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Tilt-shift is a very popular technique to capture photos of great scenes and create an impression of them being miniature or to have a single place of the scene in focus while the other parts of the same photo is totally out of focus. In this tutorial I will show you how to achieve the first goal, making a photo of something big appear very small. I will use Photoshop Elements 8 but this will also work in older version as well as in CS.
Update: There is an updated guide for Photoshop CC too!
This is the effect what we will create:
And this is the original photo:
Step 1
Open the photo in Photoshop Elements
Step 2
Duplicate the ‘Background’-layer by pressing ctrl + j (or cmd + j on mac). Apply blur on this newly created layer by selecting it in ‘Layers’ and then go to Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur. A value of about 8 should do.
Step 3
Duplicate the ‘Background’-layer onve more by selecting it in ‘Layers’ and by pressing ctrl + j. In this newly created layer, make a selection using the Lasso-tool (the Lasso-tool can be selected by pressing ‘L’) of the area which you want to be in focus.
Step 4
Choose Select -> ‘Feather’ and your selection. A value of about 150 will do.
Step 5
Create a new layer using your selection by pressing ctrl + j again. Move the newly created layer to the top of the layers and the effect is achieved!
Step 6 (optional)
To further create the impression of a miniature photo you can flatten the layers and then create a new adjustment-layer where you increase the saturation to make it more synthetic looking.
Now you know how to simulate the tilt-shift!
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Hello!
I am fascinated by tilt photography. I have a few question if do not mind.
Can I “tilt -shift” using Photoshop Elements 7? I have the Missing Manual but cannot find a reference to it at all. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Peace!
Ken
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Hi Ken,
Using the technique I mentioned in the article I think that you would be able to do this in version 7 as well. The tools used is thing I think have been around for quite a few versions of Elements so you should be good 🙂
I do not have version 7 to try it out myself but you can always try the workflow in the article and if you run into trouble, I’ll do my best to help you!
Good luck!
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I’ve been trying this out, but it doesn’t work for me so well :/ What do you mean with “flatten” the layers?
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Worked like a charm… this is just another way to be creative!
Thanks – Jim
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Hi -I have Elements 7 and I cannot seem to get this to work. I lasso the area I want in focus. Then feather and nothing. everything is still blurry. Am I missing something?
Thanks.
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@Janice – Make sure you are lassoing the area on the correct layer (Background Copy). After feathering, you have to do CTRL-J to create a new layer with your selection. After that, drag the new layer (containing your selection) to the top of the layers list (on rhe right) and it will work.
Also believe you need the right picture to be able to get the best of this technique, and select a decent part of the photo to feather.
Nice technique though!!
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I think you missed something in your tutorial between steps 4 and 5. I feather my lasso tool selection, and nothing changes once I create the new layer. I do have three layers displayed, as in your screenshot, but no sharp areas. If I turn off the intermediate layer (the one where Gaussian blue was applied) then I’m left with the original sharp image (Layer 1) and a central blurred area where my lasso tool was selected (which comes from Background Layer 2).
Any additional input?
Thanks!
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Not working for me either!
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@Shvedi Flattening the layers mean that you should remove information of the individual layers so that the image is fused together as one. This is done by Choose Flatten Image from either the Layer menu or the Layers palette More menu.
@Janice Just as Aled said, be sure to move the new layer to the top of all your layers to see the effect!
@Antonis Be sure to move the newest layer to the top of all your layers so that the layer with the lassoed and feathered part in focus is placed at teh very top of your layers.
@Mario Do you have the same problem as @Antonis and @Janice?
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Hi, Im really strugling with this, My final result is all a blur!!!