Tilt-shift photography is a photography trend that has become increasingly popular over recent years. If you've seen tilt shift photography before, you may have wondered how they made such life-like miniatures!
This is why tilt-shift photography fascinates people so much; You can turn real-life scenes into interesting miniatures. It's also called "miniature faking".
There are several ways to achieve impressive tilt-shift photography. This guide will explain what tilt-shift is and how to get the best results.
What is Tilt-Shift Photography?
Believe it or not, all cameras used to be tilt-shift cameras. In the 1800s, cameras typically allowed photographers to play with the tilt of the lens. But when the compact camera was introduced, it was seen as an unnecessary addition, so camera manufacturers did away with it.
Tilt–shift photography is achieved by experimenting with the camera movements. Photographers who use tilt-shift lenses experiment with the selective focus by using ‘tilt’.
Changing the selective focus can cause a scene to appear to be miniature. ‘Tilt’ is the rotation of the lens plane in relation to the image plane. When the lens is moved parallel to the image plane, this is called ‘shift’
The plane of focus is controlled by the ‘tilt’, causing the centre of the image to appear sharp, while the position of the subject or scene is adjusted using ‘shift’.
How to Capture Tilt-Shift Photography
As tilt-shift photography has become more popular, many photographers are trying to get their hands on tilt-shift lenses.
Tilt-shift lenses are also called perspective control lenses and they are a must-have if you want to achieve the tilt-shift effect optically.
Tilt-shift lenses give a close-up focus of the subject, with the background blurry. These lenses work by simulating a shallow depth of field, making you think the image was captured with a macro lens.
You really cannot beat the effect when it’s achieved using a specially designed lens. But there are ways to try your hand at tilt-shift photography using post-production programs like Photoshop.
Using post-production programs, you can choose a photo and make it look like it was captured using a tilt-shift lens.
After deciding on your point of focus, you apply blur to the foreground and background and up the saturation. Be patient - it's going to require a lot of experimentation.
Tilt-Shift Tips:
- Whether you are a professional photographer or just really interested in tilt-shift photography, a tilt-shift lens is a great investment. If you photograph buildings, a tilt-shift lens is a must.
- If you just want to try your hand at tilt-shift photography before making such a big investment, you can always use post-production program to achieve a similar effect.
- Miniature faking will require you to take photos from above your subject or scene. Don’t shoot directly above your scene, as this won’t turn out well as if you were to shoot from a high angle.
- You want the middle of your photo to appear sharp, so make sure your focal point is in focus. A bright sunny day will give you the best results.
- Choose a unique scene; look for interesting buildings, and ensure people are far enough away that they appear less detailed. This will give you a better faux-miniature scene.
You can find tilt-shift lenses and all the photography gear you need online at Camera House. For more on some top photography techniques, check out the Camera House blog.
