Location: Neuchâtel, Switzerland (Canadian from Montreal)
Posts: 8,019
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lance Quazar
WHOOO! First picture! Looks amazing! How exciting!
Great job, Stoo. Very cool!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocket Surgeon
Well done! Do we have an updated itinerary?
Thanks, guys. It was fun to do but has made me realize that I am TERRIBLE at shooting miniatures with a digital camera. A manual camera is the way to go! The task of getting good shots was much more difficult than anticipated and no matter what setting was tried, Indy turned out blurry in almost every photo. Will have to experiment more.
Apart from the toys of my nephews, this is 1st time I've actually 'played' with an action figure since I was young so the need to become familiar with the flexiblity of Inky's custom was paramount. I picked Indy up at the post office and then went to a remote place to take some practice shots. Feeling like a weirdo, I then walked around for an hour trying different things...
WARNING: It is VERY easy to drop/lose the valise & umbrella! Extreme care is to be taken. If Indy doesn't lose his luggage on his 'round-the-world trip, I will be shocked!
DAMAGE: My first attempt to take the binding strap off the diary resulted in breaking it. I am very sorry, Inky. It just snapped immediately but is still hanging together by a thread! One of travel stickers in the middle of the suitcase came off but I have glued it back on. Hope it lasts...
NICE JOB ON THE DIARY, Inky Skin! Love it!
"It's almost 6 o'clock and Swiss clocks are never wrong. Where is everybody?" (IMPROVED VERSION)
"This boat doesn't leave for another two days. Gotta get to Canada as soon as possible."
"Outta luck and the rain is starting to pour! Too bad my umbrella won't open. I'll have to improvise!"
@Stoo - awesome, awesome work mate ! Don't worry about the diary - just stick an elastic band round it or something (this is what I get for substituting the finest corinthean leather with...um...'pleather'). I'd like to see the diary stuffed with anecdotes, signatures, bus tickets - anything really ! As for Indy's suitcase, well I guess that lost luggage is the occupational hazard of any long-distance traveller
Rough updated itinerary as follows...
UK (inky_skin) - DEPARTED 06-May-10
Switzerland (Stoo) - ARRIVED 11-May-10 / DEPARTED 13-May-10
Canada: Kingston / Montreal (Stoo) - ARRIVED ???
Malta (Stoo)
Switzerland (Stoo)
Afghanistan (Billy Ray) NOTE: Stoo - please ensure Indy arrives with Billy Ray in time for him to reach Rocket before the second week of July
East Coast USA: New Jersey / Princeton (Rocket Surgeon)
Canada (throwmetheidol)
West Coast USA: Culver City (Lance Quazar)
West Coast USA: LA / SoCal (Pale Horse)
West Coast USA: San Francisco (NickTurner)
West Coast USA: San Francisco / New Orleans (Le Saboteur)
Australia: Queensland (hemble)
Australia: Canberra (indy34)
Korea (AlivePoet)
Austria: (DoomTown)
Last edited by inky_skin : 05-13-2010 at 03:34 AM.
Looks like you took Indy to the Carnival...the Swan (shaped) Boats and the Tea Cup Ride. I guess he's had his fair share of Roller Coasters. Speaking of which, do we care what year this (academic?) trip is taking place?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stoo
"Maybe I should use this bird to fly across the Atlantic. Reminds me of the time I dreamt of flying that goose back in Stockholm when I was 10."
Looks like you took Indy to the Carnival...the Swan (shaped) Boats and the Tea Cup Ride. I guess he's had his fair share of Roller Coasters. Speaking of which, do we care what year this (academic?) trip is taking place?
While it's interesting seeing Indy in settings he may have theoretically encountered during his own travels, I think confining him to period-specific activities (1930s-50s) may be too restrictive for some locations (eg, while I have ancient sites and buildings here, if I took him to London I wouldn't preclude snapping him on something as modern as the London Eye etc). Therefore, I don't think we care about the year of his trip. However, I'm quite happy for each individual to interpret their involvement any way they want...
No Marion to share Indy's hottub ?
Last edited by inky_skin : 05-13-2010 at 08:32 AM.
