I think that I agree with Shep Paine and others who beleive that shadow boxes are probably the highest expression of what we do as modelers.
Soo,out of curiosity I punched in shadow boxes on the
www.It seems that the term shadow box has descended into becoming just about anything that is put into a box and recessed.I have seen pictures recessed into a frame by an inch or so and called shadow boxes.Now take a look at Sheps work ,no comparision right?
At a minimum ,I beleive that a shadow box must have its own lighting system either natural or electrical.While shadow boxes work best in an enclosed setting there is still lots of creative possibilities.Think about aircraft in museums,workshops,being maintained or painted,sitting gear up on jacks or having there guns zeroed or one I always liked, being photoghaphed.Or even with no figures at all, other than indirect signs of human activity, be it oily footprints across a hangar floor or yellow stains in the snow.The idea is to let the imagination run wild.This is your little world that you are creating,so anything goes as long as it pleases you.
How about scenes where only a portion of an aircraft is showing such as an engine being worked on in a makeshift tent or temporary structure like they use in the arctic.
Forced perspective is also something to seriously consider.Here again Sheps book leads the way.Take a look at the " We will always have Paris" diorama by Nick Infield.Think of the possibilities using varitions on that theme.Outdoor night dioramas also offer a lot of creative ideas.Have fun. Cheers! John.