River barge MTS ALIE-JAN model

River barge MTS ALIE-JAN model

Last year, I received a commission from the family owning the river barge MTS ALIE-JAN to craft a model of their ship. Although these type of ships aren't my typical subject matter, I embraced the project and the challenges it presented as a model builder. After delivering to satisfied clients, I decided to create another model for my scale model portfolio.

Vadim, my friend (and Patreon subscriber) Ernst, and I embarked on a road trip. By chance, we discovered that the sailing schedule of the real ALIE-JAN afforded us a brief window of opportunity to photograph both the ship and its miniature counterpart at the β€œkreekrak” locks in Zeeland, so we brought the model along for the ride.

As we battled mosquitoes and drizzling rain, we scouted the area and found a suitable spot just behind the locks. Now, all we had to do was wait for the lock doors to open! ALIE-JAN wasted no time and sped out of the lock. With only a few seconds available, my friend Ernst managed to capture a couple of shots that nicely encapsulated the moment.

Nevertheless, I relished the chance to see both my model and the real ship together for the first time and look forward to the next photo opportunity.