My first ever Diorama - Sun Sep 11, 2022 12:06 am
This was not as simple as those two posts make it seem (if it did at all). There were numerous issues that I needed to work around.
First, the display should have been a "shell" and not a "case." Namely, no bottom. I should have taken the hint and used hard foam. I forgot how wood reacts to moisture. Generally it is fine, but the plaster did some work on it, not to mention a typical, hot and humid Mid-West USA summer. The bow runs the depth of the case, not the width, so my goals for how she displays were not ruined. I am already planning a better version of this (I'm a perfectionist) where it is a foam base with a nice wood trim and actual glass instead of plexi (and a cooling system because I am crazy). Lesson = learned.
Second, plexiglass side panels were a bad idea. They suck to work with, and the above issue made them a royal nightmare. The worst part though, despite making it work and work well, was that it hit about 70F and 60+% humidity inside with the panels on. The room temp is about 65F and 45% humidity on a 85F day outside. Simply not acceptable conditions. I was not happy about it, because protection from the elements like dust, but I had to leave the panels off. Will be great for transport, but not for display. She is protected pretty well by the trees thankfully.
Third, and this is a true #firstworldproblem, but my camera hates the lighting. It is a Canon 70D, and has seen a TON of action from my years as a wedding photog, so it's time might just be up. I can't do much with the lighting overall, and this camera has always been weird in low light. No sense in blasting a night scene with light, right? I hope I can upgrade in the future, but it is not a priority.
If you made it until the end, thank you! Thank you all for the support. She is special to me, so any other dioramas will be much less, uh, "ambitious." Thank you all again!
First, the display should have been a "shell" and not a "case." Namely, no bottom. I should have taken the hint and used hard foam. I forgot how wood reacts to moisture. Generally it is fine, but the plaster did some work on it, not to mention a typical, hot and humid Mid-West USA summer. The bow runs the depth of the case, not the width, so my goals for how she displays were not ruined. I am already planning a better version of this (I'm a perfectionist) where it is a foam base with a nice wood trim and actual glass instead of plexi (and a cooling system because I am crazy). Lesson = learned.
Second, plexiglass side panels were a bad idea. They suck to work with, and the above issue made them a royal nightmare. The worst part though, despite making it work and work well, was that it hit about 70F and 60+% humidity inside with the panels on. The room temp is about 65F and 45% humidity on a 85F day outside. Simply not acceptable conditions. I was not happy about it, because protection from the elements like dust, but I had to leave the panels off. Will be great for transport, but not for display. She is protected pretty well by the trees thankfully.
Third, and this is a true #firstworldproblem, but my camera hates the lighting. It is a Canon 70D, and has seen a TON of action from my years as a wedding photog, so it's time might just be up. I can't do much with the lighting overall, and this camera has always been weird in low light. No sense in blasting a night scene with light, right? I hope I can upgrade in the future, but it is not a priority.
If you made it until the end, thank you! Thank you all for the support. She is special to me, so any other dioramas will be much less, uh, "ambitious." Thank you all again!
