ancre Le Fleuron by Gaetan Bordeleau - FINISHED - 1:24

[Trussben]

Thanks for the info Gaetan.

 

Ben

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Last autumn, I did follow 2 photography sessions. The main goal was to learn how to shoot in Manual Mode instead of Automatic. If I compare the results today with pictures taken before, I would say without any hesitations that it was a good thing.

 

As a general rule in model ship building we do not use a Speedlight to photograph our models, the main reason being not to have highlights. But if we learn to use a Speedlight, we also can learn not to fall in these traps. To learn how to use it, takes longer than a 3 days week-end but I did my homework, and today I can take a decent picture with Speedlights. Most of the picture I take, I use a Speedlight with a diffuser on it, the last I bought was $7as in the first picture.

A very good Speedlight can have 150 Watts/seconds, but more than often it is not enough to have a rich vivid look.

 

  I did read many things about Monolight and I viewed many videos on you tube. I chose my new kit and obviously I will have to learn how to use it well, but at the end, higher quality pictures will be the result.  In this first picture, and for a different test, I added some light just on the milling machine. Also, for the first time I did not need to adjust the camera to take into account fluorescent light,  this is a big change.

 

[SJSoane]

 

Very nice, Gaetan. I look forward to hearing the lessons you discover on taking great photos with speedlights, like locations and intensity of the speedlights relative to the camera. Also, lens length.

 

Best wishes,

 

Mark

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Mark I surely will not pretend I can write a book about light shaping. The easiest way to use a speedlight is in TTL mode (through the lens). The flash follows the lens adjustment. Speedlight location and distance are the first things to check.  There are some kinds of pictures that I like to understand. Some are available and some you can create by experimentation. Reading is interesting but viewing little films on you tube is often easier. Examples are subject like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wODqXBe9rNo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ro-ST3iuo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAbSn7VkhmY

[HIPEXEC]

Wow! is all I can say...what a build!

[HIPEXEC]

I like your Hardinge lathe! I put many  precision air chucks on Hardinges.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Thank you Rich, when trying this lathe, you understand what rigidity means.

 

Here is the first scratchbuilt I did from the drawdings of Harold Hahn.

 

While building it, the NMM said they did not have any plans from a back view. Few years later I saw one drawing in a magazine.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Let's try another one

[SJSoane]

 

Thanks, Gaetan, these videos are very helpful!

 

Mark

[ChrisLBren]

Hi Gaetan - 

Curious about this Hahn build - what ship is this ?

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Hi Chris, Hahn wrote  ''ships of the american revolution and their models''. I chose the frigate: Roebuck of 44 cannons because he was explaining his building methods in this book, and it surely was helpful to get a direction to begin.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

A new english vocabulary word for me tethering; access to the laptop through another device.

 

After taking a picture, the camera displays it on a little screen about 2 by 3 inches. It is hard to clearly evaluate if the picture has the anticipated result we wants to have. For a long time I wished I could transfer pictures automatically from the camera directly to the laptop in a program called Lightroom where the image can be evaluated in full resolution on the PC monitor immediately after capture. The images can be stored directly on the computer’s hard drive, which means that there is no need to change the camera storage medium.

 

One more time thanks to Internet, I found the solution. When I take a picture with my Olympus camera, the picture is automatically transferred in a file, through a program named Olympus studio. When Lightroom sees a picture in this file, it automatically transfers it in a file supported  by Lightroom. Then the picture is automatically displayed on the laptop. If I want I also can see it on the tv monitor.

[WackoWolf]

Nice. You have way to much time on your hands. LOL You are the man.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Thank you Jo, but sometimes 24 hours is not enough in a day!

 

Photography background in an existing picture

When a photograph takes a picture, he is careful in the composition. If he is inside he will place the model in front of a photography background.  I was looking different photography background and I thought how about associating a modelship in front on a background. Sometimes we try a white or a black background. In this particular case, I want to add a background after the picture was taken. I have powerpoint presentation that I will be using this autumn. Let’s try version 1.1. I added a black background in the slides when the picture is not filling the page 100%. I did a research, on Internet again; in this case the key words were paper texture in a first try and old paper texture in a second try. Many samples are needed in colors in the same group or complementary. Here are some examples of incorporating background to a picture already taken.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Delimitation of the different areas in the front of the rear galery

Edited April 26, 2015 by Gaetan Bordeleau

[druxey]

Now I'm seeing things - a scale pelican???? Lovely looking stern, too.

[dgbot]

Is the pelican going to be a good luck mascot?

David B

[SJSoane]

Gaetan, I love the pelican. beautiful craftsmanship.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Thank you Messieurs!

 

The pelican was just a nice gift.

 

Unfortunately, there are no such birds in Canada, unless may be at the zoo.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

In over 30 years, this is the first time there are no model ships at home. The 5 left I have are regrouped in an unlikely duo; model ships and spiritual paintings.  I think, even if there are only 5 models, scale scope is covered and I guess that nobody was prepared to see models at 1/24.

