Controlling the point of view

[Airborne01!]

I can't compete with the foregoing masterpiece but this is my contribution: my 'Man Cave' has a series of modular Ikea display units composed of 'cubes' measuring 30x30x30 cms. At Christmas I was gifted many good things including an Itaeleri 'Dock with Stairs' which I thought would make a 'quick and dirty' diorama. It fits almost exactly into the cube once the books (which I'm in the process of selling) have gone, the problem is that the model and cube doesn't really lend itself to manipulation to allow forced perspective. I've called this 'Sitting on the Dock of the Bay' and it's not completed yet as it needs attention to the figures, some more minor details and the cleaning up of the base. I had to lash up a painted backdrop to give some idea of depth but essentially it needs viewing from straight ahead; C&Cs welcome!
Steve

 

[Littlemarten]

C&Cs welcome!

That is going to look great once you get it finished. Just remember, if you want it to look real, that sea gulls drop stuff on everything and everyone …

 

[Airborne01!]

Noted! Crap is incoming!
Steve

 

[BarleyBop]

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

That's awesome! I love waterside locales, and you have so much going on: like at least three overlapping stories... hope you post next steps, and any picts you have of the runup to this stage!

 

[Airborne01!]

That's awesome! I love waterside locales, and you have so much going on: like at least three overlapping stories... hope you post next steps, and any picts you have of the runup to this stage!

OK, I'll try and sort out a couple of previous that show the genesis - not much to show though!
Steve

 

[BarleyBop]

example of forced perspective

Ha! Speaking of forced, that's some snow load!

As for the dio pics, those are both great examples of placing the viewer with the intent of creating a different effect.
To me, the first, with the deliberate cropping to the left, and hiding the background figure's face, increase the spontaneity of the shot: no one is sitting still for the camera; the viewer is pulled into the scene as it unfolds... and therein lies the magic! They are, after all, static lifeless objects, frozen in one position - but the framing of the scene would lead us to believe otherwise!

The second one, well, as you say, emphasizes the grade in the road... as a viewer, I feel I am cresting that rise and come upon the group chatting.
The standing figures have subconsciously kept to the side of the path to leave room for the bike; but they are still close enough for me to believe they are engaged in a conversation.

I'd like to think that you planned a lot of this, but also that you discovered interesting angles and shots, camera in hand, after the fact.

 

[Steve Ski]

I can't compete with the foregoing masterpiece but this is my contribution: my 'Man Cave' has a series of modular Ikea display units composed of 'cubes' measuring 30x30x30 cms. At Christmas I was gifted many good things including an Itaeleri 'Dock with Stairs' which I thought would make a 'quick and dirty' diorama.

You're selling yourself short, Steve, that's some pretty dang fine work! Figures, rigs, water work, and the doc all look great. You should be able to get some excellent story pics out of this beauty! Ruck On!

Ha! Speaking of forced, that's some snow load!

As for the dio pics, those are both great examples of placing the viewer with the intent of creating a different effect.
To me, the first, with the deliberate cropping to the left, and hiding the background figure's face, increase the spontaneity of the shot: no one is sitting still for the camera; the viewer is pulled into the scene as it unfolds... and therein lies the magic! They are, after all, static lifeless objects, frozen in one position - but the framing of the scene would lead us to believe otherwise!

The second one, well, as you say, emphasizes the grade in the road... as a viewer, I feel I am cresting that rise and come upon the group chatting.
The standing figures have subconsciously kept to the side of the path to leave room for the bike; but they are still close enough for me to believe they are engaged in a conversation.

I'd like to think that you planned a lot of this, but also that you discovered interesting angles and shots, camera in hand, after the fact.

Yep, there is cropping, but not much, Amigo. Getting the camera to get in close like that is a matter of where you let it focus, that's all. No need for heavy cropping or zooming the shot in Photoshop.

As for planning a lot of this, more like, all of it. This starts way back at the layout, Barley. I try to keep it as simple as possible and get a story line in there when I plan how the figures interact, is it realistic enough, and then any vehicles, etc. I'm no super dio builder, there are many more talented than I when it comes to painting a story, but that's my goal, to direct the action for the viewer. When I shoot the scenes I plan ahead, but I also like to have the scenario simple enough that if you saw this in person, you'd catch it quickly. When I plan a scenario, I like to get my face right down to figure eye level, so I can see what the figure should see, there in, the camera sees. I recon that is a simple as I can make it, if that helps.

 

[Airborne01!]

Thanks for your generous comments Steve, the next discipline to conquer is the photography!
Steve

 

[hobbyknife]

Cool! Will definitely be reading up on box dioramas!
There truly is nothing new under the sun; this is a great example of 'thinking in the box'! Ha!

From doll houses to museum dioramas, there is something compelling about miniatures, or recreated scenes and objects that fire up the imagination!

