Zack Walkter

Michael Paul Smith The town of Elgin Park is a bit like a time capsule. With streets packed side-to-side with vintage cars and neon signs blazing across every storefront, it feels as though it was plucked right out of 1950s Americana. And that’s exactly what Elgin Park is meant to be! The chief architect of the town, Michael Paul Smith, was inspired to build the entire thing—all 15 buildings—himself, as an ode to a simpler time. He only intended for the town to be his own pet project; however, now it’s caught the attention of others who are interested in what he’s doing. So, how exactly does one man build an entire 1950s-inspired town from scratch? Well, take a closer look and you’ll see that there’s more to this town than meets the eye… The town he photographs is quaint and beautiful. Michael Paul Smith It's like each picture tells a story of how life used to be in the United States. 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 But, as it turns out, also not real. Michael Paul Smith Michael builds custom miniature models and sets, meticulously crafting every detail. Michael Paul Smith Then, the 60 year-old photographer creates the hyper-realistic images. Michael Paul Smith If you didn't know any better, you might think these are vintage photos of a town from a few decades ago... Michael Paul Smith And NOT the extremely small models this man built. Michael Paul Smith He started building these models as an exercise. He wanted to practice his craft and also photography. Michael Paul Smith He never imagined it would be a "dream-like reconstruction" of the town he grew up in. Michael Paul Smith To Michael, this is what quintessential America looked like when he was a kid. Michael Paul Smith It is absolutely beautiful. Michael Paul Smith If "Elgin Park" were a real town, I would love to live there. Michael Paul Smith He 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 Then, he uses the surrounding scenery to make the backgrounds for the photos. Michael Paul Smith The perspective has to be JUST right... Michael Paul Smith Michael Paul Smith Michael Paul Smith Usually the resulting photos are completely convincing. Michael Paul Smith Even when you know what's going on behind the scenes. Michael Paul Smith It's all an illusion. Michael Paul Smith But Michael is able to make an incredibly convincing one. Michael Paul Smith Michael Paul Smith His selfies aren't part of the official photo series, but I think they just add to the charm of his work. Michael Paul Smith Michael Paul Smith Michael Paul Smith In truth, Michael’s creation is actually a lot smaller than the photos may suggest… Credits: hypertomb Share this story on Facebook with your friends.