Fun Camera Trick: Tilt Shift Miniature Fake

There is a new Digital photography trick I have been playing with that, so far, has been more enjoyable than HDR. People with expensive cameras can buy a camera lens called a "tilt shift" lens which will blur portions of the image. Based upon that idea, people have gone into Photoshop (or if you are cheap like me, GIMP) and add blur to a normal photo. What happens is that when you look at a photo that has a blurred foreground and background, but a clear subject in the middle, an optical illusion occurs that tricks your mind into thinking you are looking at something small, such as a toy. First, we will look at some samples I have created and then we'll check out some of the best ones I have ever seen.

Here's mine: (click on the thumbnails to enlarge.)



Picture 1 is of the Duquesne Incline. My first try might be my best to date, as this photo got 170+ hits in a week. One person commented it looks like something from Mr. Rogers. Pic 2 is from Baltimore and was a boring picture of some Inner Harbor Yachts, but they do look like toys. Pic 3, also in taken from the Baltimore World Trade Center is of the Power-Plant-converted-to-a-tourist-trap. Of note here, I un-blurred the top of the center smokestacks and Hard Rock Cafe Guitar Sign. Pic 4 uses a similar effect from #3 of a church in Pittsburgh.

Now, here are some of the best ones from people that actually know what they're doing: (from the online Flickr photo community)

mini multnomah falls
Originally uploaded by pforbinesque.

Construction site miniature
Originally uploaded by asthmatic.

These construction vehicles really look like toys.

Fenway Tilt-Shift Collabo
Originally uploaded by girlzone41.

Home of the Boston Red Sox

minitower
Originally uploaded by plaggenplei.

The BMW building in Munich

Fake Tyne Bridge
Originally uploaded by duality.

Want to see more? Look Here.
Are you comfortable using GIMP and want to try it on your own? Here's how.