If you take pictures of your dioramas you might have thought about how great it would be if the photos looked vintage -as if they were taken during the time period.

This tutorial shows you how to do it -and very easily. My thanks go to Willem G. for creating this great little tutorial including the writing, the pictures and the dioramas!

Probably everybody who visits this site loves dioramas, or at least doesn't have anything against them. And I think that everybody loves it when a diorama turns out great. That’s why I’m making them too. And every time I have finished one I photograph it. I started to challenge myself to make the pictures as realistic as possible. I really love this “challenge’’ since it’s really up to you how complicated or detailed you want your photo to be.

I’m going to show some of my attempts, but first I’m going to show you the basic steps to make your own photos the same way as I do.

The basics: Desert diorama.

This is the easiest way of doing it. It’s a temporary diorama made out of sand. It may sound dumb but it is a perfect way to make a scene for your photo or stop motion animation. This ‘’photoshoot’’ will only take one afternoon (if you already completed the models before of course).

What you need:

• An aircraft (preferably one which actually flew above the desert)
• Vehicles (same story as with the aircraft)
• Some spare accessories which will be relatable to the scene (oil drums, crates etc.)
• A brush or stick, to leave marks from the tires of the vehicles / aircraft
• A piece of blu-tack, to keep the tires from sinking too much in the sand
• And sand of course (playground type)

Step 1: just throw some sand on the table and gently push in it. This way the texture will look more natural. keep continuing this step until you think you have enough the fill your picture frame.

Step 2: placing the model. Try to create a feeling of depth, by placing some objects in the foreground but also some in the background.

Step 3: taking the pictures. Don’t take just one photo but take a whole bunch from slightly different angles. I decided to continue with the this one, since the horizon is perfectly in the middle.

Step 4: the filters. I use an app called pixlr ‘o’ matic (app is now called PIXLR) for my effects, but basically anything will work. And you’re finished!

You have now seen the basics of how you could make simple but great pictures of your models. Here are some other photos of dioramas before and after applying the filters.

These next two pictures show my first attempt. It’s a Ford model T in a WW1 army version, 1/35 scale from a polish modelkit producer called: RPM. The diorama was made from pieces of cardboard and “paper mache” I didn’t paint the diorama since I knew it was going to be a black and white photo and I thought it wouldn’t have made a huge of a different anyway.

(Note from Will: The RPM Models Company has a wide variety of excellent models and some of them are available on amazon here: RPM Models )

My favorite photo so far. It’s a diorama of a Japanese airfield during ww2. I used the 1/72 Starter Truck from Hasegawa and the Mitsubishi ZERO from Airfix. The diorama is made out of a piece of triplex which is covered by sand and grass (the type you can buy from a hobby store.)

Willem G.

RESOURCES

Airfix Mitsubishi Zero

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long range naval fighter aircraft that formed the backbone of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Air Arm throughout the Second World War. Blessed with exceptional maneuverability, as well as long range, the Zero proved to be the best carrier fighter aircraft in the world when it made its debut in China in 1940 and then again in the opening stages of the Pacific War against the United States.

Features: -1:72 Scale. -Skill level: 1 (where 1 is for the beginner and 4 is for the more experienced modeler). -Number of parts: 47. Generic Dimensions: -5" H x 6.5" W x 3" D, 0.25 lb. Dimensions: Overall Height - Top to Bottom: -5 Inches. Overall Width - Side to Side: -6.5 Inches. Overall Depth - Front to Back: -3 Inches. Overall Product Weight: -0.25 Pounds.

Tamiya Models Fieseler Fi 156C Storch Model Kit

Luftwaffe liaison aircraft with STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capabilities. Kit has highly detailed interior and exterior. Features metal wing and landing gear struts, Includes 6 different figures including General Rommel, photo-etched parts (cockpit panels, cockpit frame and front seat) clear canopy sides molded together with the fuselage halves. Also includes parts to replicate various versions of the Fi 156C, including fuel tank, skis and 3 different types of canopies.

• Includes photo-etched detail parts
• Kit is 7.3 Inch long
• 1/48 Scale Aircraft

HASEGAWA 31117 1/72 Starter Truck Toyota Gb

Blu-tack Reusable Adhesive 75 grams

• Adhesive: reusable putty-like
• Bostik Blu-Tack is the is the original reusable adhesive. It is permanently plastic and pliable (it can be readily formed into any shape) and each pack comes with strips for ease of use.