check out this guys model collection

 

I these vignettes a la Edward Hopper! The guy is very creative As a fan of Detroit Iron from the 1950s, it's even more fun for me to see this stuff and the "streetscape" of a Diner, Arts & Crafts bungalow, etc.

My HS friend who is a Nuclear Engineer in Richmond does similar "dioramas" but with various battle/ war scenes.

 

Awesome optical illusions using miniture settings, model cars, and real world backdrops. If you go to the last 3 out of 4 frames from the very end in the lower stills you can see how he took a really basic setting (a few models and a sign on a board with snow tossed on) to look really real by having just the right outdoor camera angle.

BTW, If you click on 'show info' he explains what you are seeing and when it was taken for each photo.

 

Very nice, Jerry. Thanks for posting these. Judging from the selection and appearance of the models, I would think they are 1/24 scale, but does he say 1/18?

 

Yes, they are 1/24. In fact, he says that in the photo of the red truck in front of the Rainbow bar. Click on show info.

 

Check out the description for the interior of the diner. Very cool.

Here's his site intro..

Our past is a powerful draw and in so many ways we try to capture it in order to explain it to ourselves.

What started out as an exercise in model building and photography, ended up as a dream-like reconstruction of the town I grew up in. It's not an exact recreation, but it does capture the mood of my memories.
And like a dream, many of the buildings show up in different configurations throughout the photos. Or sometimes, the buildings stay put and the backgrounds change.
Visually, this is heading towards the realm of ART.
NO PHOTOSHOP WAS USED IN THESE PICTURES. IT'S ALL STRAIGHT FROM THE CAMERA.
It's the oldest trick in the special effects book:
line up a model with an appropriate background and shoot.
The buildings are 1/24th scale [ or 1/2 inch equals a foot ]. They are constructed of Gator board, styrene plastic, Sintra [ a light flexible plastic that can be carved, and painted ] plus numerous found objects; such as jewelery pieces, finishing washers and printed material.

 

Very

Great attention to detail.

Thanks for posting this, Jerry. Some of the scenes remind me of my hometown in Nebraska.

Reminds me of when I was in Jr & Sr High School, and had my "train table." I worked on that 4'x8' table with trains, cars/trucks, landscape, buildings, etc, for years. I also designed, drew the plans, and built a 1/4" = 1'-0" scale model house complete with removable roof when I was a senior. I still have it, although it's a little worn from my three sons playing with it.

 

Very cool!!!

I passed this on to some of my buddies who will appreciate it.

 

Awesome. Good photography too.

 

Have you noticed in movies that depict the 40's and 50's that all the cars are spotless and perfect condition? I can hear the owners that rent their classics to the producer saying "you want to put dirt on my car? No way!".