To create fake miniatures:

1. Select images to miniaturize.
2. Determine where you want to create a horizontal blur in pixels from the top (called the horizon).
   Also determine height of blurred area, feather (blurriness of blurred area), the number of levels to use in multiresolution blending, or an optional mask.
   If a mask wasn't provided, generate one with the given horizon, height, feather values.
3. Use multiresolution blending to blur the selected region.
4. ???
5. Profit.

Part 1: Selecting Images to Miniaturize The images, left to right, top to bottom:

1. Japan (my original): Taken from a street in Japan, summer 2017.
2. Car (my original): A video of a rainy night in Beijing, summer 2016. Yes! This is a video! (so also part of bells and whistles)
3. Lake Point Tower: source
4. Tokyo Houses: source

Part 2: Generating Masks Except for Lake Point Tower, masks were generated in numpy with the given horizon, height, feather values.

The images, left to right, top to bottom:

1. Left: An example of a generated mask for Japan.
2. Right: An example of a hand-created mask for Lake Point Tower

Part 3: Use Multiresolution Blending Use multiresolution blending to apply the masks to the images.

1. Japan (my original): A still with a generated mask.
2. Car (my original): A video with a generated mask (and a blue filter to make it look nice ;)) **BELLS AND WHISTLES: animation**
3. Lake Point Tower: A still with a custom mask. **BELLS AND WHISTLES: masking**
4. Tokyo Houses: Yet another still with a generated mask.

To create the vertigo shot effect:

1. Find a scene to capture. I used an DSLR camera with optical zoom, and captured the things in my room because they were convenient.
2. Either: (option 1) step away from an image and keep zooming in to keep the subject the same size or (option 2) get closer to the subject but keep zooming out.
3. Take pictures.
4. ???
5. Generate a .gif.

The most difficult thing was not letting my hands shake too much. At a certain point, I was so zoomed in that even a little shakiness affected the centeredness of the subject. Fixed with patience and a tripod.

Results!

Bells and Whistles used: "assemble your sequences into animated gifs" and "try different combinations of moving the subject and camera."

1. Infuser: A tea infuser in front of a laptop. I stepped away as I zoomed in.
2. Dolphin and Shark in Repose: Two friends on a bed. I stepped away as I zoomed in.
3. Infuser: A candle. I stepped closer as I zoomed out.