[michael mott]

Gaetan, the pictures look like they were taken in an art gallery,  The cases with the tools are a great touch, can you tell us more about the event.

 

Michael

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Hi Michael, you can have an idea at this address.

 

http://antoinelacombe.com/evenements/gaetan-bordeleau/

 

  + a lecture in 3 parts:

 

1-    Provenance of modelship building (when and why)

2-    Few realisations from other contries (examples of recent  and old models)

3-    Construction of a model for the Naval Instruction (explaining what is a model for the instruction of the Naval  

       officers through the construction of the 74 guns at 1/24 scale)

[michael mott]

Thank you for the link Gaetan.

 

Michael

[Alaska]

Hi Gaetan! Wow what an impressive build!!! Never seen anything with this kind of scope and difficulty but your work sure is inspiring to say the least! Simply stunning!!  I'm new here and so glad to have found this forum to learn from! Gaetan I have only built one ship from a kit the Benjiman Latham but it came out quit well I think, anyways I want to do a scratch build next and have ordered the Le Gros venture monogram and am in high inticapation of receiving it,that being said I think it may be to ambitious of a first scratch build project. Is there something you could recommend that would have say a practimum to go along with a first time scratch building attempt? I am going to need lots of help I'm sure!

 

I don't mean to bother you and this may be the wrong place to post this question but I'm new here and I've got to start some place. By the way your work and skills are just amazing to say the least!!!! Thank you for doing such a wonderful job of documenting your build with so many fine pictures and details,it sure is helpful and inspiring to myself and others I'm sure!

 

Thanks!

Craig

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Hi Craig,

 

Every one who is facing his first scratchbuild is wondering if it is too much ambitious project, but as you progress in your build, you gain confidence.

 

I would suggest you 3 things:

 

Create a log in this forum for your gros ventre, the simple fact to share your work on this forum, will allow you to learn very much faster and also many excellent builders are present on the forum to help everyone who needs it.

 

You should have a look at another French forum and you can go by google chrome to help to translate if you need it. There are some peaples building  le Gros ventre: http://5500.forumactif.org/f36-le-gros-ventre-1766-plans-gerard-delacroix

 

As such, I do not know if there is a practicum for le gros ventre. There are few practicums which are on the market. Although these practicums are not for the gros ventre, you could buy one and it could be very useful. When you are confronted to your first build you do not really know in which order you should begin the construction. With a practicum, you will see examples in which sequence to do it.

 

Examples of practicum are available there: http://www.seawatchbooks.com/ I do not know if books from Harold Hahn are still available but he wrote few practicums http://www.dlumberyard.com/hahn-PART1.html

http://www.amazon.com/Harold-M.-Hahn/e/B001KIL38Y

 

If you think you can do it, I strongly encourage you to continue and I wish you good luck.

[druxey]

Meillieurs souhaits a votre vernissage, Gaetan! (Congratulations on your exhibition, Gaetan). Looks terrific. I hope you had a good audience and turn-out to your show.

Edited October 5, 2014 by druxey

[SJSoane]

 

Gaetan,

 

Beautiful exhibit. It must have stunned the visitors!

Are those all your tools in the case?

 

Mark

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Thank you Druxey, the exhibit is there for few weeks.

 

Thank you Mark, a visitor who has never seen a model before cannot imagine what he is going to see. He thinks he will see some sort of kit at the best. When he sees the first models, he is very much surprise and for what he sees after, well he was not prepare, to see two 8 foot models.

I would have liked to bring more things, but too much is like not enough. There was a possibility for 2 cases: 1 for ropes and 1 for tools which are used to build model ship. A rope machine always has success when she does a little demonstration because most of the peoples have never seen how ropes are turned. The other case has some tools. Some are made, some are bought. On the stand, one of my favorite is the hammer handle, I bought some and I did some. Since I tried these balanced handles (wood counterweight at the opposite of the handle), I love it and I would never return to an ordinary handle.

 

I also brought some machinist tools used with the lathe or the milling. I did fabricate tools about 10 years as a hobby, using these to climb in a spiral to build more and more complex tool.

 

Last Sunday I did a 3 hours lecture about this hobby. In the first part, accordingly to what I recently discovered, model ship began in England around 1650 and few years later in france in 1689 , following an Ordinance about Instructions for Navy Guards in Brest.

 

The main part being a complement after you saw the models outside only, peoples were able to look inside a model at every level and I guess they liked  to see in pictures this side of the model ship.

[Mau]

Hi Gaetan, 

I am sure you all enjoyed your beautiful work. I wish I could be there. 

 

Congratulations. 

 

Mauricio

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

igloo making, no, but the same shape

 car wax used on the mold so the mold does not stick to the bread stove

inside the  wooden shell, modified shelf so that it can be self supported by the wall of the oven

Edited October 26, 2014 by Gaetan Bordeleau