Dioramas: Cordylus-style! (New WS Brachiosaurus)

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

Experimenting with underwater shots. Hope you like!

[stoneage]

These are pretty good, especially the Liopleurodon. What did you do to get this effect?

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

I set up the figures on plastic cups in my kiddie pool. It was in the shade so the water was murky. I put my camera in a container that was half submerged in the water. Then I took the picture and see how they came out. I then lightened them up in photoshop so they would appear lighter and like they were in tropical waters.

[stoneage]

Aug 20, 2009 0:33:17 GMT [][][]cordylus[][][] said:

I set up the figures on plastic cups in my kiddie pool. It was in the shade so the water was murky. I put my camera in a container that was half submerged in the water. Then I took the picture and see how they came out. I then lightened them up in photoshop so they would appear lighter and like they were in tropical waters.

Who do you think you are Jack Cousteau? ;D

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

Don't hate my awesome dios ;D

[tomhet]

They do look great. Perhaps they just needed other elements, like fishes or plants.

[Dan]

That is awesome. Have you tried experimenting with light sources, to simulate a nocturnal shot, for example?

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

Aug 20, 2009 7:28:02 GMT @tomhet said:

They do look great. Perhaps they just needed other elements, like fishes or plants.

These were just to test out if I could accomplish underwater pictures If you want fishes, ammonites, etc.... Keep and eye on this thread.... ;D

Aug 20, 2009 15:35:56 GMT Dan said:

That is awesome. Have you tried experimenting with light sources, to simulate a nocturnal shot, for example?

Thanks. As four nocturnal underwater shots, I don't think I can do that without making them look bad. As for nocturnal terrestrial shots, I did one a while ago with red lighting and WS velociraptors It's a few pages back. I did that by painting a piece of plastic red and putting over the camera flasher. When it flashed in the night it turned the picture red and that's how it looked "nocturnal"

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

;D Mosasaurus goes for an Ammonite!

[Dan]

So if it's partially illuminated with say, a flashlight, it doesn't look right? I guess it might illuminate some unattractive surfaces in the pool, too.

I tried to e-mail you, by the way. You receive anything?

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

Ooh! I've never tried it with a flashlight. I'll do that later on when it gets REALLY dark outside. Good idea

[Dan]

Pango's idea, as seen in his shots of the Sideshow Carnotaurus. He's the genius behind Dan's Dinosaurs, so he knows all.

[Pangolinmoth]

Yea, do long exposures in the dark and slowly move the light around to illuminate what you want to be visible. I do it outside alot to take night shots of whatever.

[Dan]

Aug 21, 2009 1:24:36 GMT Pangolinmoth said:

I do it outside alot to take night shots of whatever.

New sig quote opportunity?

[Pangolinmoth]

Aug 21, 2009 1:25:59 GMT Dan said:

Aug 21, 2009 1:24:36 GMT Pangolinmoth said:

I do it outside alot to take night shots of whatever.

New sig quote opportunity?

Ha! Go for it.

[Dan]

Nah, too easy.

Also, what's a good way to imitate kelp and such? Was there such a thing as Cretaceous kelp?

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

Probably. But at the scale these things are you probably wouldn't see little flecks of kelp here and there. Maybe for freshwater things there would be some branches. In salt water you could probably use corals for flare.

[Griffin]

Maybe put sand on the bottom with a rock or two here or there.

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

^^ Out in the open ocean? ;D

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

Dunkleosteus goes for a Cladoselache.