Now reading: Nostalgic images combine miniatures and real-life backdrops 38 comments

Nostalgic images combine miniatures and real-life backdrops

Published Nov 25, 2013 | dpreview staff

…

Forced Perspective Photos Evoke Mid-Century America

Michael Paul Smith's photos look like snapshots of classic cars. In reality, they're clever creations that use forced perspective to combine miniatures and real-world backdrops in an utterly convincing final product. His miniatures live in a fictional U.S. town called Elgin Park, a place populated with vintage cars and the trappings of everyday life in the 1950's and 1960's.

Once the shot is set up, Smith uses a relatively cheap point-and-shoot to capture the final image - a Canon PowerShot SX230 HS to be specific.

The results are charming. See for yourself in our gallery.

Above: A Perfect Example of Architectural & Automotive Design from the Mid-1960's. Michael Paul Smith, June 27, 2012.

Source: Michael Paul Smith

Tags: photographers, photography

View Comments (38)

Comments

All (38)

Most popular (2)

Editors' picks (0)

DPR staff (0)

Oldest first

berapbeatz

wow! looks pretty good!

Feb 22, 2016permalink

jtan163

Great work - really nice models, especially the buildings - imagine they were scratch built, not kits.

These are models, but the shot with the Model T's(?) reminds me of something that always fascinates me when I see photos of old city streets - how wide the roads seemed to be in the early 20th Century.

You see shots like the one in this set, but also real shots from life in places like London, NYC etc and the streets appear to be wide enough for 10-15 vehicles accross -even wider sometimes.

Remembering that 10 or so years before those days it was horse and cart it kinda makes you wonder why the roads were so wide.

I'd imagine if you equate a semi trailer with a horse and cart today's equivilants would have to be over 100m wide.
Pity they went away.

Mar 3, 2014permalink

Chris_Downunder

Amazing work.

Nov 28, 2013permalink

inframan

Nicely seen, nicely done!

Nov 26, 2013permalink

Francis Carver

Not sure what the actual purpose behind these shots is? I mean, there are plenty of available photos of 1950s era automobiles available that were taken in the 1950s. These are different (better?) -- how? Not trying to be difficult, mind you, I am just really "not getting" these ones here.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

inframan

Forget it. You'd need a little imagination to understand.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

woonwoon1

Did you read the article and understand how these photos are made. the car are all small-scale models photographed to seem life-size, without the toyish look.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

Ignore him. Francis is just trying to be difficult, as always. He doesn't "get" a lot of things. LOL.

His comment is like asking why people get into model railroads, when there are plenty of perfectly fine real railroads out in the world! LOL.

And yes, there are people who are into model railroad photography, too.
http://www.modelrailroadphotography.com/

He probably doesn't "get" that either. What, exactly, is there to "get" about any hobby that gives people pleasure and enjoyment?

Or lets take it even closer to home: what's the point of any of us doing photography when a bazillion photos already exist? ("These are different (better?) -- how?") What's the point of taking a picture of a flower if there are already countless great flower photos available, and many of them probably look a heck of a lot "better"? It's simply because we just enjoy doing it. What else is there to "get" about that? Anyone who is "not getting" it is either being difficult, or just weird.

Nov 27, 2013*permalink

glennwith2

Absolutely brilliant - had me fooled completely. I'm wondering if I could use focus stacking to get enough dof with a FF camera?

Nov 26, 2013permalink

jtan163

Can't you just stop down?
I'm confused by what you mean.

Mar 3, 2014permalink

JEROME NOLAS

Excellent!

Nov 26, 2013permalink

Sonyshine

Brilliant work, I have enjoyed following his Flickr stream, well worth visiting.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

APenza

Would have completely fooled me had I not seen how the photographer set up the shot. Very nice indeed. Now if only I stil had those model cars and planes I built as a kid so long ago.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

Naveed Akhtar

incredible .. unbelievable .. and very inspirational!!!

