Just about any camera will do if all you need is a snapshot of your model. You can use a 35 mm camera, a disc camera, or a 110 cartridge film camera. Use color print or slide film, or if you like to do your own developing and printing, black and white film.

If you want more than a snapshot, use a 35 mm camera with a good lens. The best results are obtained when using a lens with a macro focus feature, or close-up supplementary lenses attached to the regular lens on your camera.

Load your camera with film. If you want large prints (over 5 by 7 inches), use a relatively low ISO speed film. A 100 or 200 ISO speed is ideal. The film is sensitive enough for general picture-taking, even in shade, yet the film isn’t too grainy when blown up to large print sizes.

Take your model (along with the background, base, stand, or diorama) outside. If the day is overcast, you can place the model out in the open on a table or stand. If you are shooting the model alone (with perhaps a wood or plastic base), lay a light-colored covering over the table or other work area. The covering acts as a backdrop for the model and makes the picture look better. You can use fabric, colored art paper, construction paper, or whatever. Be sure that the backdrop is larger than the model.

If the sun is out, find a shaded area. For example, go under a window awning or open the garage door and position yourself under the door. Try to avoid direct sunlight and partial shade. If you are in only partial shade, like under a tree, your picture may not come out right.

Place the camera on a tripod, if you have one. Using a tripod makes photographing your model much easier. Get very close to the model and focus the camera. If you are using a zoom lens with a macro, go to the macro setting for focusing. If you are using supplementary close-up lenses on your regular picture-taking lens, attach the lens and then focus. Move the camera closer to or farther away from the model to get the picture you want. Remember: If it doesn’t look focused in the viewfinder, it won’t be in focus in the picture.

Most 35 mm cameras have a built-in exposure meter. Use the meter to determine the proper exposure for your model picture. if you are using a tripod, you can use a slow shutter speed--down to about 1/8 or 1/4 of a second. Use a shutter release cable to snap the picture and be sure the camera doesn’t move when the shutter is open. If you are holding the camera in your hands as you take the picture, don’t use a shutter speed slower than 1/30 of a second. The picture may blur if you use slow shutter speeds.

When taking pictures up close, only a small portion of the scene will be in focus. The so-called "depth of field" will be very narrow, so even though you may focus on one portion of your model, the rest of your model--which is farther away from the camera--may be out of focus.

You can increase the depth of field by adjusting the aperture (or f/stop) of the camera. The larger the f/stop number, the smaller the aperture. With a small aperture, you increase the depth of field, so more of your picture is in focus. Always try an f/stop of f/8 or higher when taking close-up pictures of your models. Adjust the shutter speed as indicated by the exposure meter to compensate for the smaller aperture.

You can largely eliminate depth-of-field problems by better positioning of the model and the camera. Avoid shots where the camera is very low and where one part of the model is much closer to the camera than the other parts. When taking a picture of your model plan on a runway base, for example, position the camera high up. Pick a spot in the center of the model to focus on. Try a number of different positions just in case the first picture doesn’t come out.

Even though you may be taking the pictures with the help of a built-in exposure meter, some pictures may turn out too light or too dark. Try a shot at the exposure indicated by the meter. Then try two more shots one f/stop or shutter speed setting higher and lower than recommended.

As with model building, getting good at photographing your hard work takes time and experience, too. Try a roll and see how it turns out. Keep a logbook and write down the settings you made for each picture. Compare your results with the prints or slides you get back.

The most important consideration is that everything in the diorama must be to scale. If you are using parts from other models, be sure those parts are the same scale as the main model. You lose realism when many scales are used in one diorama.

Follow the same procedure when using a poster. The picture on the poster can be as simple as a cloudy sky (good for airplane displays) or it can be a busy city street. The scale of the picture on the poster can be just about anything, as long as it isn’t larger than the scale of the model. When the scale is smaller, it just looks as if the background is further away.

If you are taking the picture for the background, by sure to hold the camera steady and focus the lens properly. Use a slow ISO film (under 200 ISO) to minimize the grainy appearance of faster films. A good rule of thumb is that if the picture looks fuzzy or grainy in the regular 3- by 5-inch size, it will look much worse when blown up. Most neighborhood photo finishing stores will enlarge color slides and negatives for you. The cost is usually under $5 to $7.

Use a piece of artboard or cardboard as the base for your model (you can also use wood). Plain white, untextured artboard is perfect for the job. Get a piece a little larger than the model. The base can be cut square or any shape you like. Don’t make it too large, or you’ll have trouble finding a spot for it in your room!

Let’s assume you are painting a runway for your F-18 fighter jet. You want the markings on the runway to be in scale, so you have to do a little bit of computing. Testor F-18 Hornet is 1/72 scale, so every inch on the model represents 72 inches on the real prototype. Many runways are made of concrete that has been poured in 15- or 20-foot squares. You can see the joining lines in the concrete if you look at the runway from overhead.

