There’s a relatively new technique that’s gaining a great deal of ground. Tilt-shift photography renders images that make the world look as though it were in miniature from the perspective of the photographer.
A bellows is used to connect camera to lens. The lens is placed at an angle that causes a gradient of focus. The effect is quite stunning. The image below is by a photographer called Topher Simon. I recognize it as the ground level of Paris’s Musee d’Orsay – possibly my favourite museum in the world – where much of the city’s older statues and stonework are laid to rest.
There is also a show, organized by the New York Times, of tilt-shift photographs. Linked here It focuses on the work of Vincent Laforet, revolving mainly around sports shots.
If there is a way to keep the depth of field while making the gradient a slightly less pronounced element – possibly by creating a lens with a unique contour – the scope and possible uses of this technique could widen significantly. With the contrast between the areas in and out of focus being less stark, tilt-shift could be used in motion pictures. There is something quite pleasing about the sweeping banner of clarity in each image though, and I’m sure there will be purists who keep at it using the current MO.
The shots are taken from a slightly elevated position and not an aerial view, making them even more distinct. Would love to take one of these shots myself one day. It’s definitely on my list.