Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

I got to see this really cool video today
http://jalopnik.com/5098927/amazing-til ... ruck-rally
and now know of tilt-shift photography. It makes big things look very small. I must find out more...

I'll try to do a couple in Photoshop...

Agreed, but there are some other lenses I need to purchase first. While these shots are fun...I just simply need a few other lenses to augment my cache now that are in the price range, well more than what a tilt-shift lens would cost me.

Here's a fun little lens that's quite affordable. (Lensbaby) I forget if I can link directly to their web site, or not, but just search and you will find. The various lens options are quite affordable. While not 'tilt-shift', they have their own little fun at an affordable price.

Some new lenses would be good. I'm at the high end of amateur right now. Still, you can do a lot in Photoshop. I need to brush up on those skills...

A few more home-made ones;

I don't think I've heard of this, but it is an interesting effect. Do I have this correct, the focus is such that only your central object is clear and the rest slightly out of focus?

Sort of. It tries to put a narrower view in focus, so that the image looks like a miniature, like a train model or something. Also, a slightly higher exposure gives it a little less "real" feeling. I'm not doing that though, I'm just trying to imitate it with digital effects. Not too skilled yet though. But I'd buy the lens, or ask for it for Christmas The video link in the first post is really cool (scroll down a bit, they show it in two sizes).

A few more, though I think I'm done playing for the day.

That is too cool. I need to get my 35 mm back!

LOL they look like models, I thought at first it had something to do with minatures. As dat says "cool" very cool.

I've been reduced to a drooling fool with no better words to use

This one came out alright, looks very little

Pretty neat. I just read up on it.
:: tilt-shift photography::
:: tilt-shift miniature faking::

To get a more realistic result, you have to consider the geometry.

Objects farther or closer to you than the focal point will obviously be more blurred. So photos where the ground is more parallel to the direction of the camera should have a more dramatic difference in blurriness. The problem is that when you're looking at small objects, you are normally looking down upon it, not on the same level.

To make it more realistic, then, would be to take pictures from a high altitude looking down making the ground more perpendicular with the direction of the camera. Otherwise it is more difficult to photoshop the effect, and even after doing the best that could possibly be done, it might still look unrealistic due to some elements in the photo that are too close.

some of those photos are amazing. i have one where i tried to make it look like models. not sure how successful though.

A lot of the photos I take, I try to use contrast, like having something in the foreground, and that doesn't work with this kind of picture. I took some photos today with this technique in mind, so hopefully I can improve on what I've done already. Any angle should be alright, as long as there is a general progression from one end to the other. The line of perspective can be tilted accordingly.


It looks alright to me, but I would boost the saturation on it to make it less real.

some very nice photographs there. def. the photos of the buses looks fake. looks so green and sunny there compared to where i am now.

Here is an another attempt. I was not quite sure how to do it back then but had seen these kinds of photos. Now, I just learned from this thread what I need to do. Think I will take some photos this week and post them here.

Here's a quicky tutorial;

Create a quick mask; do a cylindrical gradient, and undo the quick mask. Do a lens blur on that. Then adjust the light curves and saturation. I'm sure there is more tweaking to be done, but that's a starter.

How's this?

I used to do something like this with my old 35mm. If you put a very small coat of Vaseline around the outside of the lens, those objects get blurred.

I didn't use it for miniatures but mostly as a way to soften the background for .. um .. art photos.

Welalin/Thank you Def (and Foxtrot for the links). I'll have to look at this process. I have no idea how to use photo shop but I think by using manual focusing and tinkering with the shutter speed/depth of field, you might be able to achieve something similar.

Wasn't that called 'soft focus'?

Very good! Yes, it was.

There were also a lot of filters back then for achieving different results. I'll have to dig out my old camera case and see if any of them fit my Canon. I doubt it but you never know.

Oops! I've been ordered to get off the computer so I can unwrap my presents. Back later, I hope.

Very successful. It looks like a tiny model building!
You guys should crop out the blurry part so that 90% of the photo
is the sharp, fake miniature. Just my opinion.

@def. the boost in saturation does give it a model look indeed.

not a new picture but made it into a tilt shift with the same technique.

Guys are good, never was much for experimenting with taking pictures (point, click, hope for the best ) but this does peak my interest. Everyone I have shown these to thought they were models.

I did one of a place we're all familiar with. (I think)
To me, the effect works best when the photograph is an overview shot looking down, although that one above, that Mindyou did, looking almost even with the skyline and focusing on the train came out pretty good.

Here is my first attempt, but the shot is mostly horizontal and I don't think it gives off the best of the effect.

How about this one with the water reflection. Does that jump the track? I really think you have to have the angle to really pull off the look, even if it was shot with a TS lens.