My Favorite Photos
Over the past 15 years I have taken hundreds of pictures of the 1:6 scale things I've created and figures I've kitbashed. I studied the photography styles of One Shot, LT, GreenLeader, Capt. Fisher and Devel 505 to improve my skills. Here is a collection of my favorites....I hope you enjoy them.
Marine Landing in the Pacific
A club photo...you see MARKV's landing craft, a bunch of my Marines and my Stuart Tank in the background.. Pointman provided the Photoshopped background art.
Marines on Iwo Jima
This is my first diorama using a base and actually screwing the boots of the figures to the base and making it a permanent display. The base is a stepping stone for yard decor, made from plastic.
Early Explorer (Mountain Man)
My original Mountain Man, complete with hand sewn buckskins, customized head sculpt and horse. The horse was originally modeled after Cisco from the movie Dancing with Wolves but the two of them looked so good together, Cisco was never put with any Union soldier. After hand sewing the buckskins my hands looked like I had arthritis.
Marines Super Jeep
A 21st Century Super Jeep (MUTT), I lowered the frontend, gave the cargo baskets real mesh sides, accessorized it and dirtied it up,
Flamed Street Rod
This started out in life as a 1:6 RC car with a red body and terrible black and gold flame tampos. I decided to flame the 41 Willys Coupe and make it look like a street rod I would like to have. Traditional of the old Pro Street Gaser, all that's missing are the un-capped headers, some slicks and maybe a straight axle on the frontend.
41 Willys Coupe in the red phase
When taking this picture I used Photo Shop magic to paint over the tampo flames. It doesn't look to bad but I like the flamed version better.
Get your motor runn'in
These are a couple of my first custom choppers. Transformed Indian motorcycles, I pinstriped the yellow in black and turned the other one into Capt America. Keeping the original engines and making custom forks, sissy bars and exhaust, they were the first choppers ever made in 1:6 scale.
Head out on the highway...
After the original Capt America fell off a high shelf, during a show, I re-built it on a different frame with a stronger front fork. It's not bad but it's not the same as the original.
Flatboat on the Ohio River
Early settlers float down the river to form new settlements or start farms in the 1800's. The flatboat was made out of rough cut shimes and glued on top of a 2 inch thick piece of foam as it's base. The boat floats very well and all the accessories stay dry. It took a couple of years to aquire all the accessories and what you couldn't find or buy, you built yourself. Once all the supplies were gathered and the plan for the boat laid out, it only took a couple of days to build the boat.
Steering the flatboat
Using the current of the river for their speed on this highway, they also had to use a tiller to stear and sometimes oars when the current slowed. They had to keep moving, band of Shawnee Indians were known to attack flatboats all along the journey.
Livestock aboard the flatboat
This is just an example of the livestock carried onboard the flatboat. Horses, cows, pigs, chickens, mules, cats & dogs made up the animals they might bring along with them, to start homesteading in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana Cats would take care of mice and rats while dogs were used for hunting.
The Battleship, USS Massachusetts
The Battleship, USS Massachusetts steams off the port side as a Seamen keeps a watchful eye out for enemy subs in the South Pacific, 7th Fleet..
40mm gun & grew
US Navy 40mm gun and crew were made from a gutter guard, a ladder from an early DRAGON figure set and some dowel rods. Poster board was used as the background.
Battle Stations !!
A Hasbro 40mm gun was used for this shot. The background came from the box it was packed in.
General Grant & President Lincoln
Once General Grant was made the General of the Army of the Potomac, his operations took him all around the state of Virginia and Lincoln would come out to his encampments for visits and photo ops. Lincoln was said to have liked his picture taken.
General J.E.B. Stuart (CSA)
General Stuart's Cavalry rode as scout for General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Virginia.
Stonewall Jackson & the 1st Brigade
General Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson of the 1st Brigade (CSA) Jackson's figure provided by Gray Ghost
Generals Stuart, Jackson, Lee & Longstreet (CSA)
This photo was a group effort. Generals Stuart, Jackson & Longstreet were provided by Gray Ghost and the room was made by Dr. Zorkan. I just supplied General Lee and the flags and took the picture.
Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattix
Again using the room built by Dr. Zorkan, I provided the Generals and their adjutants, the custom made folding table and chairs.
Shadow Force Bunker
Using early 21st figures and accessories, I also added custom made items like crates, rifle racks, tables, shelves and other what-not to make this scene.
The Target Range
Again using early 21st figures and making the check-in counter, I display some of Squad Seven's handy work on the custom made gun cases and PumpkinKings custom made RPK, RPD and Carl Gustov guns on the wall.
Pointman in the Delta Region
Navy SEAL pointman down in the Delta, using a jungle diorama that I built and the hooch made from place mats.
