Amazing Photography Using Model Cars & Forced Prospective

Michael Paul Smith is a model maker/photographer and has become a master of recreating outdoor scenes of yesteryear using his model cars/buildings and forced prospective.

He uses the real world as a backdrop, shooting gorgeous miniature vistas of the town he has created and named “Elgin Park” — and he does it all with a cheap point-and-shoot.

Elgin Park is some 25 years in the making, as are Smith’s modeling and diorama photography skills. Smith has diagnosed himself as “math challenged,” so when it comes to properly framing the forced perspective, he simply eyeballs it. Years of experience have led to an uncanny ability to do this right on the first shot, but if he doesn’t, he simply goes up and unceremoniously drags his table/models into the correct spot.

I used to really be into model making in my younger days. Love the incredible detail of his cars and buildings he has built. Some of the cars have seats that move on rails and glove compartments that open and close. When asked how he can make his dioramas appear so realistic he responds, "Keep everything in scale. From the thickness of the shingles down to the wallpaper design and door knobs, everything must be in the proper relationship to each other. I can’t stress that enough."

I can't imagine the number of hours spent building them. Some of these photos are so real looking that I am hard pressed to convince myself otherwise. Enjoy.

Cool pics
Would anyone else like to get dressed up as a Chimp and smash it all up pretending you are King Kong? or is that just me?

Dude that stuff is amazing

S&F.

reply to post by boymonkey74


Haha, not me. I have to much appreciation for the hard work and long hours. When I was a kid, I would take some of my old car models that I wasn't satisfied with and play sniper with my BB gun. Good times.

I had seen a few of those before but not all of them. Thank you for bringing this back to my attention! Beats the regular D & G around here!

reply to post by jtrenthacker


I do but Iam been feeling evil for a few days and fall into this category at the Mo



I had an Action man when I was a kid (not a doll a action figure lol ) and I found him a coupe of years back, no fingers, a sawn off foot (he was captured and tortured) and I remember loving the dude but I did like to destroy him.
Remember Tonka toys? they said they were indestructible...well that just made me more determined

Wow! Perspective is an amazing thing! Had you posted the final shots first without admitting they were models, I would've been none the wiser! Very cool.

Top stuff!
Sort of reverse "Tilt Shift"photography.
Ingenius.

I have always had big respect and a little jealousy of someone who has found this type of passion in life and followed up on it to this extreme.

Thx

Peace

reply to post by jtrenthacker


This is a great topic, thanks for sharing what you found.

They are very good photos some of them blew me away they were believable.

You know this is great for ATS because so many things in the real world are exactly like this, illusions based off of limited perspectives.

Next time anyone watches the news, think about the perspective trick. Apply it to what you are hearing/seeing.