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Breitefurt (my first layout)

Started by Chris, May 17, 2009, 12:19:04 AM

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Chris

Hi Jeff. Thank you for responding.
Quote from: Jeff on September 06, 2010, 02:24:39 AM
Umm, perhaps you could use a proof-reader? See this entry in the Sept. 5 post- "the idea of keeping tem full height ". :)

You got me a bit puzzled there. That text isn't in the message. (However, I did make a correction to one mis-spelt word.)
QuoteMeanwhile, in my impeccable artistic opinion ( :) ), I think you should continue some small part of the mountain in the left-hand shot onto the side board, no?

I will have another look once the layout is downstairs and I can view it from the front. In practice, it would be very difficult to match the colour now (the colour changes as acrylics dry). Also, having seen some layouts where the background goes round the sides, I don't think it ever works, which was also the artist's opinion.

Anyway, if I still agree that it looks 'wrong' I will consider reducing the height of the side pieces so that the highest point is about tree height. We'll see.

With best wishes,
Chris.
Chris
N & Z Home PageBahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost

Marklin Z scale Bavarian S3/6___________________

Chris

Dear Friends,

Very short message as I have to be up at 05.20 tomorrow, sorry.

I've added two pictures of entire layout to my website (see signature). Comments welcomed.

All the best,
Chris.
Chris
N & Z Home PageBahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost

Marklin Z scale Bavarian S3/6___________________

Jeff

#77
Sounds like you operate on my schedule. Every school day finds me up at about that time :). As for the proof-reader comment, the example was taken from your web site and the section of the Z scale layout. It was meant purely as constructive criticism.
Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

Chris

Hi Jeff.

In this case it's a hospital visit. However, in spite of being retired, I am usually up by 6am.

Thanks for teh clarification re proofing. I'll check it when I get home.

All the best,
Chris.
Chris
N & Z Home PageBahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost

Marklin Z scale Bavarian S3/6___________________

Jeff

#79
Oh! Sorry to hear about the hospital! I hope it's nothing serious. I've seen much more of the inside of hospitals than I ever wanted to, myself, so I know the kind of thing you face.

And in the case of the comment about the scenery background, it's a case of seeing half a mountain on the back sheet and a blank white 'other half' on the side. Maybe you could take one contiguous sheet  and leave the corners rounded?
Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

Chris

#80
Hello everybody.

I forgot to mention that I added seven new pictures, all night scenes, to my website (see my sig) back on the 7th. Do have a look; they are different from the usual photos one sees. (sadly, some of the lighting cannot be seen as there must be a broken link somewhere.

The layout is now ready for the exhibition next weekend though there are some problems with it that will need sorting after the event. I will be taking my camera with me to the exhibition and will post more photos on the site next week, this time with trains in them.

With best wishes to all,
Chris.
Chris
N & Z Home PageBahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost

Marklin Z scale Bavarian S3/6___________________

Jeff

Chris,

I think I understand the problem you were having with the pictures. It lies in the way that cameras see things when taking a picture. I can't comment specifically, since I have no idea what camera you're using, but you have run afoul of the metering pattern monster. In other words, when you aim the camera at the scene, it is metering the bright spots and adjusting the exposure (as much as it can) for those. This, of course, makes the dimmer areas look like the inside of a coal mine at midnight during a power failure... Doubly unfortunately, the actual lights are so dim that it caused the camera to open up the lens aperature to maximum, which results in a lot of grain in the photo. To boil it all down, for best results in that situation, you need a different camera with better metering pattern control and a thorough understanding of what is going on. Then you can start working around the issues involved in low-light photography.

I guess that second-best would be to get some friend with a major digital SLR to come take the photos for you :)
Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

Chris

Hi Jeff.

The camera a an Nikon E5700, used with either spot or weighted metering and set with with manual control of the aperture, ISO value and white balance. I did try a few images using ISO800 but, as you pointed out, the result was far too grainy. The aperture used for teh last seven photos could have been between 2.8 and 8. One limitation over which I have no control is that it appears that the longest possible exposure is a mere 8 seconds. This did lead to some under exposure but I was able to correct that by using Microsoft's Photo Editor (a very simple, but adequate for most of my needs, application) that was an optional part of the Office suite). I cannot remember how much correction was made but I would suggest that gamma would have been no more than 1.45. (If I need more than 2 then the image is rejected and another photo will be taken when I get time.) As you say, I would need a much more expensive camera to get better results.

