

Ken Hurst – Tiny People Crossing The Streetīecause tilt-shift photography often brings to mind tiny cities and miniature cars, portrait photographers may not consider trying it. Even if your subject seems dull, the lines will capture your viewers’ interest and draw them into your photo.ĭavide Gabino (aka Stròlic Furlàn) – Stazione di Udine In fact, a strong composition can make your tilt-shift photo look powerful regardless of your subject.įor instance, if you compose your photo with strong lines, you can use practically anything as your subject. But no matter what technique you’re using, your composition will still be crucial. Sometimes when trying a new technique, it’s easy to forget about the basic rules of composition. Henk Meijer Photography – Antwerp Port Authority – Belgium Paul Newton – Steigenberger Hotel, Konstanz, Germany Besides setting your image apart from the rest, it can be fun to make something so grand and familiar look small and strange. One way to give your shot a unique twist is to use a technique like tilt-shift photography. The important thing is to choose a single subject, so that you can base your depth of field on it.ĭavide Gabino (aka Stròlic Furlàn) – aspettando – waitingįamous sites typically get so much attention from photographers that you can start to feel like you’re creating a cliché rather than your own image. For instance, you can focus on a car, boat, or pedestrian, making those subjects look suddenly small and distant. While cityscapes and architecture are reliable subjects for tilt-shift photography, you can try the technique with a wide range of other subjects, too. That higher angle is key for creating the feeling of distance that will give your photo an otherworldly atmosphere.Ĭhoose a main subject, like a car or boat.

It’s often used in cities, but you can actually use it in nearly any scene or environment, as long as you’re above your subject. This is another classic approach to tilt-shift photography. Otherwise, you can try including highways or railroad tracks in your cityscape, so that you really capture that miniature feeling. Some of the best tilt-shift cityscapes have either tall buildings like skyscrapers or interesting architecture that catches the eye.

You take an imposing cityscape and make it look tiny, as if you were shooting from the clouds instead of close by. This is a classic way to use the tilt-shift effect. They play into each other, strengthening your image’s overall mood. That’s because the strangeness of tilt-shift photography matches the strange, distorted appearance of reflections. (See this simple tutorial for more details about that.)īut it’s also a great technique to use even if there’s no risk of your camera being in the reflection. Here are some ideas and photos to inspire you! Ideas and Inspiration for Tilt-Shift Pictures Play with reflections.Ī tilt-shift lens is ideal for shooting reflections, such as mirror portraits, while keeping the camera out of sight. You can also use the TiltShiftMaker for a basic editor focused on miniaturization.īeyond its technical advantages, the tilt-shift effect is wonderful for creating a dreamlike or whimsical atmosphere, useful in any genre.

If you have Photoshop, you can look at tilt-shift tutorials for starters. What if you can’t afford a tilt-shift lens? Fortunately, you can create the same effect in a photo editor.
