Kwando's Collection Journal - Ferrari Update!

[Kwando]

Thanks everyone! I Agree it's a great combo.

[Gavin]

that color combo is perfect...love that it has silver rims, too. Beautiful!

[Kwando]

1:18 Hot Wheels Elite Ferrari F12 (Blue...for now)

Notes:
Small update; talk about a deal I couldn't say no to! Snapped this one up locally at a great price on ebay. Seller was kind enough to meet me in person so didn't have to pay for shipping. Amazing details on this model..I especially like the lightly coloured interior, which really makes the details pop. Not crazy about the dark blue paint (that can be changed!) but the finish is top notch!

[[KRAFTIG]]

Great addition, one of Hot Wheels Elite's best! Gosh I miss them!

[Kwando]

Indeed! Hopefully we'll be seeing more progress with Bburago's signature line.

[Gavin]

Great add. Love the F12 & this color combo is my favorite.

[AOS]

I recall you asking for how my setup looks. The basis is the same as any other: one large backdrop + one non-difffused light. My only beef I have with your photos is that I can clearly tell it's a piece of paper because of how the highlights and shadows are shaped on the board behind the car. One of my gripes of studio photography is when the backdrop gives itself away. This can be alleviated with a larger backdrop (with a large workspace) where the curve is more wider and more relaxed, so the differences you find in how the light bounces off of it become less noticeable.

The overall softness of lighting is not my particular cup of tea, but I do see that it adds a great level of detail to the subject matter. It doesn't strike the car or obscure anything with intense highlights, but at the same time, there is no strong shadows that hide anything either. That's one of the strengths and weaknesses of natural daylight in my opinion.

If you're inspired by some of my photos and want to try something similar, just note I shoot in complete darkness (aka at nighttime with no room lights) with only one single light source above and no reflectors. This results in strong highlights atop and strong shadows at the sides, creating a generous amount of contrast emphasizing the car's form. And if I angle the light bar, or if I light paint, I can create a sense of movement with the highlights. (I think) this is the key to my photos.

I hope this will be of use to you if you're still looking to step up the photo game.

Dennis I gotta go to grand and toy or an art store and invest in some posters.

Save your money. Dollarama's poster boards will suffice in quality... but unfortunately not in size, unless you're okay with revealing a hard-curved backdrop in your photos.

Or spend your money at Fabricland.

[StratosWRC]

Thanks for the tips. I got my posters at Michael's. They're like $1 each and pretty small. But if fabricland or dollarama have bigger ones, I'll try there.

[Kwando]

Thanks for the tips. I also got my background from dollarama since it was cheap. Will look at alternatives at some point I wish I had the space for something bigger!

[Kwando]

Long time no update! Last weekend I had quite a haul..I have lots of pictures but have yet to find time to post them but here's a group shot. Some of them I did not intend on buying but the price was too good to give up. Others were purchased for projects.

[[KRAFTIG]]

White F40, yum!!!!!!!!!!

[OLECO MOTORS]

I like what I see, especially F40 white!

[Kwando]

1:18 Hot Wheels Elite Ferrari F430 Spider (Red)

Notes:
I've been on the hunt for a Hot Wheels Elite Ferrari F430 Coupe for awhile but while I continue my hunt. This spider variant crossed my path! It looks gorgeous! While I have the BBR version I couldn't say no to it as it was local, its missing the rear badge, and the box was not in good condition. So I got it for a pretty good price. My favourite part about the model is it's stance and oversized wheels. I believe it's lower than it really should be but I think it looks perfect.
















1:18 Kyosho Ferrari 512 TR (Red)

Notes:
Another red prancing horse that's been on my wish list! I can't believe this was less than $100 when it first came out! Ah the good ol' days that are long, long, long gone. Luckily I found this one through another DS member. It has the dreaded paint issue but I've seen much worse. It displays fine and looks great on display. I much prefer the 512 TR over the Testarossa because it looks slightly more modern yet maintains the 80/90 flair.

[Kwando]

1:18 AGU Ferrari 458 LB Performance (White)

Notes:
One of the reasons why I love collecting is the thrill of the hunt. I had the opportunity to buy this one twice but I decided not to and patiently wait for the AUTOart version. My patience wained and I eventually accepted the fact that it wasn't coming but by then my opportunity to secure the AGU past. Knowing that I missed the boat on this one ate into me but alas this one now proudly sits in my display with my other white horses. The quality is similar to the GT Spirit 458 LB version but in this particular one, the decals are quite poor. Doesn't bother me much though. What does annoy me are those hideous stripes. I was also not a fan of the candy red rims but after looking at them in person it kind of works!










1:18 BBR Ferrari F430 Spider (White)

Notes:
This is an interesting one for me. Not only is this the most I ever paid for a model, it's far from perfect!! Sometimes don't make sense at all but we still do it. I definitely have a flawed sense of reason because I'm still very happy to have this one. It had slight paint rash in a few minor areas and for whatever reason the seats have turned white! The seller claims it turned colour over time but I have a hard time believing that. At some point I may summon the courage to repaint the seats but given the price I paid I don't want to touch it too much.

[Kwando]

1:18 GT Spirit Mercedes-Benz GLS63 AMG (White)

Notes:
I have a soft spot for performance SUVs of the german variety and this enormous people mover is no exception! I know Almost Real is coming out with this one with opening parts but I suspect it'll cost more than this one. One thing I like what GT Spirit is doing are tinted windows. Looks amazing!