This image was made using a 24mm Tilt-Shift Lens. Back when Instagram first came out, there was a tilt-shift feature that allowed a user to selectively through radial or linear portions of the image out of focus.
A tilt-shift lens changes the orientation of the lens elements in relation to the sensor plane (or film plane) of the camera. These movements are a common feature on large format cameras but have become available for 35mm and Digital SLRs. While these are great for straightening architectural lines when shooting low perspective of buildings, they can also be used to make city scapes appear like a scale model.
The Sandpit from Sam O’Hare on Vimeo.