Make real cities and landscapes look like tiny scale models. Click the photo to place the sharp focus band, adjust its width, angle and transition, add a smooth gradient blur and a saturation boost, then download the miniature as PNG or JPG.
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OriginalTilt shift
Click or drag on the photo to move the sharp area.
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How to use the Tilt Shift Effect
Add a photo taken from a high viewpoint: a rooftop, bridge, hill or drone. A sample town is loaded so you can try it first.
Click the photo where things should stay sharp, or drag to move the focus band.
Adjust width, transition and angle so only a thin strip of the scene stays in focus.
Raise blur and saturation until the scene looks like a model railway.
Download the miniature as PNG or JPG.
How to get a convincing miniature
Shoot from above. A viewpoint 30-60° above the scene, like looking down at a model on a table, is the single most important factor.
Keep the sharp band thin. Real miniatures have very shallow depth of field. A sharp width of 5-15% usually looks best.
Focus on the middle distance. Place the band on a row of cars, people or houses roughly in the middle of the photo.
Follow the ground. Rotate the band so it runs parallel to the horizon or to the main street.
Boost color. Model paint is brighter than reality: 30-60% saturation and a little contrast sell the effect.
Settings explained
Setting
What it changes
Position
Where the center of the sharp area is; click or drag on the photo to move it freely
Sharp width
Thickness of the zone with no blur, as a percentage of the image
Transition
How far the blur takes to reach full strength; short is dramatic, long is gentle
Angle
Rotation of the band from −90° to 90° (linear mode)
Blur
Maximum Gaussian blur radius, scaled to the image size so preview and download match
Saturation / contrast
Global color boost for the toy look
Vignette
Darkens the corners to draw the eye to the sharp zone
Real tilt-shift lenses vs. the digital effect
A real tilt-shift lens tilts the plane of focus according to the Scheimpflug principle: when the lens plane is tilted against the sensor plane, the plane of sharp focus tilts too, and the three planes meet in one line. Photographers normally use this to get everything sharp, for example in architecture. Tilting in the opposite direction gives the extremely shallow, angled focus that makes scenes look small. The digital version imitates the result with a blur that grows with distance from the chosen band, which works well for scenes that recede evenly into the distance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the tilt shift effect?
Tilt-shift photography uses a lens that can tilt relative to the sensor, so the plane of focus is no longer parallel to the camera. Tilting it the 'wrong' way creates a very thin strip of sharpness with strong blur above and below. Our eyes associate such a shallow depth of field with close-up shots of small objects, so a real city looks like a miniature model.
How does this tool fake the effect?
It keeps a band of the photo sharp and blurs everything else with a Gaussian blur whose radius grows smoothly with the distance from the band. Several blur levels are blended per pixel so the transition is gradual, just like defocus increasing away from the focal plane. A saturation and contrast boost then makes colors look like painted plastic.
Which photos work best for the miniature effect?
Scenes shot from above at an angle of about 30 to 60 degrees, with many small repeated objects such as cars, people, houses, boats or trains, and bright daylight. Straight-on street-level photos and close-ups work poorly because there is no depth for the blur to follow.
Should I use linear or radial focus?
Linear is the classic tilt-shift look and matches scenes with a ground plane receding into the distance; set the angle to follow roads or the horizon. Radial keeps a circle sharp and blurs all around it, which works well for a single subject such as a building or a square seen from above.
Why does my photo look blurry but not miniature?
Usually the focus band is too wide or placed on the wrong distance. Make the sharp zone narrower, put it on a row of small objects in the middle distance, increase the blur and add some saturation. The effect also needs a high viewpoint.
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. All blurring and color processing is done in your browser with the Canvas API. Your photo never leaves your device.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.