Colour Prints

My personal preference for colour print film is agfacolour and use either 1OO or 2OO ISO, both yield excellent results using the 8OA or 8OB filters. with either 5OO or 1OOO watt lamps. Once again if your camera has the AUTO mode then I should expect using 2OO ISO that the exposure time will be taken and handled by the camera itself. (On a tripod and with cable release) with 1OO ISO or lower, you are back to counting the seconds yourself or use your wristwatch second hand, and bracket the shots. Colour film when developed and printed can vary from photo lab to photo lab, some times they are fine, some times they have a yellowish tint or a reddish tint in them. If they do come back with the yellowish tint or a reddish tint, ask the photo lab to do them again, 9 times out of 1O they will be okay anyway, but if they aren't, they will re-do them for you. Now, if you have as I mentioned 1000 watt lamps as well as 5OO watt lamps, then why not use them together. Use the 1OOO watt lamp twice as far away as you would put a 5OO watt lamp for the main lamp, and use the other 5OO's for fill in and back light. When using the 1OOO & 5OO's together, I would recommend using the 8OA filter for colour prints. (None needed for the slide film

Now, If you want to take close-up photographs with the camera sitting on the tracks, then I advise you to get hold of a small 6" tripod with flexible legs, they aren't very expensive at all, about £5. Using this around the layout gives you more freedom sometimes than trying to get the large tripod in close enough. Also remember that the closer you get to the subject, the smaller the depth-of-field will be. You could of course make a small tripod using the plastic bowls that Christmas puddings come in. Cut out three legs and drill a 1/4" hole in the center and buy a screw from the camera shop to fit it to the camera, and hey-presto, one small tripod. (I made one for myself)

Some camera's have a built-in depth of- field preview button, by focusing on a given subject and pressing the button on the camera, you will be able to see just what is in focus both in front of and behind the subject. The only drawback in using the preview button is the amount of light that isn't getting into the view-finder, in other words, when looking through the view-finder with the button pressed, and because the amount of light coming into the view- finder has been cut down, you may find it difficult to view small details both in the foreground and background, due to the screen being darker than normal.

Now here is a photograph that was slightly altered in my computer....

The first job to do was remove the existing back scene, leaving the power cables intact. Then using various photographs from my collection, paste a new back ground behind.

If you want to have a try yourself, use this picture if you want, (Right click - save picture as) or do one of your own. If you do your own pictures, then your first task is to remove the back ground using the ERASER (Looks like a rubber) tool. This work can take quite a lot of time. (Well worth it in the end) Okay, - load the picture into Adobe Photoshop or Paintshop Pro.

Select the magic wand tool and left click into top left of picture, now hold down shift and click into every available clear part. when finished go to SELECT and inverse the picture then save the selection from the SELECT button. Go to EDIT and copy the picture. Now minimize the picture. The reason you saved the picture was to be able to use it for another background later, just click on SELECT at a later date and re-load it.

Now open up another picture that you want to use as the background picture, The main picture is 608 by 431 pixels. make sure that the other picture you are going to use is the same size. If not then go to IMAGE and Image Size and re-size to 608 only, the rest will take care of it's self. Now go to EDIT and paste. Once the picture is in, use the MOVE TOOL and position the picture properly. NOW go to LAYER and flatten image. All that remains is for you to save your new picture. Here's one I finished.

Well, my friends -- that's your lot. -- Have fun, after all -- Model Railroading is fun, so also is photography, when applied to model railroads.

Get the picture.

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Written by Paul Templar
http://www.badger-creek.co.uk/