USS Grouper, SS-214, circa 1945

[ricknelson]

Once I finished the 5"/25 Cal. deck gun I was able to complete the USS Grouper. Seems like I've been working on it for ever! Here are a few photos:

[hakkikt]

Looks very nice, Rich.
I especially

Looks very nice, Rich.
I especially like the way you mounted it, with a mirror and the two slender brass pieces. Almost looks as if it were floating.

[ricknelson]

Thank you. That was exactly

Thank you. That was exactly the look I was trying to achieve. Under water, "Bearing . . . Mark!"

[blesht]

Great work, Rick. I'm looking

Great work, Rick. I'm looking forward to the next installment of the build series in the SCR. Barry

[ricknelson]

Thank you Barry. I'm working

Thank you Barry. I'm working on the next installment as we speak.

[Guest]

Excellent job there Rick, Many

Excellent job there Rick, Many upgraded accessories I see, which certainly improve the overall appearance. I also really like the extra vents along the hull specific to the late war Baleo class boats. IMO, it's all part of what make the subs of that era so special. Guns, vents, etc. Regards, Al,

[ricknelson]

Thanks Al for your very

Thanks Al for your very nice comments. I totaly agree, I think that the Gatos in '45 were the best example of a submarine class at the height of it's evolution.

[manowar]

Hi Rick,
Nice Build! Even more

Hi Rick,
Nice Build! Even more impressive to me is the photography work that was done here to really accentuate your model. Do you have any tips on lighting, techniques and or equipment that were used to get these great results?

Regards,
Joel

[ricknelson]

Hi Joel,

Thank you very much

Hi Joel,

Thank you very much for your kind words. As far as my photo equipment goes I shoot a Nikon D80 with a 60mm Micro lens. Tripod is a must along with a remote shutter button. Wide open aperture, manual focus, and white balance set using a gray card. Here is a photo of my equipment setup:



Isn't PVC pipe great! I have three blue 100W photographic bulbs in the reflectors which I got at an auto parts store. I was using home-made diffusers but have since take them off. The Gato was shot without them.

Hope this helps.

[manowar]

Thanks Rick, good info!
Have you

Thanks Rick, good info!
Have you ever thought of doing an SCR article on this topic...I for one would be extremely interested in it. There doesn't seem to be an over abundance of info out there on photographing models...
Regards,
Joel

[ricknelson]

Good suggestion Joel, I'll keep

Good suggestion Joel, I'll keep it in mind.

Thanks,

Rick