Production Photos and Tests

I had no experience building or photographing miniature environments when I started. I only knew that I wanted to create fictional but convincing spaces, even if it took weeks to make a single image.

I used foamcore to create molds which were later filled liquid plaster. After the plaster dried I pulled the forms out and stained them with black pigment. Since every shot was going to be in black and white I didn’t have to consider color, only values.

Lighting and camera position were essential to creating believability. I used a single bare tungsten bulb to mimic sunlight and small battery operated bulbs for artificial light effects. Some skies were just spray paint on white board. Others were images of the sky projected onto a white background. I moved the lights and camera frequently before shooting until the scene looked convincing on the groundglass. I’m still surprised at how real the final images can look, because the sets themselves were more crude than they appear. Every image in Tabletop Los Angeles, Remnants of Ancient L.A., Remembering Sunlight and Descent is a hand crafted tabletop still life.

When these bodies of work were first exhibited I convinced the gallery owner not to label the photos as miniature sets. It was a mistake. An art critic from the Los Angeles Times came to the show and gave it a tepid review, not knowing he was looking at imaginary worlds. Here is a different review.