Tilt-shift

A special lens that can be angled (tilt) or slid parallel (shift) relative to the sensor. Tilting angles the plane of focus, creating the "miniature effect" where only a thin band across the ground is sharp and the top and bottom are blurred. Shifting moves the frame without tilting the camera, so the vertical lines of tall buildings stand straight instead of converging. This site shows the miniature effect made with tilt.

Camera position seen from outside. The blue camera looks down at an angle on the street and the bunny from about 8 m up. The blur is not drawn in this view.

Camera view. The top and bottom of the frame are blurred and only the horizontal band where the bunny stands is sharp, so the real street looks like a toy model. In the comparison the whole frame turns sharp and it becomes an ordinary view looking down.

How it feels

Toy-like
Cute
Observation
Unreal
Orderly

When to use it

Making a city or street seen from above look like a model
Keeping the vertical lines of buildings straight in architecture and interiors (shift)
Making only the part you want sharp in product or still-life shots

In the movies

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) · Source: Miramax (YouTube) · Original video

Not to be confused with

Shallow Depth of Field: In shallow depth of field the plane of focus stays parallel to the sensor and only the sharp range front to back is narrow. Tilt angles the plane of focus itself, making only a slanted band sharp.
High Angle: The miniature effect works better looking down from high up, but camera height and tilt are a separate choice, the angle.
Dutch Angle: The word "tilt" overlaps, but a Dutch angle tilts the whole camera sideways, while tilt-shift tilts only the lens.

Prompt

Keyword

tilt-shift miniature effect

Descriptive

Tilt-shift miniature effect, high view of the street. Only a thin horizontal band in focus, the top and bottom of the frame strongly blurred, the city looks like a toy model.

Try these combinations

Tilt-shift + high angle: a crosswalk like a model
High-angle tilt-shift shot of a busy crosswalk, tiny people and cars, only the middle band in focus, diorama look
Tilt-shift + timelapse: a station moving like a toy
Tilt-shift time-lapse of a train station from above, trains and crowds moving like toys, saturated colors