In tilt shift photography, the way that the images are captured makes the subjects seem like toys or a setup of a scene, rather than real life. This is accomplished by taking the photographs from a high angle, looking down on the subject to create the illusion that you are looking at a smaller model of the real thing, whatever that may be in a given photo. Doing this, as well as using a tilt shift lens which simulates a shallow depth of field is how the toy-like nature of the pictures is accomplished.
