Forced perspective photography: ideas, tips, and how-tos.
Have you ever seen a photo where it looks like someone is holding the moon in the palm of their hand? Or maybe you’ve seen photos of a person holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa? If so, you’ve seen an example of a photographer using forced perspective.
This method combines various techniques to create an illusion that objects are smaller, larger, closer, or farther away than they really are. Ready to create images like that yourself? Here’s everything you need to know.
How do you take a forced-perspective photo?
To take a forced-perspective photo, you first want to plan your shot. Think about the kind of image you want to take, any props you’ll need, and where you’ll need to be. Make sure there’s enough room for you to work around your subject.
Here are some tips for your first foray into forced perspective:
- Use a small aperture for a large depth of field to keep both your subjects in focus. Choose an aperture between f/8 and f/16 to start.
- Set your camera to Aperture Priority. This will let you adjust your aperture without worrying about shutter speed.
- Line up the foreground and background so they appear parallel to one another. The key to a good forced-perspective photo is blending the two seamlessly.
- To make an object or person appear bigger, place it in the foreground, closer to the camera. To make it appear smaller, place it farther away.
When is forced perspective most often used? Why?
Forced perspective is most often used in film to portray people or other types of creatures as smaller or larger than others. For example, while filming the Lord of the Rings movies, forced perspective was used to make the people playing hobbits appear much smaller than everyone else.
In photography, forced perspective is most often used to create the illusion that people are interacting with objects in ways they couldn’t naturally. For example, forced perspective can be used to give the illusion that a person is stepping on a large statue.
Forced-perspective tips and ideas.
To practice your newfound forced-perspective skills, here are some project ideas:
- Create the illusion that one person is much smaller than the other.
- Make buildings look like miniature models by using a tilt-shift lens.
- Have someone “hold” a building.
- Create the illusion that a giant is stomping on someone or something.
- Use the sun, moon, or even clouds as props. Kick the setting sun, hold the moon, or squeeze clouds from a bottle.
- Use bokeh in your photos. A person can interact with the balls of light in many ways, such as blowing bubbles of light.
- Create a shot reminiscent of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids by having a person appear miniature in the grass.
- Make a toy dinosaur (or your furry pet!) appear larger than life.
- Try using paper silhouettes to create exciting images. Hang them from trees or tape them to windows.
Tips and tricks:
- If you’re planning to shoot photos with objects that need to be positioned in a certain way, it’s helpful to have a friend with you. This way, you’re not running back and forth adjusting the objects and checking your camera.
- Make sure you have enough light. Since you’ll be shooting with a narrow aperture, you may need to increase your ISO.
- Keep it simple. Forced-perspective photos are most effective when there aren’t too many competing elements in the shot.
- Don’t forget about the rule of thirds when framing your shot.
- Try shooting from ground level or take your photo from above.
- Use a zoom lens. This will allow you to re-frame your shot without having to move.
The best way to master forced-perspective photography is to practice. Anyone can do it, and you don’t need a lot of special equipment. Your only limit is your imagination!
For additional inspiration, watch photographer Jerry Business in this SmugMug Film: Little Toys, Big World. Jerry uses meticulously chosen angles and antique toys and figurines to tell creative stories through his photography.