Nov 26, 2013permalink

deluk

For some additional views and more inside info on how they were taken, have a look here. Using Bing translate is useful.

http://irkar.livejournal.com/25223.html

Nov 26, 2013permalink

Hugo808

Good stuff. Keep it coming...

Nov 26, 2013permalink

fnannini

Truly amazing. Thanks for sharing!

Nov 26, 2013permalink

JohnEwing

Excellent!

Nov 26, 2013permalink

artistguy

Just shows that creative photography lives between the ears, not in the next to be released gear upgrade.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

Johannes Zander

Cool!
Is this also called tabletop photography?

Nov 26, 2013permalink

b craw

Usually referred to as dioramas, the first of which not built for photographs; boxes with models and painted backgrounds viewed through a peep hole. They were very popular during the Victorian Era.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

migus

Plan, thought, work, dedication... thank you for these results!

Nov 26, 2013permalink

obeythebeagle

Brilliant. Fun and have not seen it before.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

mrdc76

Well, I bet you have: this technique must have been used in many, many movies before CGI and green screen took over.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

b craw

mrdc76: true but those were studio constructions and did not play upon the perspective relationship between the diorama and real backgrounds. Of course did share incredibly detailed model making.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

b craw

An odd stillness of tone; immaculate silences - common or mysterious.

Really enjoy these images.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

jwkphoto

This is great and beautifully photographed!

Nov 26, 2013permalink

Gerard Hoffnung

I love classic cars and these shots capture the feel of the era of the models.
Almost as impressive is that there are no whining complaints about something or other (so far).

Nov 26, 2013permalink

(unknown member)

Superbly done!

Nov 26, 2013permalink

contadorfan

Love these! And shot with a mid level point & shoot too -- wonderful!

Nov 26, 2013permalink

photogeek

Very cool, and very creative.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

AbrasiveReducer

He even has the color palette down. These are great.

Nov 26, 2013permalink

Murat Sahan

Very cool indeed. Thanks for sharing and an extra + for the behind the scenes pictures.

Nov 25, 2013permalink

BBking83

Very nice! And yes, thanks for sharing. :)

He can't have used a FF camera. The DoF is too wide!! ARGH!!

NOT ENUFF BOKEH!!!

Nov 25, 2013permalink

kwa_photo

Incredibly cool!!! WOW! I love it, unique, well done and fun to see. I'd love to see more behind the scenes :-)

Nov 25, 2013permalink

Ian Leach

Beautifully done

Nov 25, 2013permalink

(unknown member)

Cool!

Nov 25, 2013*permalink

slncezgsi

These are great, thanks for sharing.

Nov 25, 2013permalink

Latest sample galleries

Fujifilm X-H2 review samples

Nikon Z 28mm F2.8 Sample Gallery

Nikon Z 26mm F2.8 Sample Gallery

OM System M. Zuiko 90mm F3.5 Macro Sample Gallery

See more galleries »

Latest in-depth reviews

Fujifilm's X-H2 is a high-resolution stills and video camera, that sits alongside the high-speed X-H2S at the pinnacle of the company's range of X-mount APS-C mirrorless cameras. We dug into what it does and what it means.

Review: Holy Stone's HS710 and HS175D are drones with a ton of limitations

Holy Stone produces dozens of low-cost drone models aimed at consumers. We look at the HS710 and HS175D to see if they stack up to other sub-250g offerings. Are these secretly great or more like toys?

DPReview TV: Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM Review

It's small, light, cheap and extremely wide but is it any good?

After weeks with a production Fujifilm X-T5, Chris and Jordan have some final thoughts.

The EOS R6 II arrives in one of the most competitive parts of the market, facing off against some very capable competition. We think it rises to the challenge.

Latest buying guides

Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a 'best' option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.

There are a lot of photo/video cameras that have found a role as B-cameras on professional film productions or even A-cameras for amateur and independent productions. We've combed through the options and selected our two favorite cameras in this class.