Assume that each square is 20 feet by 20 feet. At 1/72 scale, the squares should be 3.3 by 3.3 inches. Here is how we came up with these figures: Take the size of the real-life prototype, and if it is in feet, multiply by 12 to get inches. Divide the number of inches by 72. Twenty feet times 12 is 240 inches; 240 inches divided by 72 is 3.33 inches.

But before you draw the lines for the squares, prepare the runway so it looks like concrete. You can simulate concrete color with light gray paint (you may want to mix some tan in there, too). Spray the entire piece of artboard and let it dry. If you look at concrete--whether it is on a road, building, or runway--you’ll notice that is has many shades. Use the dry brush technique with the special mixture of gray paint mixed with a little brown. use this mixture to make the dark areas.

The darkness is pronounced around the joining lines between each concrete square. With a pencil, mark the squares about 33/8 inches apart. use a ruler or other straight edge to insure a straight line. Go over the lines with the mixed gray/brown paint. After the paint is dry, use your pencil to draw the concrete lines once again. Go over them with a felt-tip pen.

You can now secure the plane to the artboard. Glue or epoxy may not sufficiently hold the model. For an extra-strong bond, wire the wheels of the plane to the artboard. Here’s how: Push a thin piece of black wire through the artboard. Wrap the wire around the wheels of the plane, then push the wire against the wheels to help hide it. If the wire shows too much, try it again.

You can also mount action figures and other models to the base, as long as they are to scale. For example, you could add a 1/72-scale fuel truck along with a few 1/72-scale action figures for a pilot and ground crew.

Plastic is available at plastic specialty stores and plastic fabricators (look in the Yellow Pages under "Plastic"). You can buy plastic sheets in a variety of sizes and colors. Most stores have a scrap pile that may have the exact piece you are looking for. The price for most small scrap pieces, suitable for use as model stands, is under $2.

For the ultimate in plastic stands, get a large acrylic block--something on the order of one or two inches think. Get the people at the plastic store or fabricator to cut the block to size and burnish (smooth) the edges. The block is now ready for use as a stand.

Working with plastic is only slightly harder than working with wood. Plastic can crack and break, so always use sharp, fine-tooth saws. A hacksaw or coping saw with a metal working blade can be used on acrylic plastic sheet. Work slowly. After you have cut the stand to size, use fine-grit wet/dry sandpaper to smooth the edges. You can use the paper wet or dry.

After the plastic piece has been cut to size and sanded, you can mount the model on it. Use white glue or 5-minute epoxy, as you did with the wood stand. Don’t use model cement to glue the model to the plastic. Modeling cement will not work with acrylic plastic.

If the plastic is not already colored, you can paint it any color you desire. Testor spray paints cover acrylic plastic in one coat. By spraying on the underside of the plastic piece (the side opposite the model), you will get a brilliant, glossy look on the top side, even if you use a flat finish paint. Spraying on the top yields the finish of the paint you are using. Use stick on rubber pads, available at hardware stores, to lift the base off ground level.

The piece should be about the same size as the model or perhaps a little larger. If you are displaying an airplane, you can make the stand long and thin. Mount the plan lengthwise on the stand. Dimensions for some common models. Cut the wood to the desired size with a hand saw, or if you know how, with a power saw. Be certain you observe all safety precautions when handling woodworking tools, or you may be hurt.

After cutting, smooth the surfaces and edges of the stand. Use a medium-grit sandpaper and work the wood until it is as smooth as possible. Remove the wood dust with a tax cloth (available at hardware stores). Stain the wood if you want it darker. Wipe-on stain is the easiest to use and dries quickly. Whether or not you apply stain, you should brush or spray on a protective coat. You can use Testor Dullcote for a satin luster finish or Glosscoat for a shiny, glossy finish.

Permanently attach the model, if you wish, to the stand with white glue, or better yet, with 5-minute epoxy. Mix the epoxy as recommended; then dab a little on the bottom of the model. If mounting an airplane model, dab small amounts of epoxy or glue under the wheels. If you apply too much, and the epoxy or glue oozes out from under the wheels, wipe it up quickly. Even after the adhesive is set, the model will come off the base if you handle it roughly.

Your special models can be mounted on wood and plastic stands. You can handle the model more easily when it is on the stand, and the model is less likely to fall over and break. If you have added action figures and other elements around the model, you’ll want to use a stand to keep everything together.

There are many types of displays, from simple to sophisticated. Here in this section, we’ll show you how to display your models on wood and plastic bases, how to create interesting and unique backgrounds with easy-to-find art materials, and more.