Hi there

I'm looking to shoot some tilt shift photography and was looking for some advice on some things.

I'm after the 'minature' look, sometimes known as 'smallgantics' as in this example: http://canoncameralense75300mm.blogspot ... 4226543558

I know there's 2 main ways of achieving this:

1. The authentic tilt-shift process of using a tilt-shift lens
2. Faking it in post

I was wondering if anyone could recommend the best approach for quick delivery. My thinking is that shooting it authentically will mean less post work as delivery from filming needs to be pretty quick. There is likely to be numerous shots so multiple cameras may be used to capture the same event from different angles so these will probably be hired but this might still be quite expensive even when hiring?

If it's to be done as a post-process we're likely to use Canon 5D Mark II's. From what I've read on here I'd need to get battery grips or AC supply for the camera and a timer to set interval shots but I wondered if anyone would recommend what lens to use?

If anyone has shot tilt-shift photography before I'd be keen to know your process and equipment.

Many thanks,
Stephen

You only need tilt...

i use a tilt adapter with a zeiss Pentacon six lens

Ditto, I do the same but different.

I use a Mirex adapter with Mamiya lenses. The adapter is quite expensive, IMHO, but very well made and worth every cent. I've been using one on a very regular basis, mainly for product shots rather than for the 'toy' look, for about the last 2 years and love it. For me it's been much more cost effective than buying individual T/S lenses because all I need is one adapter which I can use on about 1/2 dozen Mamiya lenses (35, 45, 55, 80, 110, 120, 150) that I have.





For close up work you can always go the Nikon PB-4 or similar tilt/swing bellows.



Of course, you can just hire Canon T/S lenses. That's much easier, and cheaper, and you can go as wide as you like, eg 17 or 24mm.

For the 'toy' look your subject matter and point of view is everything. No t/s lens will give you the effect you want if you don't have ideal locations for the effect, ie looking down on your subject, as if you where looking down on toys.

JJ

Now I can put my Pentacon 6 to good use !
Isthe standard 80mm lens OK ?
Where did you get your adapter from ?

with adobe photoshop cs6 beta there is a new tilt-shift effect implemented...

see here for more information and video

Real tilt-shift is the only way to go, especially if there are tall objects in the image. Photoshop (or other image manipulation) is really only effective for a relatively planar surface.

Don't forget LensBabies.
Head to your library and check out anything they have on view cameras so you can understand the physics and optics. There are only one or two volumes on teh topic, you may need to buy one of them.
Then decide how you want to approach tilt/shift.
To simulate it in post is simple, you just create a compound blur and maybe add your favorite bokeh simulator filter. But, in post, the image is flat and the blur layer is a grayscale, equally 2 dimensional, that only fakes the essence of tilt/shift/swing. It's convincing if you know how to fake the optical effect (or you're looking for a look and feel instead of an accurate simulation).

+1

Although, it is much easier to control the effect in Photoshop than it is with a T/S lens where the effect is limited by the lens movements and aperture, which may not allow you to place the effect exactly as you want it, or as shallow as you might want it.

JJ

My testing for fake tilt-shift (didn't have my T/S lens with me to compare against the real effect):
Original image:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tenesmusphyre/3609130621/
"normal" fake:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tenesmusphyre/3609055879/
Masked fake:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tenesmusphyre/3609055871/

even the masked objects have a blur halo around them - they still look fake. An actual TS lens test with this series would be cool.

timt

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