Location: Montreal, Canada (living in Seoul, Korea)
Posts: 598
This is awesome stuff. I may just make a photo album (a real material one, none of that online nonsense) after we're done here.
inky, obviously this is a difficult question to answer given variables that may shift in or out of transit, but do you have a target finish date in mind? Or will you welcome as many other countries as there are Raven reps willing to participate?
inky, obviously this is a difficult question to answer given variables that may shift in or out of transit, but do you have a target finish date in mind? Or will you welcome as many other countries as there are Raven reps willing to participate?
I was thinking we'd retire the figure at the end of 2010 (and perhaps do this again with a new figure for 2011 if there is enough interest / support). However, we could conceivably keep this going until a) we run out of people, b) the forum loses interest, c) Indy gets lost.
Incidentally, talking of interest, Ed Dolista has kindly agreed to mention our little project on the next IndyCast - make sure you guys tune in to support this great show !
@Billy Ray - I'll ensure I mail all pics from this thread to you in future
I did some test shots of Indy. It's great to see his pictures from the travels but it would be nice if he wasn't fuzzy! I used a Canon Rebel XTi set at f29. The higher the f-stop you can shoot at the smaller the aperture. which translates to a much deeper depth of field. This means you can pretty much have close-up Indy and far-away back ground in focus at the same time. Exposure times are longer though so a tripod is recommended. So use an SLR if you can or enlist a photographer friend! If it's point and shoot or nothing you can try moving Indy a littler further away from the camera and maybe crop the pic later. Hope that's useful info to all you budding adventure photographers! (And don't worry - we like fuzzy Indy too!)
BTW, How big is the diary? I'm wondering what 'artifacts' might fit.
Location: Neuchâtel, Switzerland (Canadian from Montreal)
Posts: 8,019
Quote:
Originally Posted by inky_skin
@Stoo - awesome, awesome work mate ! Don't worry about the diary - just stick an elastic band round it or something (this is what I get for substituting the finest corinthean leather with...um...'pleather'). I'd like to see the diary stuffed with anecdotes, signatures, bus tickets - anything really ! As for Indy's suitcase, well I guess that lost luggage is the occupational hazard of any long-distance traveller
The binding strap is not entirely broken. It's still holding together by a thread but will try some repairs or include one of my girlfriend's hair bands. Lost luggage, indeed. Been there too many times. (I've even lost luggage on a direct flight!) You can't see in the photo with the water gutter that it was raining very hard. Indy's valise came loose and fell within inches of being washed away into the lake. Be VERY CAREFUL, my friends.
Looks like you took Indy to the Carnival...the Swan (shaped) Boats and the Tea Cup Ride. I guess he's had his fair share of Roller Coasters. Speaking of which, do we care what year this (academic?) trip is taking place?
Ha! How true and what an unintentional coincidence. Travelling fairs are all too common and roll into town almost every two months near that very spot.
Re: the year/period. Although, I'm trying to stick to period backgrounds (swans & tea cup rides are about as silly as I'll go), I do agree with Inky about avoiding restrictions. Some photos I took (not posted) have modern people/vehicles in the background. While they're not period, they do bring "life" to the surroundings and certain landmarks may be near impossible to shoot without other people in the way. Not to mention, Inky's first diary entry is dated 2010. Shoulda been an 111-year-Old Indy custom figure!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Ray
Great pics Stoo! Inky e-mailed them to me...good stuff there.
Thanks, Billy Ray. Had I not have been so rushed, they could have been better. Still need to empty out my PM Inbox and get your address. We're gonna make this happen!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meerkat
Lol, nice pictures, Stoo.
Thanks, kat. What I find funny is that the silly "carnival" pix are the ones being reposted! The swan was extremely interested in Indy and it's beak got really close at one point but, unfortunately, I didn't manage to get a decent shot. A 2nd swan joined the fun and they both thought he was food!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick Turner
Hope that's useful info to all you budding adventure photographers! (And don't worry - we like fuzzy Indy too!)
BTW, How big is the diary? I'm wondering what 'artifacts' might fit.
