(Note: What follows is a copy of my December newsletter) The above image (taken in 2024) showing a quiet back street in Mankato, MN is about as unremarkable as they come. And….therein lies the point. It’s ordinary, it’s typical, it’s everyday. It’s what the eye is used to seeing when we’re out and about. The […]
Category: Opinion
Paying it Forward-Creating a Photographic Legacy
When this image was taken over a half century ago, it’s unlikely the photographer had any inkling that others would benefit. But…through a chain of lucky circumstances the photo ended up being scanned, posted online, and labeled effectively, creating a form of immortality for the photographer if you will. Give some thought to doing the […]
The Elements of Skill
Decisions related to color strategy and composition make a far greater contribution to visual impact than manual dexterity, rivet counting, or “detail dumping”. The culture of our hobby would lead you to believe the opposite. There are two components of skill, manual execution and decision making. Decision making entails knowing “what to do” and, as […]
The Importance of Neatness
Master modeler SebSG’s Smallwood County layout is among the best of the best. One of his hallmark skills is clean, tight, and neat workmanship. It makes an enormous contribution to the visual impact of his scenes. You can’t achieve exceptional modeling results without being crystal clear on the elements that drive those results. At the […]
LA’s Billboard Culture
LA’s billboard culture is long-standing. In the 1950s, you had the iconic “Methyl” ads created by the Foster and Kleiser ad agency. Many of the sign creators went on to become artists in their own right. Billboards. Depending on personal tastes, opinions vary from “hate ‘em”, “tolerate ‘em”, “sorta of like ‘em”, to “love them!”. […]