People put effort, time and craftsmanship into a certain project that results in different types of photos which are considered to be believable. This is similar to the prospect and objectives of Michael Paul Smith. He is already sixty year old yet can still have the ability to create realistic 1/24 scale models of imaginary town from the memories of the youth. All the photos he created tell a story that takes you back to a certain place and time. As what Michael Smith emphasizes, what started out as photography and model building will end up like a dream and reconstructing the town you grew up. It’s not exactly a recreation but it can immediately capture the mood o the memories he usually says. The photos that emphasize the imaginary town of the “Elgin Park” created by Paul Smith are believable. This is in relation to the lighting, backgrounds and even the subject that are expertly and professionally integrated in the photos as well as the thorough and extensive researched details that can be seen in the photos.
Michael primarily sets up his models in a card table that populates it with extensive collections of Franklin Mint die and Danbury Mint that casts trucks and autos. This extensive collection emphasizes impressive and appealing features that highlight realistic approach in the art which makes his models more interesting even at the first glance. He even places scenes closer to a street or in a parking lot that lines up camera angles and horizons that ideally match all the models. This is an effective way towards getting the right perspectives of the photographs. Michael also makes use of night scenes which are primarily photographed inside a small apartment with the use of simple yet effective lighting setup. He also duplicates moods of different types of weather conditions, time of the day, season and even streets with wet from curbs and rain commonly drifted with snow. This is made with great care and attention with the use of applied soda.
