60-year-old Michael Paul Smith has spent countless hours photographing one quaint town. There’s something about the place that always drew him to it. The images he took are simple but stunning, capturing the glow of a small-town charm.
The town looks quaint and beautiful.
Michael Paul Smith
Each picture tells a story of how life used to be in the United States.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
There’s not much going on in these pictures, but it’s obvious that this town is nothing but charm.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
But, as it turns out, also not real.
Michael Paul Smith
The town is nothing more than custom miniature models and sets which Michael builds himself, crafting every detail meticulously.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
Then he creates the hyper-realistic images that’ll make you think these are vintage photos of a town from a few decades ago.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
Michael started building these models as an exercise to practice his craft and his photography.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
But he never imagined it would be a “dream-like reconstruction” of the town he grew up in.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
To him, this is what quintessential America looked like when he was a kid.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael creates the scenes by setting up Danbury Mint and Franklin Mint die cast autos and trucks in front of his models on card tables.
Michael Paul Smith
He then uses the surrounding scenery for the photos’ backgrounds.
Michael Paul Smith
“The perspective has to be JUST right…”
Michael Paul Smith
Even after you know what’s really going on behind the scenes.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
The resulting photos are still pretty convincing.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
It may just be an illusion, but Michael sure made it an incredibly convincing one.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
If “Elgin Park” were a real town, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of you would want to live there.
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
Michael Paul Smith
Credit: Michael Paul Smith