January 9, 2014 at 1:22 pm

The Vastness of Space, Miniaturized

by twistedsifter

 

Trying to comprehend the expanse of space is a daunting task. Just reading about the distance between Earth and the nearest star/planet/galaxy is enough to boggle most minds. So the thought of miniaturizing something so expansive as the Cosmos is both fascinating and counter-intuitive.

Last month reddit user TheScienceLlama used the Tilt-Shift filter in Photoshop to create a stunning series of space images. While many associate the technique with tilt-shift photography, it’s more accurate to describe this particular Photoshop process as miniature faking or the diorama effect.

 

Oregon_State_Beavers_Tilt-Shift_Miniature_Greg_Keene

An example of ‘digital miniaturization’ by Greg Keene

 

The effect is achieved by blurring parts of the photo to simulate a shallow depth of field. You can read more about the technique here and here.

If you enjoy the series below, be sure to check out the desktop wallpapers that reddit user Wattsit made using the same effect.

[via TheScienceLlama]

 

1. Horsehead Nebula

horsehead nebula tilt shift miniaturized

Miniaturized by TheScienceLlama
Original Image by NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Assembly and processing by Robert Gendler

 

2. Crab Nebula

crab nebula tilt shift miniaturized

Miniaturized by TheScienceLlama

 

3. Centaurs A

centaurs a tilt shiftt miniaturized

Miniaturized by TheScienceLlama

 

4. Meathook Galaxy

meathook galaxy tilt shift miniaturized 1 The Vastness of Space, Miniaturized

Miniaturized by TheScienceLlama
Original Image by ESO

 

5. Thor’s Helmet Nebula

thor's helmet nebula tilt shift miniaturized

Miniaturized by TheScienceLlama
Original Image by Robert Gendler

 

6. Pencil Nebula

pencil nebula tilt shift miniaturized

Miniaturized by TheScienceLlama
Original Image by ESO

 

7. Tadpole Galaxy

tadpole galaxy tilt shift miniaturized

Miniaturized by TheScienceLlama
Original Image by HST data from the Hubble Legacy Archive
Processed by Bill Snyder

 

8. Andromeda Galaxy

andromeda galaxy tilt shift miniaturized

Miniaturized by TheScienceLlama
Original Image by Adam Evans

 

 

Reddit user Wattsit made a series of desktop wallpapers using the same technique.
You can download the full size images on Imgur!

 

tilt shift space wallpapers (1)

Miniaturized by Wattsit

 

tilt shift space wallpapers (2)

Miniaturized by Wattsit

 

tilt shift space wallpapers (3)

Miniaturized by Wattsit

 

tilt shift space wallpapers (4)

Miniaturized by Wattsit

 

tilt shift space wallpapers (5)

Miniaturized by Wattsit

 

tilt shift space wallpapers (6)

Miniaturized by Wattsit

 

tilt shift space wallpapers (7)

Miniaturized by Wattsit

 

tilt shift space wallpapers (8)

Miniaturized by Wattsit

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter
highly recommends:

 

 

if saturn was as close to earth as the moon The Vastness of Space, Miniaturized

 

 

rio darkened cities by thierry cohen The Vastness of Space, Miniaturized

 

 

crab nebula nasa The Vastness of Space, Miniaturized