What’s the best camera for around $2000? These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both the speed and focus to capture fast action and offer professional-level image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best.

The best cameras for family and friends photos in 2022

Family moments are precious and sometimes you want to capture that time spent with loved ones or friends in better quality than your phone can manage. We've selected a group of cameras that are easy to keep with you, and that can adapt to take photos wherever and whenever something memorable happens.

Best affordable cameras for sports and action in 2022

What's the best camera for shooting sports and action? Fast continuous shooting, reliable autofocus and great battery life are just three of the most important factors. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting sports and action, and recommended the best.

Check out more buying guides »

Latest articles

Fujifilm X-H2 in-depth review

Mar 20, 2023499 review

DPReview TV: What is ETTR in photography, and when should you use it?

Photographers love abbreviations, and 'ETTR' is one of the most confusing. Find out what it is and when to use it.

Mar 18, 2023155 video

Panasonic blogs about organic sensor's improved cross-talk, but doesn't talk photos

A blog post from Panasonic touts the ways its organic film CMOS sensor can control color spill between pixels, giving more accurate color in challenging lighting, but doesn't propose photography as something the sensor is suited for.

Mar 17, 202363

Tech timeline: Milestones in sensor development

Digital sensors are at the heart of digital photography, but their development sometimes gets obscured by the marketing claims made along the way. We take a look at how sensors have developed since the early days of CCD, to better understand the milestones of the past and what's really going on today.

Mar 17, 2023236

DPReview March Madness, round two results and off-the-wall round three voting

Round Two voting results are in and we're now down to the last 4 matches. Round Three voting starts now!

Mar 16, 2023104

Nikon Nikkor Z 26mm F2.8 sample gallery

Who doesn't love a compact prime? This full frame 26mm F2.8 Nikkor lens has a sweet price, good features...but does it take a sharp photo? See for yourself in this new sample gallery shot with a production lens.

Mar 15, 202393 sample gallery

CP+ 2023: OM Digital Solutions interview - 'OM Digital Solutions was reborn as an imaging business'

We met up with OM Digital Solutions' senior management at CP+ in Yokohama to find out what the transition from Olympus was like and to gain insight into its focus going forward.

Mar 14, 2023369

Did you recently get a drone? Here are 5 things you need to know

If you're new to the drone world, there's much more you need to know than how to unbox and launch a drone. We break down the 5 mandatory steps you need to follow to fly safely and legally.

Mar 13, 202325

Forget the Oscars, watch these camera-centric films instead

It's Oscar Sunday, so we've put together a DPReview film festival that celebrates our favorite star - photography!

Mar 12, 2023150

DPReview TV classics: The best and worst ways to clean your lenses

We're prepping a couple episodes for next so week, so this weekend look back at the episode viewers often described as "fun" and "triggering".

Mar 11, 202369 video

Lensrentals' most rented-out point-and-shoot isn't a point-and-shoot at all

Camera and lens rental company Lensrentals has published a list of its most popular 'point-and-shoot' cameras, only to reveal that the very concept might now be obsolete.

Mar 11, 2023138

Film Friday: Xpan 'Triptych Tokyo' captures the chaos of city life

Photographer Takashi Fukukawa documents the fragmentary experience of modern life in the streets of Tokyo.

Mar 10, 202356

Review: Holy Stone's HS710 and HS175D are drones with a ton of limitations

Mar 9, 202342 review

Leica announces Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400 F5-6.3 and 1.4x 'extender'

Leica has announced the Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400mm F5-6.3, a telephoto zoom lens for L-mount. It's also announced a 1.4x extender teleconverter to work with it.

Mar 9, 2023197 lens news

DPReview March Madness, round one results and round two voting

Round One voting results are in and we're now down to 8 matches. Jump in to see who won and sneak a look at how the DPReview team debated the choices, then get ready for Round Two – voting starts now!

