Seeing this is the first time I’ve really mentioned this project I’ll give you a brief run down on it!

One of the comments I rec’d on my past photostories that has always bothered me, was that my figures never actually seemed to be outside in their sets & photostories. True, I could have done a lot in Adobe PS (and have) but sometimes digitally editing photos is just more hassle than it’s worth. With that fact in mind I didn’t give it much thought–until I started looking at other folks’ “outside” shots and envied. And that of course made me covetous…and then–well, I broke down and decided why not? What have I got to lose?

Some great examples of the outdoors portrayed in 1/6 scale dioramas are here:

Deering Productions:Devil of the Woods (woods scene)

Deering Productions: suburban scene

And for non-cultivated outdoors, nifty temples, and spooky crypts: Mick Baltes website

Backyard/ Garden example — Amithi: Der Hotel-Garten

So after some thought (and a lucky buy on fee-bay) I’m ready to give it a go. I’m not aiming for anything fancy. Yet . Just a simple “backyard patio” for the occasional cook-out or drinks scene.

How it boils down at the moment:

• Scored 6  1-ft sq slate tiles & some smaller pieces of marble tiling. These are going to be attached to the board (once I get the cement, that is). Nope. I like the small 40mmx40 mm mosaic pieces so I am going to search for some more of those. They’d be more accurate for 1:6 scale flooring.

• Over the weekend I picked up some “weatherproof” plywood which I am planning on using for the base. On Sunday (after all the stores shut at 4pm) I realized we didn’t have any tile cement…So that’s on the list of things to pick up at B&Q.
• Picked up a battery operated “desk”fountain at Woolworth’s for £5.00. This will need an overhaul & reconstruction. When I’m done with it I want it to resemble a more realistic fountain/contained waterfall.

It looked like that (the box above) before I took it apart.

Now it looks a bit more like this:

Here’s a close up of the pump–note the tiny intake port! (I’ll have to put very fine mesh over this if I do decide I want some sand in the fountain)

Things to take into consideration:

• The back garden is very small due to the fact Mark’s workshop (aka the shed) takes up the majority of what is already a small space. This means working room/photographing room is limited. I’d originally thought of setting it up permanently but realized that wasn’t feasible.
• The weight of the slate tiles is considerable. They’ll only get heavier when i add on the marble side/accent tiles.
• In order to facilitate easy usage & access I will mount the tiles onto a base (weatherproof plywood) which means when it isn’t in use it can be propped against the fence & covered with a tarp.
• I will need to disassemble the small table and bring it downstairs for when I want to take shots of the diorama scene. I’ll need to keep my eye out for a better replacement. Also note that the table/diorama can’t be left set up full time since Max & Pudge could use it to springboard over the wall & onto the canal bank or into Elaine’s garden.
• What to use for foliage? I have some small benjamin fig saplings that may work for some of it. But the rest I’ll have to keep an eye out for–plastic or real plants.
• Figure out what kind of resin/glue/sculpting medium to make the “waterfall” rocks out of. Whatever I choose needs to be waterproof/paint-able.

Here’s the 1:6 table & chair patio set off fee-bay a while back. (excuse the hurried photo) The chairs are slightly oversize, but otherwise pretty cool. That will need a new table top cut for it (either glass or plexi) and I need to hammer out the top supports a little since the table is now more oval-and lopsided–than round.

I’ll update as the project progresses!