Dinky Toys photography specials

Thanks Jacques, could you please comment on the Coles Mobile Crane discussion, of course regarding the dating and characteristics of the French import edition? As an extra a little stich job of the first and second versions of the no. 660 Thornycroft Mighty Antar Tank Transporter: Best regards, Jan

Hello Jan May I ask, how do you get such good field depth in your photos? I have a hard time getting front, middle & end all in such sharp focus. I have read about moving the focus then splicing the images together using Photoshop but that just seems like such a lot of work. Any tips greatly appreciated! Kind regards, Stfan

Very simple, Stfan. Work manually, not automatically, just apply the smallest possible diafragm (like 22 or over) and a matching long shutter time. A tripod is indispensible though. The result will be fine! Another favourite of mine then, the 27f/344 Estate Car. There is 33 years between the acquisition of them. The 344 (on box) is one of my first renewed acquistions, of 6 December 1979, the 27f, in front, was added on 31 January 2013! I like pictures with a black background for some models, like these: Regards, Jan

Hello Jan I need to invest in a better camera, I am still using a baby camera. Lovely pair of Plymouths, I can almost match them (though my 344 is unboxed). Red & green... (sorry more Lesney contamination) Kind regards, Stfan

Stfan--I will echo what Jan said about depth of field. With these very small models and doing closeups, it is important to maximize depth of field or, as you have seen, only small areas will be in focus. It will depend on your camera of course, but you will want to get one that you can manually adjust, in this case you want 'aperture priority', meaning you can choose the aperture or f stop. On my camera I have this set to f-27 or so. This is a very small aperture opening and to use it, you will need a longer exposure setting. That is why Jan said you will need a tripod, or there will be movement and a blurred image. You should also get a cable release or shutter release cord so that you can activate taking the picture without actually touching the camera. All of this plus lots of practice taking various pictures will get you on the right track quickly. Good luck!!Terry

Stfan, in my opinion the skills and ideas of the photographer are always more important than the quality of the camera. There are hardly any 'bad' cameras around and for our purpose it's enough that some important settings (mainly shutter time and lens opening) can be controlled manually. Regards, Jan (by the way: very nice 'apple green' Diesel Roller you have!)

Hello Jan & Terry, thanks for the tips, my camera is a basic one and therefore I cant control these aspects (shutter time and lens opening), I sometimes get reasonable results but this is mostly through perseverance and using the few features that I have to the maximum of my abilities. Regarding the 25p apple green Aveling Barford, I bought that one in 2007 on eBay Canada, I never will forget the day it arrived. I heard a thud followed by the roar of a motorcycle at full throttle, the South American delivery man rather than knock on the door or ring the bell just simply threw it over a 10ft high wall onto my stone drive! It was really well wrapped in a jiffy bag (with plenty of bubble wrap around it) & arrived in superb condition despite its precarious packaging & 20ft+ of free flight. Kind regards, Stfan

Hi Stfan I have been passionate about photography since 1962 and at one time earned my living as a professional photographer. Jan is absolutely right in what he says, try to buy a camera with the option to control things manually and one which can be mounted on a sturdy tripod and you will be amazed at the results. The most expensive camera in the world will only produce the best images as a direct result of the photographer. Having the most expensive oven does not make you the best chef in the world!!!!!! Keep practising and you will see remarkable improvements. Dave

Oops! Something wrong with the camera? Pffff, back to normal again!

Below are some more pictures taken along with my early 1950's American Flyer trains.....I just think they make lovely combinations to enjoy! Terry 3 Dinky commercial trucks along with steam locomotive

A Hindle Smart Electric truck in front of the engine

An empty flat bed truck after loading....

Someone has parked right in front of the caboose

Those American Flyer trains look wonderful and go really well with the Dinky Toys. Beautiful pictures!

RECOVERY TRACTOR BOXED