Tilt-shift photography is a style of photography in which the camera is manipulated so that a life-sized location or subject looks like a miniature-scale model. This video ‘The Sandpit’ made by Sam O’Hare is a combination of tilt-shift photography and timelapse. It’s made up of thousands of still photographs, he captures NYC and shrinks it to the size of a model village.

The Sandpit from Sam O’Hare on Vimeo.

To achieve this miniature effect to your photographs, it’s best to shoot subjects from a high angle (especially from the air). It creates the illusion of looking down at a miniature model. A camera equipped with a tilt-shift lens, which simulates a shallow depth of field, is essentially all you need to start. Or you could cheat and do it in post.