I, for one, am a fan of the tilt-shift effect. From miniaturisation of objects in images taken from on high, to Lensbaby-style artistic focus targeting, the results are always interesting. The only problem is that tilt-shift lenses are very difficult to operate. Many photographers have turned to Photoshop to recreate the tilt-shift effect digitally. The “does-what-it-says-on-the-tin” TiltShift (for Mac) tries to persuade that it is a better option.
Well it’s certainly a simple option. The focus hotspot is easily manoeuvred, with a drag-to-resize and move interface. This includes control of the graduation from sharp to blurred. Additionally, the amount of blur in “blurred” areas is adjustable (and you WILL need to adjust it, given the aggressive default setting). As a bonus, other simple adjustments such as brightness, saturation and contrast can be made, whilst an adjustable vignette can also be applied. The results are of good quality, particularly if your aim is miniaturisation. If you’re looking for Lensbaby-type swirly blur, then you need to look elsewhere.
TiltShift is a decent quality app, which produces results that are of high enough quality for any purpose. Having said this, would I pay $24.99/£17.49 for this one-function app? Well no, given I can do it for no extra investment using Photoshop…
TiltShift for Mac is available from the Mac App Store, and a demo is available from the TiltShift app homepage.
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Mark Myerson loves photography, and in particular, hanging around waterfalls! Landscapes and nature have always been his staple, but he relishes any opportunity to take pictures. He also works closely with many local charities, regularly providing photographic coverage of fundraising events.
Mark is also a self-confessed tech-head and OSX lover – Apple is his favourite fruit!
Mark is the owner of Mark Myerson Photography, a Devon-based business that provides a large variety of photographic services to the local community and beyond. Whilst Mark Myerson Photography specialises in event, commercial and pet photography, almost every type of photographic assignment has been covered by the company.
If you have any photography or OSX-related questions, you can contact Mark via the links given below.