Source/credit Pisa picture: Karra
It’s not an optical illusion; it just looks like one.
~ Steven Wright
Forced perspective is a technique in photography (or movie making) of manipulating the human visual perspective. By creating an optical illusion, the subject in an image can appear larger, smaller, closer or farther than it really is. It is often used to create a relation between two or more objects that does not exist in reality. You can use forced perspective to create special effects or funny and unique images. The technique is also used in movie making (making the Hobbits appear smaller by positioning them more far from the camera than Gandalf) and advertising (using model cars instead of real ones).
There are different kind of illusions you can create with forced perspective. Besides making objects appear smaller or larger, you can also bend gravity and merge unlikely objects together.
Changing the size of objects through forced perspective
In order to make a subject seem smaller, you need to place them farther. To make this work, however, you do need to keep them in focus (by using a small aperture on the camera) and make sure there are no other objects in the frame that will show the real size. So, keep the background uncluttered for the best effect.
Credit/source: jessicaqvo
This image made at the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia shows how it is done. The ‘puppet master’ stands far in front of the ‘puppet’. Everyone is in focus. A complete void hides any clues of real sizes.
Sometimes these illusions are made accidentally.
Credit/source: Cheshix
If these images are created by accident, is it still forced perspective? Perhaps confusing perspective is a better term. The results can be quite hilarious sometimes, like this giant pigeon looking on at the man working.
Bending Gravity through Forced Perspective
There are thousands of variations of bending gravity illusions, but it usually involves flipping the image around, either upside-down or on it’s side. It almost always results in photos that defy logic.
Source/credit: Jason Lee
No decent parent would ever tape their little kids to a wall. Not even for fun. But Jason Lee is a professional photographer and knows that you can create these kind of photos with help of a little forced perspective. Taping your kid to the floor is a lot safer.
These type of illusions do not often happen by accident, or are not noticed if we never flip our photos 90 or 180 degrees. But here is a hovering cat:
Source/credit: Reddit
When you flip this image 90 degrees clockwise, it is obvious that this cat is sitting on the floor and staring at a wall.
Merging unlikely objects
With forced perspective you can also create unique images by merging unlikely objects together and give a second meaning. Like this beautiful picture where the photographer holds up a shell to ‘dress’ the lady on the beach.
Credit/ source: Carol Lisboa
Merger photos are fun to make and can be used for advertising purposes or to create unique images and art. However, some merger images are made by accident and probably ruin the intended take, but can have hilarious results.
Source/credit: Jade Coxon
This picture was taken by a photography student, who did not intend to have a seagull in it. However, the seagull’s perfect positioning probably makes this picture so much more fun, and definitely much more talked about than the intended picture would have. It even featured in TIME magazine which would probably not have happened if it had only 9 airplanes in it and no seagull.
And sometimes we just need a little help from Photoshop to get lovely merger pictures.
Source/credit: the coworker of idkmybffyossarian
Some ideas are just impossible to achieve naturally or accidentally. But there is nothing wrong with a little photoshop and calling it art. Scroll through our optical illusions and see if you recognize this technique in any of them. Most will be among the optical illusions with people.