Playing with Helicon Focus

I should work on the layout instead of playing with my camera, however here is what I got for today. It's another Helicon Focus great depth-of-field picture. The following photo is made of roughly 20 image files, each with a different focal point which Helicon Focus software combined together.

For comparison, here is the same shot only done with autofocus - again you can see how both the foreground and background details are out of focus, like the Tunnel Motor nose and the tunnel portal.

Tunnel Motor (Intermountain SD40T-2)

A manifest train from Los Angeles is seen climbing the grade along the Pacific Coast.

Helicon Focus and depth-of-field

Today I tried out the famous Helicon Focus software. It's a great tool that takes several images with different focal points and combine them in a single image with a great depth of field.
It's a very helpful tool in model railroad photos, since we can't have enough depth of field when taking close up photos, even with good cameras. Here is my first attempt with the software:

And this is just one of the several images given to Helicon Focus; notice how the background and foreground details are out of focus, compared to the processed image above - this image has the leading engine nose as a focal point.

Helicon Focus is a bit pricey, but it's very easy to use.

Telephone poles

A north american railroad doesn't truly looks like it, if it doesn't have telephone poles along the mainline. After trying scratchbuilding the poles, I opted for a quicker yet good looking solution: Atlas N scale poles.
My friend Enzo Fortuna gave me a set of poles he ordered in USA some time ago - thanks Enzo! Here is how I painted and installed them on my layout.

First I placed all the poles on a scrap piece of foam board and put it in my paint booth.

Next I scratched the pole mast with a file to make it look more like wood.

Then I airbrushed the poles with a wash of diluted Floquil Grimy Black to dull the plastic shine and give the poles a base paint.

Then I used some acrylics paints and brushed a wash of grey over the poles.

Here is a close up of a pole, with insulators painted green.

And finally, here is how they look on the layout