Mar 9, 202373

Slideshow: winners of the SkyPixel 8th Annual Photo & Video competition

SkyPixel and DJI announced the winners and finalists for the 8th Annual Photo & Video competition.

Mar 8, 202319

DPReview TV: This is the best focal length

Chris and Jordan have run the numbers, and the best focal length is...

Mar 8, 2023257 video

A distortion of the truth? Here’s why we’re not against software lens corrections

Mathematical correction of lens distortion is commonplace. We explain why we don't think it makes sense to ignore it or to assume it's always a bad thing.

Mar 7, 2023652

NPPA publishes Best of Photojournalism winners in book

Best of Photojournalism 2022 top honors go to Marcus Yam (Los Angeles Times) and Lynsey Addario (independent)

Mar 6, 202369

DPReview March Madness, round one - vote!

Round one of polls are now open, pick your winners and share your voice. Voting ends March 8, 2023. Let's the games begin!

Mar 4, 2023303

Film Friday: DPRTV reviews Fujifilm's Acros II film

How well do Fujifilm's film simulations match up to their film counterparts? We revisit a classic DPReviewTV episode in which Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake shoot a few rolls of Fujifilm's Acros 100 II, and a few frames on the X-T3 in Acros film simulation, to find out.

Mar 3, 202379

Fujifilm launches Instax Mini 12 instant camera

An update to the Mini 11, the new camera adds parallax correction capabilities, automatic flash control and a multi-function twist lens.

Mar 2, 202350 camera news

DPReview March Madness, vote for your champions

It's March, and in America that means it's time to start arguing over which college athletics team is the best at basketball. For DPReview, it's also an opportunity for a good old-fashioned camera fight.

Mar 2, 2023181

Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM sample gallery (DPReview TV)

Chris referred to the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM as 'a little gem'! Check out some of the photos he took.

Mar 2, 202382 sample gallery

OM System M. Zuiko 90mm F3.5 Macro sample gallery

We take OM System's new 90mm prime F3.5 macro lens out and about around Seattle, in search of sunlight, people and very tiny things to get up close and personal with. Flip on through what we found, and see how the lens performs in the real world in our sample gallery.

Mar 1, 202349 sample gallery

DPReview TV: Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM Review

It's small, light, cheap and extremely wide but is it any good?

Mar 1, 2023194 video

Live from Japan: Highlights from CP+ 2023

After a three-year hiatus, we've been at the return of the CP+ camera show in Yokohama, Japan. In between interviews with executives of the major companies, Dale Baskin took to the show floor to bring you this report.

Feb 28, 2023264

Retro Review: 24 years later, the Sony F505 is still pretty cool

Back in 1999, Sony released the F505, their first digital camera with a Carl Zeiss lens. What is it like shooting with one today?

Feb 28, 2023116 video

Hands on with the OM System M. Zuiko 90mm F3.5 Macro

OM System's latest lens is a whopper of a macro, featuring optical stabilization, full weather sealing, up to 2x magnification and a whole lot more. What's it got and what's it like to use? Let's dig in.

Feb 27, 2023147

New FAA rules make it easier for recreational drone pilots to fly in restricted US airspaces

Recently, the FAA announced that recreational drone pilots in the USA can request LAANC authorization to fly in controlled airspace at night.

Feb 27, 202338

Tips or suggestions? Contact us!


Photographing fireworks: The basics and then some Jul 2, 2016	MIT photography course materials freely available online Jul 19, 2014	Making a splash: Photos capture colorful liquids frozen in time Jun 28, 2014	Winter is Coming: Here are some tips on what and where to shoot when it gets cold Oct 10, 2016


Sunrise by Xiaomao from My Best Photo of the Fortnight	Mandarin Drake by TheDispossessed from Ducks Unlimited	As in Days of Old by Birdman50 from Down on the farm

Nostalgic images combine miniatures and real-life backdrops

Forced Perspective Photos Evoke Mid-Century America

Comments

You may also like

Latest sample galleries

Latest in-depth reviews

Latest buying guides