For the big 3d hand crafted maps I used to get a photographer friend to shoot them with his Nikon D70, with just one light source so that the cast shadows from hills and mountains are more authentic. Although... if a planet was in a binary star system, I guess setting up two lights, near each other, would be correct.

I now have a D70 SLR digital camera and have tried my own photography, but my lighting system indoors is inadequate so I shoot outside in the early evening, around 7pm in the summer, to get a natural, warm light.

Once I get the map into Photoshop I clean up any errors in the painting process (I use acrylics), tweak rivers, and whatnot.

I think the next time I do one of these sculpted maps I will photograph all the steps and materials and post it here someplace to show how I do it. producing them is one of my favorite creative endeavors and I hope I get some more assignments for them soon.

Thanks everybody for the kind words and welcome.

I've contact my friend at The Geek Gazette to check this site out for a potential article. Check them out at: http://geekgazette.tripod.com/ ... drop them a line and tell them Will sent you.