First backdrop photos of Dolores Colorado in place

Last fall I took a series of digital photos of the cliffs behind Dolores Colorado. Since I am modeling Fall 1950, I wanted some color but not too much. After much work in Photoshop taking out buildings, 2011 cars and trucks, and telephone poles and lines, I had a series of photos with just the cliffs. Then I used Photoshop to join them up into a 18 foot long print. Unfortunately, because I had to take out most of the lower half because of buildings, people, and a few dogs, I had to add in more photos so that I could get the height I wanted. Phew! A little mix and match but it works on the computer so hopefully will in print.

So I have been printing 13 by 19 prints on matte high quality photo paper. I trim out the sky and the top of the vegetation at the cliff top. Then I used rubber cement in a double mount technique. I know - I am older than dirt and no one uses this stuff any more. But if you let the board and the photo back both dry, then carefully press it onto the board (1/8" foam core) it is there for good. I hope.

So this blip is of the first three prints, carefully matched so the joints do not show. I was careful in trimming them and used a new number 11 exacto blade on each print, and angled the blade away from the cut so that no white is showing. I could have gotten one long print at Wallys (that would be WalMart) but decided that gluing that beast down would be difficult.

So - now more prints and more glue and eventually I will have Dolores' cliffs behind my scene. That wall is a little over 10 feet wide. Once I put some buildings in front and add some trees and bushes in front using foliage that matches the color on the print, the backdrop should fade away and hopefully fool the eye. Fun Then I do extensions down both side walls so the photo backdrop surrounds my scene.

Oh - the little bit of white on the right edge is the foam core un trimmed to join up with the next piece of 19" by 40" board.