All the best,
Chris.
Chris
N & Z Home PageBahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost

Marklin Z scale Bavarian S3/6___________________

Jeff

Yeah, I see your problem. Well, part of the problem is also that the metering is locking on the bright lighting units and ignoring the (much) darker background. It's all a matter of way too high a contrast between the light and the dark. You could try some dim fill lighting to lessen that or play with the White Balance. The fact that we now have digital cameras is a plus. We can take 20 shots to check different settings and see the results immediately, without having it cost us money and time to develope pictures and print them.

And, you may want to look at the current version of IrfanView photo editor. It's a lot more capable than Microsoft's offering AND it's free. Once you have that in place, you can start to change gamma, brightness, and contrast.
Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

Chris

Thanks Jeff.

I was wondering why you had picked up on problems and, having looked back at my original message about these pictures I note that I wrote that "sadly, some of the lighting cannot be seen as there must be a broken link somewhere." That was noting to do with the camera, the shunting lights were not lit anyway. All the other lights showed up fine. I actually do have Irfan as well as a couple of other graphics programs. As I wrote, I find Photo Editor does most of what I want but none of the programs do everything I want!

I'll have another go at the late night scene when the layout gets back home as I have found that there is a 'bulb' setting on teh camera.

All the best,
Chris.
Chris
N & Z Home PageBahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost

Marklin Z scale Bavarian S3/6___________________

Jeff

Hehe... That will teach you a lesson about posting things online!

As always, photos are either great or a tragedy based on what YOU want as the outcome. I certainly wasn't trying to complain about it, I was trying to offer some insight from someone who has been taking photos a LONG time...

My own latest fight is trying to calibrate the pictures on the monitor with the pictures as I print them. That's a whole other disaster-in-waiting!
Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

Chris

Oh yes, tell me about it. My prints came out far too dark. If I remember, I add some extra gamma correction to dark images before printing but usually I forget. :o( Even when I do remember they don't print well. I have had my 5700 for several years but it is only recently that I have finally started reading the manual!

Best wishes,
Chris.
Chris
N & Z Home PageBahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost

Marklin Z scale Bavarian S3/6___________________

Chris

#87
Dear Friends,

Got back last night from my latest exhibition. The following is a (slightly modified) post that has gone out to a few forums.

Breitenfurt - Ost was in top form with, for the first time, the branch line working (which was a great success with the kids once they noticed it, or a parent pointed it out) and I was able to run 3 trains at once for the first time. There were lots of positive comments about the scenery and the backdrop too, which was most gratifying. I did have a few mishaps, like a couple of locos got 'tired' and there were a few derailments. But on the whole I was very pleased with how it all went.

Now I have to get to work again for Elgin (at the end of November). This requires sorting out a dead block section on station Gleis 1, and a broken feed on the Anschlußgleise (was Nebengleis) Gleis 2. I also need to come up with a simple form of interlocking so that setting up a route does a reset first. Currently, I have to hit reset but occasionally I forget, leaving a block section fed from two controllers at the same time.

Here, for the first time is an overall view of Bahnhof Breitenfurt - Ost as it appears at an exhibition. The front skirt, which acts as a security curtain and carries descriptions of the various trains that can be on show and a list of shows visited so far. It also acts as a cover (required after a case slipped onto the layout on a roundabout last year).

I'm still suffering from the adrenalin of the exhibition - being a lone exhibitor managing power and route selection and controlling 3 trains at once is stressful. I've added one image here and will be posting more images from the exhibition, including all layouts, later.

All the best,
Chris

Chris
N & Z Home PageBahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost

Marklin Z scale Bavarian S3/6___________________

Jeff

"a broken feed"

Chris, you could get some very small-gauge stranded wire, if you're not already using it, and it will last longer than solid wire...

And a very nice picture. How about a 'night' shot? :)
Later,                                                AnyRail Fanatic
Jeff                      and Unofficial Guy Who Knows Almost Everything About It

Andrew

Hi Chris,
I agree it looks great. For me I am distracted or drawn to the white ends, which is unusual for me. I like the how you have designed the case, double hinged cover.
Green with envy that you have almost finished your layout proper, now the tinkering begins.
Yours,
Andrew
Yours,

Andrew