Faux tilt-shift

Most of us have probably come across the expression "Tilt-shift" in relation to architectural photography. Tilt-shift lenses are used to correct perspective errors one gets with (most often) wide lenses combined with a low viewpoint. Tilt-shift lenses can also be used to distort perspective in a way that makes people and objects look like miniatures and, not being an architectural photographer, it's this effect that appeals the most to me. For real and fake tilt-shift photography, see: 50 Beautiful Examples Of Tilt-Shift Photography or Tilt Shift Miniature Model Effect Photography

The great thing is that you don't need ridiculously expensive optics to achieve the latter effect. The "miniature" tilt-shift can easily be faked in a photo-editor like Gimp or Photoshop using blur and masks. A quick search on Google will render a number of tutorials on this subject.

If you want something a little less time-consuming, try the TiltShiftMaker website for instant results.

Just remember: The end result depends on your choice of picture. Shots from an elevated viewpoint usually work best.