As mentioned above, give me my manual camera (Yashica) and I could shoot these properly. Please note that these were shot guerilla-style in a rush with a very limited digital camera (Canon) on a very windy/rainy day and holding Indy by hand half the time. (The camera has no fstops, no apeture control, etc.) I also had to get familiar with the flexibility/articulation of the fig because I don't own any. Will have more time this week to find a setting that captures maximum depth so, please, bear with me, Nick.
The past few days have been rather hectic but I did get a chance for a couple of shots of Indy in Kingston (yes, he is fuzzy again but was really pressed for time). Will post them tomorrow with a shot of the cool diary as well.
@Nick - great pictures fella. Could really use a masterclass from you in terms of photographing my figures and dioramas. Have you read "insight: Photography and Dioramas" by Gianni Lopergolo ? He was/is Hasbro's official toy photographer. You can find the book here. BTW - the diary measures approx 2 inches x 3 inches.
@Stoo - awesome job so far ! Don't worry about the "fuzzyness" of your pics - you are working out the issues for the rest of us
Indy's itinerary is now as follows. Please note the addition of Ed Dolista - who kindly mentioned our thread on the latest IndyCast. Make sure you listen in !
UK (inky_skin) - DEPARTED 06-May-10
Switzerland (Stoo) - ARRIVED 11-May-10 / DEPARTED 13-May-10
Canada: Kingston (Stoo) - ARRIVED 13-May-10 / DEPARTED 16-May-10
Canada: Montreal (Stoo) - ARRIVED 16-May-10
Malta (Stoo)
Switzerland (Stoo)
Afghanistan (Billy Ray) NOTE: Stoo - please ensure Indy arrives with Billy Ray in time for him to reach Rocket before the second week of July
East Coast USA: New Jersey / Princeton (Rocket Surgeon)
Canada (throwmetheidol)
West Coast USA: Culver City (Lance Quazar)
West Coast USA: LA / SoCal (Pale Horse)
West Coast USA: San Francisco (NickTurner)
West Coast USA: San Francisco / New Orleans (Le Saboteur)
Australia: Queensland (hemble)
Australia: Canberra (indy34) NEW ! Australia: Geelong (Ed Dolista - The IndyCast)
Korea (AlivePoet)
Austria (DoomTown)
Location: Neuchâtel, Switzerland (Canadian from Montreal)
Posts: 8,019
Quote:
Originally Posted by inky_skin
I was thinking we'd retire the figure at the end of 2010 (and perhaps do this again with a new figure for 2011 if there is enough interest / support). However, we could conceivably keep this going until a) we run out of people, b) the forum loses interest, c) Indy gets lost.
We need to keep it going at least until we get Indy in the snow. If Indy does not get lost and eventually makes his way back to Devon, instead of raffling him off, maybe he'd ultimately belong in the Ravenwood Museum?
Next year it could be "Indiana Jones Around the World in 80 Days".
Quote:
Originally Posted by inky_skin
Incidentally, talking of interest, Ed Dolista has kindly agreed to mention our little project on the next IndyCast - make sure you guys tune in to support this great show !
I heard it. It's the very last segment. Cool that Ed is involved! Too bad we can't get Indy in Iceland right now...
This is the nifty, 40-page diary. Can't wait to see it crammed with tickets, stamps, etc.! In the end, I think Inky's mini-diary will be cooler than the custom figure.
Kingston coming soon...(but the photos aren't very good).
Will have more time this week to find a setting that captures maximum depth so, please, bear with me, Nick.
No criticism intended Stoo! Great to have the pics so quickly and I appreciate that some of these shots will be 'guerrilla-style'
Some folks may be unfamiliar with trying to shoot miniatures up close especially with a full sized background, so I thought I'd try it and share my findings.
We need to keep it going at least until we get Indy in the snow. If Indy does not get lost and eventually makes his way back to Devon, instead of raffling him off, maybe he'd ultimately belong in the Ravenwood Museum?
Both excellent points. Perhaps I should sort out a change of outfit for Indy's snowbound adventuring ? Wouldn't be impossible for the holder at the time to swap out his jacket and arms. As to a permanent tenure at The Ravenwood - I'd be honoured if they agreed.
