Murtaza Bukhari - Geektastic Trek

A Creative Activity

This creative hobby, which I began during the COVID-19 pandemic, is something I still enjoy today. It serves as a cathartic outlet, allowing me to channel my thoughts and release any latent feelings through visual imagery. I’ve found that this practice not only helps me maintain mental clarity but also provides balance alongside physical exercise. Even now, it continues to be a meaningful way to break up the monotony of daily life, offering me a personal space to express myself and connect with something deeply tied to my identity.

Little ships, big dreams. 3D scale print by Gameprint

Miniature Delights

Dioramas are 3 dimensional display of objects that are enclosed within an environment. The word itself means "Through that which is seen" and was first developed in Paris, France by Louis Daguerre and Charles Marie Bouton.

Building these dioramas primarily requires the use of miniaturized scale models. These models are representative of objects that are at 1:1, true to life sizes. The miniature objects can be relative in size compared to their full scale counterparts. There are many scaling sizes and this site would give a better explanation of them. Suffice to say that the models I've used within the scenes are anywhere between 1:12 to 1:64 scale ratio.

The environments of dioramas are endless as they can be created in any format. Environments can range from landscapes, to interstellar space. They can be displayed within a historical context or fantasy. Whatever the diorama maybe, users can opt on a method to how they create them. Some select traditional methods, where physical sets are exclusively created. Others go for non-traditional, mixed medium format. I chose to pursue the latter of the two when it came to arranging my diorama compositions. Blending physical models with digital.

'Vesta Class' by Mark Rademaker - Art Commission by Jetfreak

Fandom Discussions

This page is meant to inspire those who may not yet feel confident in exploring their own creativity and to encourage anyone without a hobby to seek one out. I personally found renewed motivation to continue my own hobby after a conversation with a digital designer I deeply admire, Mark Rademaker.

In 2010 Mark Rademaker designed a starship for the Star Trek: Ship of the Line calendar, which later became the protagonist’s vessel in a novel series—one of my favorite designs in fiction. We’re part of a group with a shared passion for starship aesthetics, and while our conversations have been brief due to his busy schedule, they’ve always been insightful. When I shared some of my early works with him, he appreciated their authenticity and purity. He reflected on how, in his professional life, everything he creates is now so polished and engineered that “one forgets to dream.” That moment was humbling and a powerful reminder to stay connected to the creative process.

Design within Constraints

When comes to working on my diorama as a cathartic exercise, I purposely limited myself to what I had on hand. As a UX/UI designer, I have a lot creative software tools at my disposal. I could have used Adobe Creative Suites for more dynamic results, but that was not my intention. I wanted my exercise to be bursts of creative thought. Whatever I was reflecting on, was to be done in a more rapid motion. And so on average, each picture I worked on took anywhere between twenty minutes, to an hour. The only thing that had no limits, was that of my imagination. Each picture was as unique as the next one. The following paragraphs outlines on the constraints I worked with.

For photography, the only camera available is the one on my smartphone. Subsequently any of the selected shots would only utilize the preinstalled picture editing tools . Smartphones generally don't carry the same amount of robust editing tools as seen on Adobe. That being said, the average smartphone does carry enough features to execute my needs.

Prefabricated models were used within each composition. While I am skilled in the abilities of building models, it takes a great deal of time and space to construct them. Not to mention there is a hefty expense involved too. A price some would gladly pay for. Fortunately, there are companies out there like Eaglemoss Collections who have superb models that detailed for displaying purposes.

My bedroom bookshelf is the primary space I use to take majority of the photographs. I do not own any photo studio equipment, not even a miniature tripod. Only steady hands and foam blocks of varying heights served to position the models at different X / Y axis points.

Lighting was at the mercy of daylight and so I never worked past early evening. I have pillows to serve as diffusers to minimize any over exposures.

After all the photos are sifted through and selected, the time comes to editing my work. To maximize the touch screen sensitivity, I employed the stippling technique. This technique is where individuals dots form to make larger images. They can be in different sizes to generate shading or texture. Adaptable in all forms of medium, this technique lent itself well to the subject matter. In my personal opinion, if I ever allotted more time to perfect this technique, some effects would definitely come out much better.

With those constraints in place, the next section will highlight some of my favorite diorama compositions.

Model Arrangement. Eaglemoss (R,L) Gameprint (M)

Model Arrangement 2. Bandai

'Wagon Trains to the Stars'

The photos seen below are inspirations and homages to the universe of Star Trek. Tidy and contained, they harken to something more 'simpler', a display of photo "fingerpaintings". Perfection often gets in the way of atmosphere/mood. I for one wanted to savor my models within a diorama of their fictional universe. There may come a time where I will take on new techniques to compliment my collection. At present the rest of my work can be found on my instagram page, Geektastic Trek.

Thank you readers for taking the time to view this content. I hope that this serves as a catalyst to pursue a hobby of your desire.