Agree Russ. Photos of our equipment is important for insurance purposes. I also have a spread sheet with engine – rolling stock information. It includes a panel for each type rolling stock (box, flat, engine, etc.) on the layout. It has running data about costs (i.e., retail, tax, etc.). This sheet is in my personal computers, the cloud and a school server. I also have hard copy files of each purchase receipt.

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      Here is basic information I maintain for equipment. The “DATE” column is the 'BLT' date as shown on the painted model and the “Manuf. No.” is the model's manufacturer and their part number.


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      Header includes running totals (redacted) of the nine equipment type panels.

      BJB

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        #4
        I almost never take a photo from above my models. It makes them look like...models.Click image for larger version

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