Using photos on structures

[doctorwayne]

Also to consider is the difference between realism and representation. Minton Chronkite & Frank Ellison could be considered representationalists. They made models as realistic as necessary to represent the prototype. It didn't have to be accurate, but it did have to look right and convince the viewer that what they were seeing was the real thing represented in miniature.
On the other end of things is realism down to the tiniest detail. I think the hobby press has been pushing realism over representation, because most of us strive for realism and settle for a representation. It really is a sliding scale and we all fall somewhere on it. I think many modelers would be happier with a representationist approach so that they could operate sooner & in a better setting rather than having to wait for scenery to fill in. These are the folks who build a mock-up that never gets beyond that stage because they're so busy having fun running trains and the mock-up serves its purpose well enough. If the press would print more articles on making representative structures we may have more modelers like that!

Galen

Galen, you're certainly correct: whether or not most of us strive for realism, we all, ultimately, have to settle for a representation. The degree to which such a representation is convincing depends for only a small part on how realistically the work has been done, and , for the most part, on the impression conveyed to the viewer. And, of course, the perception of each viewer will also vary.
In my opinion, as long as the person doing the modelling is appropriately convinced, the rest of the public, as William H. Vanderbilt proclaimed, "be damned." That's not to say that our personal perceptions won't change over time, though, and what was once "good enough" may eventually need to be brought up to one's current standards. This Forum is a good place to see what can be done and to learn how to do it.

Wayne