Fake Model Photography

[tlennox]

I have always been interested in the technique whereby photos of ordinary scenes are rednered to look like models or Lilliputian scenes. An example can be found here:

http://www.watchthisspace.ca/pixelpost/

I have not been able to reproduce this technique in Elements. I am using Elements 5.

Any ideas?

[TonyW]

Interesting. I imagine part of the secret is having a good image to work from. I would have thought the technique could be done in PSE5. Have you got a suitable image you could post? I'm sure there are people here that would give it a try.

Tony

[ilisaxdreams]

looks like a blur tool was used to me.

[chas3stix]

I think the same effect can be achieved by using your camera's lens at its widest aperature. Also a mild tele or macro lens(75mm) used wide open would do. The depth of field is rather shallow. That new auxiliary lens (lens babies) just may be the ticket for this effect.
Chas

[TonyW]

Very quick one with not the best of pictures. CS2 version used the "Official" method - Quick Mask, Gradient, Lens Blur, Curves. PSE5 version used Duplicate Layer, Layer Mask, Gradient on mask, Gaussian Blur, Curves.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1BfCtYl6KOixtqcJ6ohutK7CHxTsXH0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1BfCtYl6KOixtqcJ6ohutK7CHxTsXH0)

Tony

[tlennox]

As I am currently at work, (don't tell anyone) I will not be able to try out your technique until later, but it looks like you have hit the nail on the head. I will give it a try and post a copy later.

Thanks

[TonyW]

Look forward to seeing it. To be fair the Lens Blur filter does have some extra bells and whistles (like Depth Map) that you don't get in the PSE Blur filters and that should work well for something like this but the tutorial writer chose not to use them (or didn't know how to :) ) but you can do lots of things in Elements - by duplicating the blurred layer and changing the opacity and blend mode as well as painting on the mask to focus/defocus certain area.

BTW there are third-party plug-ins available for selective blurring - I've never tried them. I do use Lens Blur though in Elements - because I have CS2 the plug-in is available in Elements - but I stuck to Gaussian in the example.

Tony

[graficalicus]

how weird- I did an image like this awhile back and never got around to writing up how I did it -

Here's my two images:

I duplicated the background layer twice.

On the bottom-most layer, I ran a heavy Gaussian Blur.

On the second (middle) layer, I ran a lower-level Gaussian Blur.

I left the top layer as it was.

I selected (with the lasso) in the top layer the areas I wanted to be crisp. Then I inverted the selection and created a mask (Handy Actions! (http://www.graficalicus.com/graffishop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=34)) from it.

On the middle layer, I selected the areas that were the middle-area, inverted the selection, and made another mask, leaving a middle-blur area.

The bottom layer stayed as it was, since it was only showing the far-away areas.

Finall, I added a Hue/Saturation adjustment at the very top and boosted the saturation to get that "close-up" look. It really simulated a tight depth-of-field, and made the thing look a lot like a miniature.

[TonyW]

Graffi: Nicely done - that's a good image to show the miniaturization effect a bit of selecting blurring and color adjustment has.

Tony

[chas3stix]

Sure faked me out...
Chas

[bwolford]

The key is the image, not the technique. The technique is easily simulated in PSE. Gotta find something you've shot at a down angle.

Brice

[Byron Gale]

This looked like fun -- so I decided to try it on a shot of a little town I like to call "Seattle".

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1kLiHprNxHiuSFthEo4ITSwSBbJns0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1kLiHprNxHiuSFthEo4ITSwSBbJns0)

[GaryK]

Byron

Great detail.. did you build that yourself??:D :D

[Byron Gale]

Gary,

The hardest part was gluing the tiny patches of moss on the north side of everything!! :twisted:

Byron

[Wendy]

Byron ...

A bit of the moss just fell off ... its near the top :eek: :D :D

Wendy

[graficalicus]

here's another way -

open an image
duplicate the background layer
create a mask on the duplicated layer, and draw a reflected gradient across the middle, black to white to black -
Click the duplicate layer's thumbnail (not the mask's thumbnail) to make it active -
run a Lens Blur filter (Filters>Blur>Lens blur) choosing the mask as the source - adjust as desired -

I added a Hue/Sat adjustment to boost the color, but you could add another layer of clouds, or make the colorize appear sepia (for a Lilliputian effect) - - a very fun effect!

[chas3stix]

Thought I'd give it a try...Watcha think?
Chas
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1vAPSqszFQd7F8igEhRG5aPKipO_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1vAPSqszFQd7F8igEhRG5aPKipO)

[billz]

Looks great Chas!!

Bill

[bwolford]

These are all great. I need to find an image to try this on.

Brice

[margtvl]

Stupid question. How do I make a mask?

[Byron Gale]

Stupid question. How do I make a mask?You will either need to group a couple of layers together to form a clipping mask, or you will need to download/install one of the Layer Mask add-ins for Elements.

It would be hepful to know your PSE version, if you require more guidance.

Byron

[chas3stix]

Overheard in the computer room/den.....
Honey,what do you think of these fake toy photos? Her reply was,"Why are those photos out of focus"?
Chas

[Byron Gale]

Dear -- they're not "out of focus", they have "controlled focus"... :D

I guess the perception of "miniature" is not universal, then.

[chas3stix]

Byron,
My wife really didn't percieve the "miniature" look.....Sure had me fooled...:D
Chas

[margtvl]

I am using version 3

[margtvl]

I am really intersted in trying this method out. I am using version 3 and it seems like everyone else is using a different version so there is always something different.

[margtvl]

If you are interested in this there are some great examples on Flickr. Just do a search for tilt shift.