Can I just create miniature scenes for the rest of my life? Is that too much to ask?
This landscape might appear playful but if you look closely you'll notice that it is not just another pretty picture; it's a literal mess. There are also no people in this scene–only what we, as humans, have left behind. Thus, "Ghosts" is a euphemism for human garbage and the image as a whole is environment focused. Blue-Man-Patrick helped me pick the title.
I'm a huge fan of fine art photography and surrealism via image compositing; however, because it can be so time consuming I've only attempted it a few times. I'm also slowly coming out of the closet as a huge fan of all things miniature. As such, I've been waiting for an opportunity to incorporate miniatures and this project called for a landscape that was "not just another pretty picture." I figured I'd give it a shot. The worst that could happen would be plan b (turn in some uncharacteristic landscapes). Surprisingly, the final image looks very much like my original sketches. That's the awesome thing about composite photography: you can literally create whatever is in your head.
It's an attempt, not a masterpiece. I should have spent more time blending (particularly the bottom of the "living room" floor) and the scale is quite off. But I still find it fun to look at and it was really fun to create. The cut-in-half perspective reminds me of a doll house and although it is a fairly flat image vertically, the landscape and underground scene add some depth.
The greatest part of this project was bringing everything together in Photoshop, but the next best thing was driving up to New Hampshire to Earth & Tree Miniature Shop to grab supplies.
This place is literally packed with every item you can think of: pianos, telephones, a box of Reynolds Wrap tin foil–only it's miniature. While I was there, two nice ladies were building doll houses in the middle of the shop and it was just the best. Side note of caution: it's an expensive hobby. My favorite display was the Nottingham "Medieval" Dollhouse and the completed model (without the furnishings and lighting) was $19k. Woof. Regardless, it was worth the trip even if it was just to drool.
Miniature shooting day came and I needed to play with my props to see what worked:
I can't stand how adorable this is... LOOK AT IT:
In total, Ghosts is a composite image of four different photos (landscapes include Rice City Pond in Uxbridge, MA. and Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, MA.):
The most painstaking work went into blending the miniature items into the underground scene:
Even though I have my gripes with what I could have done better, I still had a blast. I got to play with miniatures and offer a twist on a simple landscape. On that note, here's one of my favorite "plan b" images from Rice City Pond:
If you're into all things miniature I recommend checking out the book Double Take: The World's Most Iconic Photographs Meticulously Re-Created in Miniature, the work of Michael Garman (RIP), and DEFINITELY visit Earth & Tree Miniature Shop in Amherst, NH if you're ever in need of supplies or inspiration.