Taking a picture is all about where you stand. Move a little to the left, bring one object closer to the camera, and suddenly an ordinary scene can look completely impossible.
These three real photographs play with perspective in different ways. Have a look first, then work out where the trick is hiding. Your eyes might get there before your brain does.
Wait, are you picking up that tower?
The Leaning Tower of Pisa looks small enough to hold between two fingers here. Of course the hand is much closer to the camera than the tower. Get the two lined up and the gap between them disappears in the photograph.
Its a simple idea, but lining up the fingertips makes all the difference. Miss by a little and it is just a hand in front of a building. Get it right and suddenly you have a very strong set of fingers.
A balancing act on a water bottle
Now this person seems to be standing right on top of a bottle. Look again and you can work out what is happening. The bottle is near the camera, while the person is much farther away.
The open salt flats of Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia give the scene plenty of clear space. With very little between the bottle and the person, there are fewer distractions to give the trick away.
Even a corridor can play this game
Perspective is not just for funny holiday pictures. This photograph looks back through Borromini’s perspective gallery at Palazzo Spada in Rome. The columns, floor and opening make you pay attention to how the space is arranged.
A person in the view gives your eyes something to compare with the architecture. Suddenly you start checking the size of everything around them. That is when an ordinary looking corridor becomes a much more interesting picture.
So next time a photo looks a little strange, check what is close to the camera and what is far away. The answer might be a change of angle rather than anything complicated. And yes, trying your own version can be quite funny too.
