Tag Archives: Model

May5

I’m a model! -or- A photoshoot at a Climbing Gym

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Thursday, 18-Apr-2024


I’ve always liked taking photos. I love the opportunity to share things with people (my folks raised me well, I guess), and photography is the closest I can come to sharing the amazing experiences that I have with others.

That being said, it’s hard to share the experience of rock climbing with people. The movement, the delicate strength, the height and pattern and the entire feel of the act. How secure a tenuous hold can be in the moment, and how impactful the subtle differences in the holds can be.

I also lack photos of myself. Being behind the camera doesn’t lend itself to being in front of the camera, unsurprisingly, so I’m not often the subject of photos. Which isn’t that bad, but it does make me a little sad that I don’t get to see how I look on the walls.


Thankfully, I met an amateur sports photographer who climbs at my gym.


We scheduled a time, missed the time, rescheduled a different time, and made it happen! For four or five hours Bri and I climbed. Moving slowly, making clear movements, and then pausing regularly to allow Antonio (the photographer) to reposition. It was exhausting! We got a great workout in AND got a metric ton of photos – a few thousand, from what I heard near the end.

A week to curate and edit, and soon enough I was sitting at the gym with my laptop open, looking at a full 81 amazing photos.

Of those 81, I’ve curated them down again to my absolute favorites… so please! Sit back and enjoy a few pictures of me enjoying my favorite hobby!



If you’re curious, or even if you’re not, you should definitely check out Antonio’s instagram page – He’s breaking into sports photography and portraits, but is already an amazing astrophotographer!
https://www.instagram.com/lunamic_virtus/

Aug20

I painted a Knight (mech)!

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May, June, and July – 2023


I painted a Warhammer miniature!

It’s been years since I’ve put together a miniature like this… and for years, I’ve wanted to put together one of the new line of mechs that Games Workshop’s made. They’re cool, they’ve got lots of guns, and they look like they stepped right out of one of the video games I played as a pre-teen and teenager.

Now… I know they’re hard to paint right, and assembly isn’t simple either, so I took my time. I mean, I took my time choosing to buy one in the first place, didn’t I? But hey – right time and right place… when I saw that a new game shop had opened in town, I figured this’d be a great way to support a local shop AND get started on something I’ve been wanting to try!


I took my time. I watched a few youtube videos from one of the guys who paints the model on the box. I picked out colors, and reviewed what I should do in what order. I bought paints, brushes, and even 3D printed up a new base for it to match the vision I had in mind.

Then, I started in.

It started with dissassembling the big bits and pieces from the plastic sprues, and assembling the basic main subsections. For paint, Priming came first – spray painting it all before applying the main layer.



From there, I did the base coat – a rough silvery metal coloration, followed by some golden / bronze highlights. Then an oily wash, to give it a working and “real life” feel; something that was well maintained, but still walks around a battlefield… instead of something straight from a museum.

I also painted the details of the pilot – small and intricate, but that’s why I was taking my time (three months… seriously!), and using a very small brush.



With the base paint set up, came the armor panels. I painted it bone white, from the Deathwing group of the Dark Angels chapter… Space Marines, instead of Imperial Knights (Warhammer 40k stuff), but they’re the faction I used to play, and I wasn’t planning on ever gaming with this, so… I can do what I want!



With the armor painted, and the highlights completed, all that was left was the final assembly of the Knight and the baseplate it would live on. Carefully applied glue, some aged wreckage, and a small mech model that an old friend had gifted me were all applied, alongside some small trees and grass bought from another nearby hobby store.

I can’t express how proud I am of this. How thankful I am to those who taught me the skill (and patience!) to paint something this intricate… and how excited I am to finally have it ready for display!