Tilt-shift originate as a technique for controlling the point of focus of a photograph. By tilting the lense relative to the film what is and isn't in focus can be controlled.

One area where this technique is commonly used is in correcting what would otherwise appear irregular in photos of convergent parallel lines (train tracks, a tall building shot vertically, etc).

When applied in more regular circumstances it creates an optical illusion that the photograph is of a miniature, due to the altered depth of field.

(This is, in a vague way, why in movies that have sequences with model boats the water looks just plain wrong)

Tilt-shift can be applied either in camera or digitally, in post production. The post production method is quite easy and rather satisfying. If you want to know how to do it, PM me.

If you want to see more of Keith Loutit's work, here is his Vimeo and here is his website

as far as i know, he made this technique popular:


here's some of his stuff:

I do music for a primarily-visual medium, and even our editors and DPs hadn't heard of tilt-shift photography/editing until I told them a year ago. I've been trying to promote its use in a comedic way, but I guess the techniques haven't presented themselves as useful to them yet.

It is a strange disconnect, though, that causes the impression, and I suppose a learned one, based on having seen macro-photography?

I had just learned about this technique a few months ago, and I still find it quite fascinating to look at. I've always loved miniatures, so I find this really neat.

I don't have a lensbaby, but what I do is shoot at a really wide aperture (f/1.4 works nice, as does f/2) while I'm flying overhead in a plane. Then, simply focus to point of interest (which should be closer to you than everything else for the best effect, I've found), lock the focus and then simply re-compose the image.

The benefit to this is that you can get great shots without the need for a lensbaby, but this method requires you to be really high up in the sky--I kind of like the POV better than the simple forward-facing macro-looking shots. Try this next time you're on a hot air balloon ride.

Pretty much the whole effect is based on the back that 90% of the shots involving miniatures are shot with a macro lens at its widest aperture, hence the shallow DOF. The tilt-shift technique allows one to make the DOF incredibly narrow, so that one can essentially "scale up" a miniature to real life by scaling the DOF down.
We're just too used to seeing photos of miniatures taken a large aperture instead of at a tiny aperture with plenty of light/tripod+long shutter speed.

I want to learn this! It's amazing!

I bet I could do this with my G9.... Lock focus, recompose the shot.... Hmmmm...

Wasn't expecting anything great here, but wow! I can't get over how realistic it is... OK, realistic probably isn't the best word, but whatever...

I'm tired and this is messing with my head :O

Whenever I see pictures like this, I'm torn between really wanting to try it, and really wanting to keep the mystified feeling I have whenever I look at them.