Elgin Park: Visual Memories of Midcentury America at 1/24th scale

author: Michael Paul Smith
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/21
date added: 2016/07/21
shelves: non-fiction
review:
In 'Elgin Park: Visual Memories of Midcentury America at 1/24th scale' by Michael Paul Smith and Gail K. Ellison, we meet a man who is a master at a hobby and how that has spawned a tremendous online following.

Elgin Park started as Michael Paul Smith's hobby. He has an extensive collection of diecast metal cars and he decided to photograph them. What he does with his photographs is what is remarkable. He takes the models outdoors and using the tricks of perspective, he shoots the cars as if they are on a street, or parked by a river. Adding to the illusion is his remarkable ability at making miniature structures. Some are facades and some are full buildings. He even made a model of his boyhood home. Along with this, he has created a narrative of a fictional town from long ago. The amazing trickery of his photography and the pure nostalgia are what draw people in the millions to his Flickr site from all over the world.

Along with the photos are pictures of his behind the scenes shots and some of comments by visitors to the site. It's amazing what he does with a cardboard table and no photoshop. And most of the perspective is done by him eyeballing the shot. His miniature skills are incredible and include details that often don't even show in the photos. The book concludes with an interview that has been pieced together from other interview sources.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Animal Media Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/2azJ4v9