Sadly, from my experience working in the national museums here in Ottawa back in the 80s, there has been a move away from the craft of dioramas, with the advent of immersive exhibits and now, virtual environments.

Is this a general loss of imagination and us slipping into consumption passiveness? ...feel a rant coming on!

Better sign off... and build something!

If you haven't already, check out "book nooks". You can buy them commercially as a kit or just scratch build. I just built my daughter one from a kit. There are lots of examples of custom scratch builds on YouTube…some are very cool and definitely play with the perspective of the viewer as you mentioned.

 

[BarleyBop]

book nooks

Interesting. I didn't know about these!

 

[Jakko]

They're interesting things, I have the greenhouse one from (I think) the same maker as @hobbyknife 's little street. It's mostly laser-cut MDF with some plastic sheets, stickers and plastic parts for the more 3D elements, plus some LEDs, wires, battery pack etc. for lighting. It was fun to put together for a change, though I don't think I would recommend it for someone who's never really built anything ever before (which does appear to be part of the target audience).

 

[airdave]

These are some amazing bits of model work.
And between the political rantings, I am enjoying studying each photo that is posted.
I am a diorama lover!

No. Snow is awful. I hate it. I hate having to shovel it. It's disruptive and cold and really wet. There, I said it!

I just wanted to make a friendly and hopefully constructive comment on the use of the phrase "forced perspective".
[while trying not to sound nit-picky and completely anal retentive]
It seems to be repeatedly misused in this thread.

The phrase (or words) "forced perspective" is not "forcing you to view from a specific perspective (or angle)".

Forced perspective is: fooling the eye to see depth and distance that isn't really there.
For example, Cinderella's Castle in Disney Word, tapers and diminishes in scale as it goes up.
Giving the illusion that it is taller than it actually is.
Disney used forced perspective on many of his structures (in his parks) for that reason

Those "Book Nook" sculptures sometimes use forced perspective to appear deeper than they really are.

I guess my point is: instead of "forced perspective", this thread is about "forced viewing angle" and/or controlling the narrative (point of view).

Climbing down from, and putting away my soapbox now.
Please send your complaints about this oration to:
Chuck Norris PO Box 872 Navasota, TX 77868 USA

 

[Littlemarten]

Forced perspective is: fooling the eye to see depth and distance that isn't really there.

The French trompe l'oeil, for once, is more precise. French … why did it have to be French?

 

[BarleyBop]

I guess my point is: instead of "forced perspective", this thread is about "forced viewing angle" and/or controlling the narrative (point of view)

Yup, good reminder of the distinction.
It is one of many tools on the diorama modeler's bench that can be used, whether or not the intent is to control the viewing angle or the narrative.

 

[locomotive]

If you haven't already, check out "book nooks". You can buy them commercially as a kit or just scratch build. I just built my daughter one from a kit. There are lots of examples of custom scratch builds on YouTube…some are very cool and definitely play with the perspective of the viewer as you mentioned.

View attachment 151088

View attachment 151089

I've built two of these now for my daughter too. And one for ourselves. They're really good. Try one folks. You'll enjoy the change of pace and techniques.

 

[BarleyBop]

trompe l'oeil

Tricking the eye... I suppose forced perspective falls into that category. Generally it is used for effects such as we often see on murals, with painted shadows and other effects that give the impression of three dimensionality.

It often blows my mind to think that our notion of cyclopian 'perspective' was as much a technological invention as an artistic one. Today it is held to be 'natural' after over 100 years of looking at the world through the camera lens.

 

[Littlemarten]

It often blows my mind to think that our notion of cyclopian 'perspective' was as much a technological invention as an artistic one. Today it is held to be 'natural' after over 100 years of looking at the world through the camera lens.

What amazes me is the human eye-brain. I don't think of the eyeball as a separate organ from the brain, because the eye is essentially an evolved nerve—and it's nothing without the brain. The same argument can be made in reverse, when you consider how much information comes into the brain from the eye. The only comparable system is in some of the cephalopods, specifically octopuses and squids. While some animals have specific visual abilities that far exceed ours, no others have a system as generally capable as ours, with the possible exception of the two I mentioned.

 

[locomotive]

What amazes me is the human eye-brain. I don't think of the eyeball as a separate organ from the brain, because the eye is essentially an evolved nerve—and it's nothing without the brain. The same argument can be made in reverse, when you consider how much information comes into the brain from the eye. The only comparable system is in some of the cephalopods, specifically octopuses and squids. While some animals have specific visual abilities that far exceed ours, no others have a system as generally capable as ours, with the possible exception of the two I mentioned.

Octopuses are aliens.

 

[Littlemarten]

Octopuses are aliens.

Damned straight! (and unfortunately, very tasty.)

 

[Edbert]

Octopuses are aliens.

Were you ever a diver?

Witnessing a creature change in front of your eyes, from red to blue to green to "sand" and back, within a few seconds, is something you'll never forget.