Apply a miniature faking effect with a narrow, sharply focused band across the main subject and progressively stronger blur toward the foreground and background. Increase color vibrancy, tidy fine textures, and introduce gently toy-like surface clarity and bright model-display lighting without changing the viewpoint. Keep the original subject and composition.
[Real cities look like toys]. [Anarrow strip of focus]separates the blurred foreground from the background.
Principle
[Selective focus imitates miniature images]. Elevated viewpoints, vibrant colors, and time-lapse photography1can enhance the impression of size.
Example
Keith Loutit: Bathtub III (2008) combines miniaturization with time-lapse photography.
Try it out
Edit astreet scene from above. Compare asimple focus strip and adepth-of-field mask2.
Background
Particularly visible on the web in the late 2000s; optical tilt methods are much older.
Only anarrow area of the image remains sharp; the foreground and background become heavily blurred. Combined with an elevated viewpoint, more vibrant colors, and possibly time-lapse photography, areal scene resembles afilmed model landscape.
Keith Loutit, Bathtub III (2008) and his Little Sydney films: Miniature look meets time-lapse.
Regarding the image: Historical original / source image. Anarrow depth of field and heavily blurred foreground/background create the miniature impression. The original video is supplemented with time-lapse footage.
Distinction
Atrue miniature is physically constructed. Miniature faking alters the perceived size of areal scene. Shift alone, for example, straightens building perspectives. Tilt and shift are different lens movements. For the miniature look, the precise focus plane is crucial; digitally, the look can be achieved entirely without aspecial lens.
Aftermath
Aknown reality can be reinterpreted into adifferent order of magnitude simply by distributing sharpness.
Further examples · 10 images
02Miniature faking - agricultural vehicleA red agricultural vehicle sits on a patch of dirt surrounded by green grass. The blurred top and bottom sections create a shallow depth of field that makes the machinery appear like a small scale model.High Contrast · CC BY 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons03159th-Street-West-CampusPedestrians walk along a paved campus area near a small red vehicle and brick buildings. High-angle perspective and heavy horizontal blurring make the people and objects look like figurines in a toy set.Eric S. Tyrer II · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons04View over Riva del Garda, Italy (Miniature faking)This aerial view shows the roofs and streets of Riva del Garda next to a body of water. Extreme blurring of the foreground and background focuses attention on the town center, simulating a miniature landscape.High Contrast · CC BY 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons05Yacht Haven - Tilt-shift Miniature Fake (3210741016)Numerous boats are moored at a marina with a lake in the distance. The blurred foreground and horizon compress the scene's scale, making the yachts and docks look like plastic toys in a harbor.Harald Hoyer from Schwerin, Germany · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons06Bray Cliffwalk - Miniature Fake (7242711950)A railway track leads into a tunnel carved through a rocky cliffside. The sharp focus on the central tracks contrasted with the blurry surroundings suggests a close-up photo of a model railroad set.Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons07Dundrum shopping centre - Miniature Fake (6867629130)The interior of the Dundrum shopping centre shows escalators and shop kiosks from an elevated viewpoint. Blurring the upper and lower levels of the image creates an optical illusion of a tiny architectural model.Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons08Boat miniature fake (tilt-shift) (6568594193)A blue boat is docked in a narrow canal surrounded by modern office buildings and greenery. The tilt-shift effect used here simulates the macro photography typically required for small physical miniatures.Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons09Miniature Hero (25760793150)An RNLI lifeguard vehicle and equipment are parked on a sandy beach. The combination of an elevated angle and peripheral blurring gives the vehicle and surfboard the appearance of small plastic toys.Graham Haley · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons10Miniature Stannington (23864187919)Rows of houses and tall residential blocks in Stannington are viewed from a distance. The vignetting and horizontal blur strip make the expansive urban neighborhood look like a tabletop model town.Graham Haley · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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