Relay station on the Mekong River
Getting a full view of the hooch and the sanpan being paddled down the Mekong by Viet Cong. The Creek near our house makes a nice scale river for these scenes.
On the MeKong River
A parting shot of the Viet Cong after the sanpan has been unloaded.
General U.S. Grant & his Union Army
General Grant moving with his troops around Virginia
Federal troops on the move
Federal Troops marching
Limbers & cannon in tow
Supply wagon & troops crossing the river
Coast Watcher WWII
Using the hooch for a second photo shoot, I decided to do a Father Goose type setting of a WWII Coast Watcher in the South Pacific.
Father Goose calling Briar-patch
Lots of the "eye Candy" inside the hut was provided by Pointman. I built the tables, benches, shelves and made the charts on the walls.
Coast Watcher
I also made the camp style stove, the folding chair was from SOTW and some food items were obtained from local hobby shops.
General Robert E. Lee & adjutant
I think this Hasbro head sculpt of Lee is the very best, ever made, so far. The tent is a must have for encampments for either side. I made a corruggated skeleton for the tent and covered it in musslin. It folds up for easy storage.
Rebel Camp
Cooking over the campfire...a display of different Confederate uniforms, arms and tents adorn this scene.
Fredericksburg Va.
The Confederate Army used a stone wall as fortification on the heights above Fredricksburg. Riflemen lined the wall and poured round after round into the Union troops.
Bootleggers
My custom made Model T Truck was made from sheet styrene, old motorcycle parts, wood and tires off an old Hasbro M8 Scout Car. I call the figure Luca. He is an old 21st Century figure and head sculpt with a suit from Frank Sinatra (Barbie).
Ford Model T Truck
A rear view of the truck shows the detail of the stake-bed and leaf springs. The barrels were made from the Barrel Full Of Monkeys, barrels and re-painted. The city block was created for EnterTrainMent Junction and although slightly larger than 1:6 scale, it worked for me when doing these pictures.
Generals Grant & Sherman
At this stage of my collection, White Ghost provided the Grant figure and I had just completed my Sherman figure. Lots of "eye Candy" around the tent with custom made folding furniture and field desk, chair and lots of miniature items to fill the desk. I custom made quilt is on the bed and a working lantern hangs outside the tent opening.
Federal Troops around camp
A couple of customized Federal Troopers guarding the General's tent. The site where I shoot a lot of these camp site pictures is actually a crossing of deer trails in the woods. The scale trees are really Honeysuckle bushes and the area is swept clean of debrie such as leaves and twigs. The area is approximately 4 foot square and provides a lot of nice greenery to the background.
Grant & Sherman making plans
Again with Sherman & Grant, this time relaxing in folding chairs and pulling the cork on a jug. The split-rail fence is pinned together and can be folded up for better storage. A different adjutant was used in this shot and Grant's cigar is actually a piece of broken twig.
General Nathan Bedford Forrest (CSA)
General Nathan Bedford Forrest escaped from Battle of Shiloh soon after joining the Confederate Army and went on to form several cavalry units, completely outfitted with weapons, ammunition, artillery and supplies liberated during their raids into Kentucky and all around Tennessee and Mississippi.
That Devil Forrest
Often referred to as "That Devil Forrest,' by W.T. Sherman & U.S. Grant, General N.B. Forrest had 29 horses shot out from under him during his service in the Civil War. General Forrest was also the last General to surrender in that war.
Marines WWII
A tired Gyrene slogs along the jungle trail, somewhere in the South Pacific. The Stuart Tank was my first vehicle that was purchased, torn apart and customized to look more like the actual tanks used in the field at this time.
Marines WWII
Marines hitch a ride on vehicles as they make their way thru the jungles on the South Pacific Islands.
Corpsman !!! (U.S. Marines WWII)
Marines carry their wounded buddy off the battlefield.
Shawnee Warriors
Three customized Indians sit atop their customized BOTW horses. FUBAR did the customizing of the Pinto, I did the Buckskin & Rocky Mountain Mustang. The Chief has a BOTW Chief Cherokee head, mounted on a 21st Century SS body. The other figures are from DogSoldiers.
Blue Jacket, Shawnee War Cheif
Blue Jacket & Holy Man, watching flatboats floating down the Ohio River. The Shawnee would try to lure settlers close to shore and attack them, in an effort to keep the white man off their lands.
Shawnee woman
Shawnee woman tanning a deer hide.
NAVY SEALs DPV (Sand Pirates)
Heavily outfitted Chenowith Sandrail used by Navy SEALS. This is a Hasbro LSV that has been re-painted, re-outfitted and slightly customized with real mesh sides on the cargo baskets.
