How to: Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

By Elena Santos on 24 March, 2009

Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

Tilt-shift is the name of a visual effect for both videos and photos that has recently become quite popular. The tilt-shift effect uses blurring and color saturation to make a real life scene look like a miniature model diorama. While creating tilt-shift videos like this one can take a while, applying this same effect to your pictures is much easier. Simply open up Photoshop and follow these simple steps:

1. Open the image you're going to work with. Note that not all photos are suitable for the tilt-shift effect. You'll obtain the best results with top perspective images: the street seen from a skyscraper, a landscape taken from an elevated viewpoint, etc. In my tutorial, I'll use this shot from Stock.xchng.

Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

2. Change to Quick Mask mode by hitting the Q key or clicking on the marked button below the foreground and background colors. Then select the Gradient tool, making sure you choose the Reflected Gradient type.

Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

3. Apply the gradient to the photo with a vertical line. This line should start in the center of the in-focus area, and finish where the transition to the area out of focus ends. You can also continue up to the top of the image if you want. As soon as you release the mouse button, you'll see a reddish layer on top of the image.

Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

4. Switch back to Normal Mode (the button beside the Quick Mask mode one) and the reddish area will now be selected. Now go to Filter > Blur > Lens blur. Here comes the fun part!

Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

5. The Lens blur filter achieves a very attractive effect even with the default settings. But don't hesitate to play with sliders and values until you obtain a really eye-catching result.

Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

6. After applying the Lens blur filter you can already deselect the areas in your photo (Ctrl+D). Then go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/saturation (Ctrl+M) and boost up the saturation value to give your image a more plastic-like look.

Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

7. Finally go to Image > Adjustments > Curves (Ctrl+M) and apply a bit more contrast to the image.

Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

8. Your tilt-shift effect is ready!

Apply a tilt-shift effect to your photos

Comments

  • Ju Ju

    nice one ! :)

    • Sent on 24 Mar 2009
  • doro doro

    great!

    • Sent on 24 Mar 2009
  • Torley Torley

    I've seen multiple tutorials on this, but found this very elegantly put-together. One of the reasons why you adjust curves is to give the scene more of a "toy" or "plastic" look, which enhances the miniature vibe.

    • Sent on 25 Mar 2009
  • millu millu

    Nice tutorial!I am nor much of a photoshop connoissuer, but want to learn to work with it. I've downloaded some lesson at http://rapidqueen.com/ , but it is not, of course enough. Could you recommend any other useful resources or books perhaps. Thank you in advance!

    • Sent on 25 Mar 2009
  • PhyonaMasala PhyonaMasala

    Wow, thanks! Here I was shopping for lenses to do this after seeing those videos by Keith Loutit. But of course I can do it "in post" as they say.

    • Sent on 25 Mar 2009
  • 41 Amazing Tilt-shift miniature faking photographs &laquo; Graphic Bowl 41 Amazing Ti<br />lt-shift min

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    • Sent on 30 Jul 2009
  • Välkommen till Antbro.se &raquo; Till er andra Välkommen til<br />l Antbro.se

    [...] För er som inte är så lättlurade kommer här en länk till hur du själv kan manipulera dina bilder till att se ut som miniatyrbyggen, kräver Photoshop av någon variant, även Elements versionerna går fint att använda sig av. Tekniken kallas Tilt Shift och en komplett guide finns HÄR. [...]

    • Sent on 11 Sep 2009
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    [...] http://onsoftware.en.softonic.com/how-to-apply-a-tilt-shift-effect-to-your-photos/ [...]

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  • Ancient as.t Ancient as.t

    thanx (:

    • Sent on 16 Mar 2011
  • Wing Commander Dilip Kumar Patel (Retd) Wing Commande<br />r Dilip Kuma

    I have gone through all your excellent tutorials on Photoshop ( I am still learning Photshop CS3). I am a retired fighter aircraft pilot, now 71 yrs old and still like to learn the latest, as a hobby , I have started Dye sublimation printing of Photos on Ceramic mugs, plates, T-Shirts etc.at home for friends. I am purchasing "Wacom Intuos 4 Pen Tablet" but not clear how to best use it - may be you could help. Regards and Best Wishes - Dilip Patel, India

    • Sent on 30 May 2011
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