The short answer
Why use Tilt Shift?
Real tilt-shift lenses are expensive, and faking one by hand needs a gradient mask on each side. Here you drag the band to the right height and pick its width.
Focus Y sets the height of the sharp band, 50% by default, and a tap or drag on the preview moves it up or down. There is no Focus X, because the band always spans the full width. Sharp band width sets how tall the band is, from 5% to 90% of the shorter side, starting at 35%. The edges fade into the blur over about a third of that width. Amount, 0 to 100, sets the blur strength.
Put the band on the thing you want to read as the model, such as a row of cars, and keep it fairly narrow, around 15% to 25%. A wide band with weak blur just looks out of focus. The red dashed lines on the preview mark the band and are not saved.
Tilt Shift does not change colors. Many miniature photos also have punchy color, so run Saturation or Contrast after it. If the subject is a single object rather than a scene, Lens Blur with a round sharp area fits better, and Blur Frame keeps a centered rectangle sharp.
Where Tilt Shift fits
Drone photos
Turn an aerial view of a town into a toy-model scene.
Travel shots
Make a busy square seen from a tower look like a model village.
Train and traffic
Give a road or railway shot from a bridge the miniature look.
Start to finish
How to use Tilt Shift
- 01Tap Choose image and pick a scene shot from high up, such as a street from a balcony.
- 02Tap the preview at the height of the subject to move the band, then set Sharp band width (35% by default).
- 03Tap Apply changes, look at where the band fades into blur, then tap Download result.
What to expect from Tilt Shift
| Check | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Supported input | JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and browser-supported AVIF images |
| Main controls | Blur amount, focus point, and sharp-area size |
| Output | A PNG image with the blur applied |
| Working limit | 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image |
Tilt Shift tips
- A band of 15% to 25% looks more like a miniature than the default 35%.
- Type a Focus Y value when dragging on a small screen is fiddly.
- Run Saturation afterwards for the bright toy-model colors.
- Rooftop, drone, and bridge photos give the strongest miniature effect.
Tilt Shift FAQ
Something missing? Ask us.
Can I tilt the sharp band at an angle?
Why doesn't my photo look like a miniature?
Does Tilt Shift upload my file?
Is Tilt Shift free to use?
Why did Tilt Shift fail or look wrong?
Related tools
More in Blur & Focus.