Test pictures

[matrixone]

I have tried a couple composite pictures and they are not very good but with more experience I think I can produce some very convincing images. A year from now I just might reach my goal of making pictures of my models look real enough to fool some JMNs at a certain other modeling site! B)


This first image is of a Me 209 in front of some Bf 109s getting ready to take off.
Yes the shadow under the 209 is very fake looking but in future images this problem will be taken care of. This is my very first attempt at this sort of image and have a long way to go to get them just right.


This second pic is of a Ta 183 ''buzzing'' the airfield.


Matrixone

[Leigh]

I have tried a couple composite pictures and they are not very good but with more experience I think I can produce some very convincing images.


Matrixone

Well obviously your definition of "not very good" and mine are completely different.
"Cos once again you are the MASTER of taking convincing pictures  

[Brian da Basher]

Wow Matrixone more to fool the history experts! Your work is incredible. I can see some Ph.D candidate finding your pics on the 'net and writing his thesis around how Luft '46 is not really imaginary.

Is it real or Matrixone?  ^_^

Brian da Basher

[Eddie M.]

I think we've entered an alternate universe where you're pix are the real deal. I think they look outstanding! Bravo Zulu!
   Eddie

[matrixone]

Thanks Leigh!

The Me 209 picture is my very first attempt at a composite image and I learned quite a bit from doing it and I like it.
In later pictures I will improve how the model image blends with the background image, mainly I will try and match the angle of the shadows something where the Me 209 picture fails completely and the Ta 183 picture was close to being a success, if the Ta 183s nose had only been slightly angled a few degrees higher the shadows from the sun would have matched the shadows of the objects on the ground exactly and would have made a nice picture.

The other problem with the Me 209 picture is the Bf 109s in the background, they are Bf 109Fs and not Gustavs. If the Me 209 had seen service it would have been used along with Bf 109G-14s and Bf 109G-10s and not the Bf 109Fs as seen in my picture. I only used the Me 209 and Bf 109F images together because they were handy as I already had them in my picture files.

I will be searching the net for suitable pictures to use as background pictures and will be taking new pictures of my models that will be used for making those composite images. A lot work to do yes, but it will be worth the effort when I can make some of my Luft'46 models look very real. An image of my Ta 183 with some ''real'' Me 262s in the background would make for a very interesting picture and is something I might be able to do now.

Matrixone

[matrixone]

Thanks very much Brian and Eddie!

Just wait untill I get more experience doing these composite images.


Matrixone

[wolfik]

hi
it looks great!
could you do such a combination with my Torpedo stuka?
what would you need to make such a picture?
thanks in advance for any answer

regards!

[cthulhu77]

Looking very good, Matrixone !
  Are you using photoshop or the gimp?  I've found that the sharpen masks on gimp work much better for making a depth of field than photoshop (though two friends swear by ps, and refuse to use gimp software)
 As everyone else said..."is is real, or is it Matrixone?"

   

[matrixone]

Thanks wolfik!

I suppose I could do a composite image using your Torpedo Stuka, the big problem might be finding a suitable picture to use for the background. The other problem would be ''spinning'' the propeller (if I tried to do an in-flight image), remember I have very little experience trying these composite images and have much to learn yet so I can't say for sure about what else would be needed to make a successful image using your model.

Matrixone

[matrixone]

Thanks cthulhu77!

Actually I used the photo editing software that came with my first digital camera for doing part of the composite stuff and used Photoshop 2 to try and age the pictures. Like I said before I am trying something new and know my efforts now are low quality but I can see huge potential in doing these sort of images, wait a few months and see what I can do when I get more experience.
Remember how bad my airfield pictures were when I first learned how to post pictures (well, maybe you don't)? Over the last two years I have learned from my mistakes and have improved my pictures to the point where they are looking about as good as I had hoped for when I first tried doing them. The same kind of improvement in my composite images could be realized if I work hard enough at them. For me this is an exciting time and look forward to making realistic looking images that will mess with the JMNs heads at a certain other modelling site!

BTW, what is gimp software?


Matrixone  

[elmayerle]

gimp is a particular image managing/creation software that, I'm told, rather more affordable than Photoshop et al.

[matrixone]

Thanks for the answer elmayerle!

I guess I have gimp software then.

If I had the knowledge to use it correctly I would buy the most advanced photo-editing software that is available on the market...money would not be a problem. I am reluctant to spend my money on something that I might not be able to use effectively.

Matrixone

[wolfik]

hi Martix!
I could made more pictures but a spinning prop would not be neccesesaey because it has folded wings
any carrier deck would be usefull I think

regards!and thanks FOR ANY ANSWER    

[matrixone]

wolfik,

I would need a good picture of a WWII era carrier flight deck to use as the background picture, do you know of any websites that has those type of pictures?
It would really help me out.

Over the last two days I have been looking at many photographs of German aircraft hoping to find pictures that have more of the airfield or hangers in them and less of the aircraft. It seems most pictures of the Luftwaffe aircraft have been cropped and they don't show much of the airfield or hangers in the background...which are just the kind of pictures I need the most right now.


Matrixone

[nev]

That first image, with the bloke running is a master stroke!