While these are photos on the diorama, they don't relate to its construction, so after reading what this section was created for, I've plonked them here.
 The great thing about the diorama is it's portable, so I can cart it outside, or even onto the floor, as in this first pic, and turn it to vary the arrangement of sun and shadows. If I'd thought of it, I would have backed off one of the locos to let more sun through the gap. The light is barely noticeable on the foreground grass.  Locos are Proto 2000s
 
 

 Atlas loco in this one.


 More to come when I get the chance [……  :twisted:  :twisted:

Can't wait to get my diorama finished so I can take it outside to practice photographing. Mind you, a typical west wales scene probably should be overcast and drizzle :!:  :!:

:D  :D  I remember some sun there - spent holidays there as a boy.

Kadee boxcar and Atlas hopper
 

 Atlas loco

OK… now you are just playing with our minds  :shock:  :shock:

         

Yes that last photo of that G beast looks absolutely first class.
 I can only assume the loco is just out of the paint shop as it does not have much road dirt over the bogies !!

Now either and i am being serious here you are playing tricks on us but i am dam sure they are not models, they look so real mate honest. Well done but i need convincing as to whether they are models.
Phill

:D  :D   Yep, just out of the box  er… paintshop.  I don't have permission to weather it yet -  it's not mine      The rollingstock's not mine either.

 Mike

Mike it is giving the perfect effect outside differant times of the day i expect will give differant effects it cetainly seems to bring things to life more.
I am doing mine for the same reasons you are just to make it portable and take it outside for photography.
Mine is not so rural or scenic as yours but iam hoping the natural light will make it look more realistic. A chap on RM web had done one like the one i am doing which when i saw the photos made me look twice that gave me the inspiration to have a go myself.

cheers Brian.W

How DO you do it and why aren't you featured in railway modelling magazines?

The results are spectacular so instead of starting my next project, which happens to be one of your trees, I'm planning how to get my 26 foot long diaorama outside into a specially built collapsible shed.  

Outstanding. :shock:

Les

All right Mike, it's getting harder and harder to tell where the diorama stops and the background begins. That's NOT FAIR!!!! :evil: :twisted:

Super Mike!
Wayne

For me those last two photographs are the bees knees Mike. A perfect blending with the background.

Thankyou for the kind comments

 I'm finding that if the backyard trees I use for the background are in sun the photos don't work anywhere near as well.  I took several photos of my Bachmann 0-6-2 BR tank engine and it looks like it's travelling through a clearing in the Malayan jungle   
 The sun is very strong too, so I've had to use a big white ice-box lid to  reflect some light back into the darks. The wall of the house helps a bit in that way too.
 It gets quite difficult when the wind blows, and trees keep falling over  
 
 I'm looking forward to seeing more diorama photos taken outdoors. Engine sheds and bridges should look great  :)

 Mike

Mike, your model scenes amaze me and I could study them for hours just looking at the tiny detail you've noticed and incorporated - absolutely stunning - as ever, an artist !!  I particulary like the "swagman" looking for his jumbuck !!

Being outside makes a whole lot of difference - you can't beat natural light.  As everyone has said, it really DOES look real !!

Petermac

Well they're OK - but really - how do you do scale sunshine????????????????????  :shock:

Fabulous stuff, Mike. A real treat for the eyes.

Perry

Perry - your little "crew-cut" emoticons really do look as if they're doing something not quite "gentlemanly" with their right hands !! :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock: - or is it a twin aerial mobile phone they're holding ?

Petermac

Petermac - I reckon the answer to your questions to Perry is yes to both :wink:

:D  :D

 Perry I have had problems with the harsh sun. It's so strong it gets quite dazzling, and upsets the contrast. Also, if the model is backlit, the sun tends to make plastic handrails glow and look like the plastic they are.  It's more of an issue with the Lifelike Proto 2000s.  than it is with Atlas. The floodlight I use indoors can cause it to happen too.  Short of changing the railings and grabs, one answer is to paint them in an appropriate opaque colour, which is a bit fiddly.

 Mike

Mike,
Are you using your camera settings to reduce the amount of light in the photo and using reflectors to prevent over dark shadows?

Marty I do use reflectors, such as the icebox lid. It does a very good job [when it doesn't blow away or fall over]  As for the camera, it usually copes pretty well with things, except where the ground isn't yet landscaped. That's where things get dazzling.  I just ditch those photos, because reducing the contrast or gamma in Paintshop Pro dulls things too much. Further incentive to get the thing finished, I guess.

 Mike

Cool, thanks, as you say more incentive to get t' job done.  :roll:  :D  :D  :D