Using old DSLR's for Miniature Photography: Nikon D7000

Hess Poison Breath.

In this hobby, we tend to focus on building and painting models and spend considerably less time photographing our creations, aside from taking some quick photos with our cell phones. Over the last few years I have been trying to change this and have been making a concerted effort to improve as a photographer. I started this journey with a mirrorless camera (Fujifilm XT4), but last year, after being gifted some single-lens reflex (SLR) film cameras from my grandfather, I was inspired to learn more about the process and leverage it to better document my hobby journey. This pushed me to explore the analog world of film photography and recently to print some of my photography. 

Dragged into Turbolasers 115: Talking to Redwetskeleton about daemons and the Vastarian Inq28 event.

Herald of the Child Inverted: The Paramour

We chat with Eli about our Vastarian Inq28 and the incredible daemons he created for the climax of the event. All hail the Child Inverted.

Vastarian: A suffocating darkness

Eli standing next to his horrifying creation, the Child Inverted.

Last November we held an Inq28 event with Bill Ford: Vastarian - Dreams of the Pious. The setting revolves around the cathedral world of Vastarian, which is home to hundreds of disparate Imperial religious sects, each venerating the God-Emperor of Mankind in their own unique way. The opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum, a great tear in the fabric of the Milky Way Galaxy, has resulted in a psychic awakening across the populace of Vastarian. Each religious sect on the planet now believes that they alone were blessed with a psychic emissary touched by the Emperor himself. The tenuous peace on Vastarian has now devolved to bloodshed and persecution. During this psychic turmoil, the Astronomican, the purifying radiance of the Emperor, plummeted as if it were a tallow candle guttering in a tumultuous wind. It was in dreams that panic spread, a euphoric terror spawned from an encroaching darkness–a presence that seeping in from the margins, dripping from the stars as if they were untethering from reality. This darkness was later attributed to the manifestation of a daemonic presence on Vastarian, the Child Inverted. These daemons were made in secret by Eli (redwetskeleton) and only revealed on the final day of the event, when the lighthouse was activated!

Printing my miniature photography

A print of one of my Vastarian photos on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Matt Baryta paper.

Over the last few years, I have become increasingly more interested in photography. Last year, after being gifted some film cameras from my grandfather, I was really energized to try to push myself to become better at the craft. Learning to work with the limitations of film excited and encouraged me to focus more closely on my photography, which I tried to put to good use for the Vastarian Inq28 event last November. Working with an analog medium like film got me thinking more about how photography is so often viewed digitally, on phone screens and monitors, rather than in prints like I remember from my youth. This led me to consider getting a photo printer, to take some of the digital and film images I have taken and translate them into physical media, something larger than the tiny phone screen that I use to mindlessly scroll through Instagram. After doing some research, I quickly realized, like so many things, photo/art printing is a complex affair, one that could be a hobby in of itself. Despite this, after watching some videos by Keith Cooper, I decided on starting my printing journey with an Epson EcoTank ET-8550 printer. 

28 Collected Kickstarter: Trench Crusade Combat Biologist

Variants Of Concern.

28, in conjunction with Dave Taylor Miniatures, is running a Kickstater campaign to publish a physical version of 28 magazine, collecting many excellent articles from the past 6 issues of the digital magazine! The Kickstarter is only running for a few more days, but has exceeded its funding goal and unlocked a host of fun stretch goals. One of the unlocked stretch goals is providing every backer with an STL file to 3D print a miniature for Trench Crusade! The miniature, a Combat Biologist, was sculpted by 28’s very own James Sherriff! We were fortunate to get a copy of the model and did some minor conversion work on it. We hope to paint it soon. We encourage everyone to look at the Kickstarter and consider getting a copy before the campaign ends next week!

28 Collected Kickstarter!

We are excited to say that 28, in conjunction with Dave Taylor Miniatures, just started a Kickstater campaign to publish a physical version of 28 magazine, collecting many excellent articles from the past 6 issues of the digital magazine! Since the first issue was released in 2018, people have been asking for a printed version of the magazine, so we are happy that this is finally becoming a reality. The three of us have been involved with 28 since its inception, where we have been editors and writers. The printed volume will be a 320-page, hardback book, with almost 50 different articles. One of these articles was written by the three of us, talking about our Vastarian: Dreams of the Pious open invitational! We encourage everyone to look at the Kickstarter and consider getting a copy!

2024, a year in review!

With 2025 upon us, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on 2024 and what we accomplished on the blog, before moving ahead with new projects. The blog has now completed twelve full years! Throughout 2024, we were able to maintain regular blog posts while also continuing our podcast, and weekly Twitch streaming. With this post we wanted to look at our most popular posts of the year, while also highlighting our favorite episodes of the podcast.

Dragged into Turbolasers 114: Chatting with Dave Taylor about the hobby and the Vastarian Inq28 event.

The Cult of the Lightbringer arrive in Ravachol.

We chat with Dave Taylor, of Dave Taylor Miniatures, about his time with Games Workshop and how that led him starting his production studio. We also talk with him about his experience at the Vastarian Inq28 event in Houston Texas.

32 - Episode 23: 28 Collected

28 is finally going to have a physical form!

The team discusses 28, how the magazine was started, the ups and downs it has experienced and its future. We also talk about the upcoming book, 28 Collected, and why we are finally making a physical product.