One of the coolest parts of model train photography and videography is making the miniature world look full sized. Sometimes it just takes the right angle like placing the camera at rail height, or shooting from an aerial drone style view.
What are your favorite techniques for dramatic, realistic shots?
Do you use tripods, sliders, tiny action cams, or even your smartphone creatively?
Ever built a custom rig to get into hard-to-reach places?
I’ve definitely found that shooting from rail height completely transforms the realism — suddenly the trains look massive and the layout feels like a real landscape. I usually use my smartphone with a small flexible tripod so I can get really low or wrap it onto things for unique angles.
I’ve also played around with a GoPro on a flatcar to capture “cab ride” videos — it’s so fun seeing the layout from the train’s perspective! As for lighting, I’ve learned that even a small desk lamp can make a huge difference when positioned just right to mimic sunlight or create dramatic shadows.
Would love to hear if anyone’s built a custom slider or rig — that’s on my project list!
