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 “kreekrak” 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.