This photographer made his own tilt-shift lens from a CV boot

Iranian photographer Alireza Rostami is always full of interesting ideas. This time, he made his own tilt-shift lens from a CV boot. This DIY project requires virtually no budget, and yet it produces fantastic results. Alireza shared his process and some sample images with us. If you’re looking for a DIY project to have fun with over the weekend – this may be the one.

Alireza tells us that he first saw examples of tilt-shift photos in 2013. He got interested in making them, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to afford a new tilt-shift lens. But he didn’t give up. He did a bit of research and thinking and figured out how he could make his own. That’s the spirit!

Alireza used a lens he found on an old Kiev-60 medium format film camera. It projects the image circle large enough to avoid vignetting. To make a tilt-shift lens out of it, he used a part of a CV boot. I admit I had to google it. And when I learned that it was a car part, I realized why I had no idea what it was.

Anyways, Alireza also made an adapter from a Canon body cap by cutting it out. He attached a part of a CV boot onto it and wrapped it all with yarn to protect the sensor from the dust. He didn’t use glue because it could damage the camera, and the yarn is both protective and flexible enough to give him what he needed.

Alireza made a video for you so you can see how he created his DIY tilt-shift lens:

And now, for some lovely sample photos and a timelapse video taken with this DIY lens:

“Maybe others have published a tutorial like this,” Alireza tells us. “I do not claim that I am the first to use and invent such a trick. But I am just sharing my experience.” He is open to suggestions and eager to hear your ideas for upgrading this project.