Nicholas Busch, a photographer from Davenport, Iowa. Over the years, he has been bringing the fantasy world to life through scale model photography.
When Nicholas Busch first became interested in model making, he never thought about where it would lead him.
Now, Nicholas uses his spare time to create landscape stereoscopies based on his favorite films and take stunning desktop photos.
The result is a collection of incredible details for scale model photography, recalling the most memorable scenes of classic cinema.
Starting with the foam base, Nicholas uses a variety of materials to create the familiar environments we see in movies, such as The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, and his personal favorite, The Lord of the Rings.
Nicholas says that when he had an idea for the scene, he first had an idea in his head, and after planning everything, the photography used foam, paint, stucco and miniature grass-like materials as the basis for the scene to complete his work.
During the "Lord of the Rings" experiment, the photographer began to prepare a model that perfectly combined technology and technology, he first used some graphic software to design and lay out the hobbit house, and after formulating the blueprint, he began to construct the landscape, and finally completed the model.
Nicholas, whose images were taken with the Canon 5D4 and Sigma 35mm/f1.4, said:
"35mm gives me the most cinematic effect for every photo I take. When I was able to complete the model photography aspect, I started shooting mannequins, using the exact same lighting settings and lenses in this shot to make sure all the tones matched in the camera. ”
He tries to keep the lens and composition as close to the floor as possible when shooting, which provides a larger image than normal life.
After all the photos were complete, Nicholas turned to Photoshop to synthesize images, and adding sky was often the most difficult part of the whole compositing process, as he had to make sure that all the tonal models and mannequins were the same in order to look like a realistic scene.
During the shooting process, each photo series can take up to three months to complete.
Once Nicholas finished a stereoscopic set that could take anywhere from a month to three to complete, he began the photographic part of the project. Occasionally, this means switching back and forth between adjusting the scene and taking a picture, depending on how well it looks on the camera.
"The most challenging aspect of creating a stereoscopic set is ensuring that in my final image, the landscape will provide me with the right composition,"
"Unfortunately, if I miscalculate the height of the ground, it blocks some part of the image and I have to start from scratch. Using my camera and sculpting tools to go back and forth to get the right size is tedious. Everything has to be neatly arranged in order for the image to work. ”
After taking a large number of stereoscopic set shots, Nicholas used focus overlays to create the depth of field he wanted. Then take his model to the studio and bring the human element to the scene. Using the same lighting fixtures and camera equipment, the portrait photographer completed his shoot and combined the model into the final scene, which eventually looked as big as a real person.
For Nicholas, personal projects are a way to keep his creativity and keep his love of models.
"My intention has always been to bring back the real feeling of the real scene. There are really talented computer graphics and digital artists in the world; however, the art of scale model photography is something I would like to see more. I want my art to open its doors to others and explore the possibilities of scale model photography. ”
"It's real, it's exactly like the scene in the movie."
Many people who have seen Nicholas's works will exclaim such an amazement!