This is a fun and interesting project. Thanks to Ed and the IndyCast for putting me onto it! I'd be interested in having Indy visit me in Orlando, Florida.
Location: Neuchâtel, Switzerland (Canadian from Montreal)
Posts: 8,019
Indy in Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Quote:
Originally Posted by NickTurner
No criticism intended Stoo! Great to have the pics so quickly and I appreciate that some of these shots will be 'guerrilla-style'
Some folks may be unfamiliar with trying to shoot miniatures up close especially with a full sized background, so I thought I'd try it and share my findings.
No criticism taken, Nick. Presenting quality is a personal rule of mine and I just wanted to explain why my photos looked so sh*tty. In any case, yes, take Nick's advice for getting maximum DoF. If you have the means, a tripod is recommended. Holding the figure at arm's length with a hand-held camera is tricky!
Quote:
Originally Posted by inky_skin
Both excellent points. Perhaps I should sort out a change of outfit for Indy's snowbound adventuring ? Wouldn't be impossible for the holder at the time to swap out his jacket and arms. As to a permanent tenure at The Ravenwood - I'd be honoured if they agreed.
An additional winter kit is an excellent idea! This is getting better as we go. Les, carve out a space at your museum for the resting place of this globe-trotting figure! Whoever loses Indy gets 100 lashes.
Fuzzy Indy in Kingston. I wanted to get him near Fort Henry, the old locks at the Rideau Canal and at this Canadian Pacific steam locomotive but didn't get the chance. Kingston has plenty of sites and roots in Canadian history. Here's the engine in all it's glory.
"Just got into Kingston by train. My father gave a lecture at Queen's Univeristy after we finished our world tour but this is my first time on the grounds. One student kept in touch with Dad over the years and ended up teaching here at Queen's. He has fallen ill and I need to speak to him. Queen's has been around since the mid-1800's but the buildings look brand new! They must have had a clean-up recently..."
Location: Neuchâtel, Switzerland (Canadian from Montreal)
Posts: 8,019
More Indy in Kingston
Quote:
Originally Posted by inky_skin
@Stoo - excellent work mate ! That second pic reminds me of "Abbey Road" for some reason.
Funny because the album cover did pop into my mind when I was framing the shot!
Quote:
Originally Posted by inky_skin
Feels like we're enjoying a bit of a "happening" here
This thread is destined to become a Raven classic. So much more interesting than conversations about the latest Nintendo product.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlivePoet
Darned order of being second last...I want Jones now!
You have a long wait ahead of you. Just pray he doesn't get lost!
"Well, dad's colleauge passed away overnight so it looks like I'm on my own. There are 4 Martello towers here in Kingston. Hope the Murney Tower is the right one."
"The construction of towers in the 1840s was a ripple effect due to the Oregon Boundary Dispute. Along with Fort Henry, the shore of Lake Ontario was well defended. Will have to get through that door. Damn, it's windy today!"
A manual camera is the way to go! The task of getting good shots was much more difficult than anticipated and no matter what setting was tried, Indy turned out blurry in almost every photo. Will have to experiment more.
Extreme care is to be taken. If Indy doesn't lose his luggage on his 'round-the-world trip, I will be shocked!
but it would be nice if he wasn't fuzzy! I used a Canon Rebel XTi set at f29. The higher the f-stop you can shoot at the smaller the aperture. which translates to a much deeper depth of field. This means you can pretty much have close-up Indy and far-away back ground in focus at the same time. Exposure times are longer though so a tripod is recommended. So use an SLR if you can or enlist a photographer friend! If it's point and shoot or nothing you can try moving Indy a littler further away from the camera and maybe crop the pic later. Hope that's useful info to all you budding adventure photographers! (And don't worry - we like fuzzy Indy too!)
Be VERY CAREFUL, my friends.
), I do agree with Inky about avoiding restrictions. Some photos I took (not posted) have modern people/vehicles in the background. While they're not period, they do bring "life" to the surroundings and certain landmarks may be near impossible to shoot without other people in the way. Not to mention, Inky's first diary entry is dated 2010. Shoulda been an 111-year-Old Indy custom figure!
Indy in Kingston, Ontario, Canada
don't mind me while I hibernate for the next six or so months...
