This article was taken from the August 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
If you've ever seen a video or photo of a large object that, for some strange reason, appears to be a picture of a small scale model, there's a good chance it was made using tilt-shift photography. The technique works by photographing an object with the lens out of line with the sensor or film. This allows for a different focal distance at various points in the photo. It's an impressive technique, but can require expensive lenses.
Fortunately, Bhautik Joshi, who "couldn't justify the cost" of one such lens, decided to take matters into his own hands. His website,
cow.mooh.org, lists four ways to make one, as well as more info on how this technique works. We'll focus on his "Plungercam Mini" design, as it's simple to make.
- Gather the parts
You'll need a camera body that's capable of changing lenses and an old 35mm lens you don't mind damaging. You'll also need a camera-body cap, a 5cm pipe coupling, and a 5cm turnkey hose clamp.
Finding the correct materials will be the trickiest part of the project -- try a hardware shop. - Assemble the tilt mechanism
Remove the lens back. Cut a piece of the coupling to the length of your unaltered lens, then drill out the centre of the body cap to fit the pipe. Slide the altered body cap into one side of the coupling section. Slide your altered lens into the other end of the coupling. The length of the assembly should be close to what the lens was before alteration to keep the lens's focal distance correct. Place the hose clamp over the coupling near the lens, then tighten it. Screw the body cap on to your camera to form your new lens fixture. - Focus, tilt, then refocus
Bhautik suggests you "form a sharp image of something near, then adjust the focus on to a far object while holding the lens still."
Now, try to get two objects in focus that are separated by some distance. The same technique works for shooting video.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
