What About Tilt-Shift Photography?

When I was first interviewed for a journalism position more than two decades ago, one of the questions the publisher asked me was if I considered myself to be a curious person.  To him, the need to know because you must know, was a necessary desire in a good news reporter. 

Well, while my mother would have probably described the attribute as the less attractive "being nosy",  I felt confident in my affirmative answer.  It was a trait that did serve me in good stead, as first a reporter, then editor, when I became the one asking the questions and making sure they were asked.

That need to know and understand remains with me. So when I recently stumbled upon a photography technique that I'd never heard of,  I was compelled to find out more.  With a little help from Wikipedia, I learned that tilt-shift photography is often used to simulate a miniature scene. It involves movement with small and medium format cameras and the use of tilt for selective focus. Also the term may be used when a shallow depth of field is simulated with digital post processing.  When the effect is produced optically a tilt-shift lens is used.

Wikipedia says that: "'Tilt–shift' encompasses two different types of movements: rotation of the lens plane relative to the image plane, called tilt, and movement of the lens parallel to the image plane, called shift. Tilt is used to control the orientation of the plane of focus (PoF), and hence the part of an image that appears sharp; it makes use of the Scheimpflug principle. Shift is used to adjust the position of the subject in the image area without moving the camera back; this is often helpful in avoiding the convergence of parallel lines, as when photographing tall buildings."

Okay, so I still don't completely get it yet.  But I'm hoping a little time with these sites may satisfy my need to know and understand:

thePhotoArgus Examples of Tilt Shift Photography

ePHOTOzine Tilt Shift Photography Tips

Visual Photo Guide Tilt Shift Photography Tutorial

Tilt Shift Photography Photoshop Tutorial Miniature Faking

TiltShiftMaker Create Tilt Shift Style Photos in 3 Easy Steps