Amazing model photograph

This topic has 11 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 5 days, 9 hours ago by Tim Cooper.

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6 October 2026 at 20:59 #129064
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
The text of this did not load, so here it is again. I posted a picture of this model made by myself in my Facebook group, and a few days later, another member posted what was apparently a real photograph of the actual ship at sea. I was completely fooled, he had processed if with AI, and this is the result. I could scarcely believe that I had built it – amazing!
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6 October 2026 at 21:50 #129065
ashley needham
Participant
@ashleyneedham69188
This AI stuff can be very good Bob..but..no funnel smoke?? These pictures are never QUITE right…but in a few years time…

Ashley
6 October 2026 at 22:27 #129068
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
Still nice to see though. There are a lot of very interesting AI generated marine videos on Oceanliner Designs on Youtube.

Also a graphic illustration of the collision between the liner Olympic and the Cruiser HMS Hawke in the Solent. Very well done.

Colin
6 October 2026 at 23:22 #129071
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
Mulberra, was a steamship, but normally, did not smoke apart from a few minutes every four hours when they “blew their tubes” for a few minutes, to clear the soot build up. Here is my old ship SS Reina del Mar leaving Cape Town –
6 October 2026 at 23:37 #129072
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
That was an impressive example of AI collision between Olympic and Hawke! Here is my old ship SA Oranje, passing at speed (22.5 knots) with virtually no smoke coming out.
7 October 2026 at 22:47 #129074
Richard Simpson
Moderator
@richardsimpson88330
Digging around this picture came up showing the Mulbera at speed. I must admit that, being built in 1922 and, at that time almost certainly burning coal in her boilers, I would have expected to see a bit more from her funnel.

As she was in service until 1954 it does make me wonder whether she might have been converted to burn oil, which would certainly give her cleaner combustion.

SA Oranje definitely was an oil burning ship so, to be expected would have a noticeably cleaner exhaust.
8 October 2026 at 09:27 #129080
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
All the 7 steamers that I sailed in were oil burners, and generally only produced smoke if they wanted to (blowing tubes or impressing people when we sailed). I have no idea if Mulberra was converted to oil, but your photograph shows that lack of smoke was fairly normal, as in the AI version of my model. But in any case, Adding smoke is easy enough just using Photoshop. Here is another of my old ships, SA Vaal, leaving Southampton, and “showing off” with a bit of smoke for the watching crowds!
8 October 2026 at 16:37 #129088
Richard Simpson
Moderator
@richardsimpson88330
It was definitely more normal for coal burning steam ships to produce at least a noticeable amount of smoke under most operating conditions. Especially as far back as 1922 when there was no such thing as forced draft fans to assist combustion.

By coincidence I have just received an old and faded photograph back from a friend who had it reconditioned by AI for me. The overall picture is stunning but it does make me smile to see those give away faults that only AI seems to be able to create. My ship is sat in a dock with a strong and clear reflection on the water. The ships name and port of registry in the reflection is spelt incorrectly! I also notice that the Mulbera picture has the ship’s name Mulberra, whereas most reference material on line quote the ship’s name as Mulbera. I’m sure that AI is improving at an alarming pace but those tell tale signs still seem to be there at the moment.
8 October 2026 at 19:12 #129104
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
The mistake in the name Mulbera was mine! When I posted the image on Facebook, I inadvertently added an R, but on the model itself, the name was correct. I built it quite a number of years ago, and had simply forgotten the correct spelling!
8 October 2026 at 23:16 #129108
Richard Simpson
Moderator
@richardsimpson88330
Ah, so not an AI error! I’m sure it is getting more accurate at an alarming pace. My own picture looks superb and it has even filled in areas that were hardly visible on the original. Just a shame it spelt the reflection wrong. I suspect I will only ever be the one who notices it, but I know it will bug me.
9 October 2026 at 09:00 #129118
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
I find it amazing that they tilted my model away from the camera to make it sit in the sea correctly. Once, photographs could not lie – now they do it all the time!
9 October 2026 at 10:50 #129119
Tim Cooper
Participant
@timcooper90034
Bob

Looking at photos of myself I sometimes think perhaps they need to be run through AI. To remove the back stoop and the face wrinkles! But then no-one would recognise me!

Tim
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