TOW Missile Mount of HumV
Modern HumV with TOW Missile Launcher mounted on the weapons ring. The HumV is by Power Team and re-painted and accessorized, inside and out. The TOW Missile Launcher is from 21st Century and the missile itself was custom made by me.
Modern Marines
Modern Marines of the Gulf War era, around a HumV. This is a Power Team figure with 21st Century uniform and weapons.
Inside the HumV
Again, this is a Power Team HumV, outfitted with 21st Century TOW missile launcher. Here you see inside the back of the vehicle where the rack of additional TOW missile tubes are stored. I made the rack for the tubes.
Morgan's Raiders
General John Hunt Morgan, leading his Raiders thru Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio from June 14th to July 26th 1863. Morgan's uniform was copied from a picture taken of him after his capture in Ohio. The head is a Power Team sculpt that has been customized to look like Morgan. The jacket is from Battle Gear Toys and the saddle was custom made by me from Sculpey and leather.
Morgan's Raiders
Raiders riding thru towns and farms along their way to disrupt Union forces and destroy any supplies not used, depriving the Union of troops and supplies needed by U.S. Grant in his campaigns in Tennessee and Mississippi.
Morgan's Raiders
Confederate Raiders foraging food from local farmers in Kentucky, Indiana & Ohio. They usually got smoked hams, pies, cakes & bread from the farms they passed. They were making ham sandwiches and eating as they rode.
The Gun Show
My first Gun Show booth was setup in the basement laundryroom and shot as a winter-time project. I used bandanas as table covers over carboard table tops, held up by make-shift cardboard saw horses.
The Gun Show
This is the Gun Show booth I created for the Club Photo Shoot.
Special Forces (Modern)
One of the first custom pieces I ever made for my figures was this Zodiac Assault Raft. Made from 1 inch PVC tubing, a pool float, plastic corrugated and black duck tape.
Federal Supply Wagon
Troops escort the supply wagon (making a river crossing)
NAVY Quonset Hut (Shadow Force)
This is a scale Quonset Hut I built for a photo shoot. I was a little over 5 feet long and was constucted from memory of the Tire Shop used by Seabee's at Naval Air Station New Orleans (where I was stationed at one time)
Indian Tipis
These are two scale tipis I made. They are a scale 15 feet in diameter and hand painted designs.
Indian Tipi
Just wanted to show off more of the hand painted artwork on the tipi.
Medicine Man
The Medicine Man was created from a Hasbro Code Talker. Hair from a Barbie Doll was turned into a wig. Dog Soldier and BOTW items used to dress and accessorize the figure. Gray rabbit fur was used to make the Wolf Skin Cape.
Tribal Council
Taken inside my original tipi, complete with real campfire, I have a number of my Indian figures posed and passing the pipe around.
NAVY Deep Sea Diver
Using a Hasbro 40th Anniversary AT Deep Sea Divers suit, weights and helmet, I submerged my diver in the family aquarium for pictures. Unfortunately the fish didn't like the white suit.
NAVY Combat Photographer
My picture of the Navy photographer has him posed around the Hasbro 40mm gun and a mock-up of a destroyer's 5 inch guns. I added the splinter shield to the 40mm gun.
NAVY SEAL
Years ago Capt Fisher beat me to the punch by photographing our Navy SEAL's under water. He did his in a swimming pool. I decided to do mine in the aquarium. I used buckshot in the legs to weight the figure so he wouldn't float to the surface.
SEALs (Vietnam)
Radioman for the team moves stelthily thru the jungle diorama I created. You can just see little bits of the relay station in the background. This was all shot on the back porch of our house.
NAVY SEAL (Teamleader)
The old Chief sets up his firing position and is equipped with a lot of gear from his enemies.
NAVY SEAL (Pointman)
Here you see my Pointman setting up his firing position. Again using the jungle diorama that I created. He's armed with a Montagnard Crossbow that I made. It actually works. I used a finishing nail as the bolt. As I was setting this figure up, the crossbow went off. The bolt flew straight into my glasses. I use 21st Century SS figures for nature looking poses.
The Raisuli
Inspired by the movie, "The Wind & The Lion" with Sean Conery.
Who was that masked man ?
This is a BOTW Capt Maddox from Pointman with a Lone Ranger outfit from Outlaw Marshall and two gun holster from Steveo. The posable BOTW Flame horse was also a gift from Pointman and customized by me.
The Cowboy
Totally kitbashed Cowboy. I think this is a DRAGON body I bought from PanzerCommander, the head is from online. the lever-action rifle is from Gray Ghost, the vest might be from Okimbored, chaps from Wolf, the shirt from Graylin and the holster and pistol are from the Grab Bag from the Sixth Brigade. I had everything else and made the hat out of Sculpey.