Do you want to add some photography techniques to your repertoire? Then you are at the right place. read our guide for a detailed guide on forced perspective photography.
If you are a professional photographer or brand ambassador, it is essential to try and find out the niche you are focusing on and get away to challenge yourself. As for the seasoned professional, knowing how to create a forced perspective photo is fun, improves your photography skills, and takes your profession to another level.
The world is advancing, so there is a need to get the target audience's attention, especially when you are a social media marketer or influencer. You can develop a creative way to play with the audience's perception.
If you want to take your photography to another level, it is crucial to learn how to derive an optical illusion in your profession. Please read our guide to level up your photography and stay unique. We will guide you through all perspectives of forced perspective photography and how to muse.
What is Forced Perspective Photography?
Forced perspective in photography is a technique in which one utilizes the space between the target subject and develops an exciting or unique relationship. This technique tends to manipulate the perspective of the audience or viewers of that particular distance between 2 objects, thus bringing out a kind of optical illusion.
The phenomenon is common among videographers and photographers,s which they use to make subjects look more significant or more minor than they appear in reality. While one can create the Forced perspective through the camera, most people still create the perspective using photo editing software. There are various examples you can find online.
How to Do Forced Perspective Photography?
The trick behind forced perspective photography is forcing different perspectives while composing a photo. You can achieve this through distance manipulation between the sight and the subject you are shooting. in this section, we have highlighted some of the tips you need to know before getting started:-
1. Use a narrow aperture
When you keep everything in focus, it is possible to convince the viewers that your foreground and background are all placed at the same distance based on your camera. This means you need to keep everything focused by stepping down to a narrow aperture. And in most situations, f/16 is a perfect aperture.
However, in limited cases, shallow dept of the field works well, but you need to have a convincing reason to blur the background or foreground, which helps keep things sharp. Remember that a narrow aperture needs more light. And thus, you can achieve it by adjusting the ISO or using a well-lit scene to compensate for lighting.
2. Get a lot of space
You need a lot of space to quickly arrange the object and target subject you need to work with. However, it won't be a challenge when using an object in the sky because you got all the space. But when you must align the object and subject on the focal point, you must have enough space to set the correct distance. Make sure you have ample and open space in your settings.
3. Perspective plays a vital role
One does not need to stretch into the rabbit hole with the forced perspective to make the subject large or small. But, you only need to be extra careful about where to place the subject so that they appear large or small based on your needs.
In this sense, there are simple rules: place the object closer to the camera to make it larger and place the object further away from the camera to make it smaller. Thus, keep these two rules in mind anytime you are compositing forced perspective photos and making them fun.
4. Use a wide-angle lens
Well, we do not recommend any specific equipment for this case to obtain a clear forced perspective image. Still, it can be interesting to try out numerous lenses and determine the effect you will get on the image composition.
If you need a wider field, then use a wide-angle lens, and this way, you can quickly get closer to the foreground, even without cropping your background. Something under 35mm, in this case, is taken as a wide-angle lens. However, when you plan to use a wider one, ensure that you do not distort the photo.
5. Keep your photo or image simply
Being simple is essential in image composition, irrespective of the technique. And when you need a forced perspective, simplicity is critical. Optical illusion goes hand in hand with the near-perfect composition, and additional tricks on your frame are another thing that can go out of whack.
This means that you should ensure that anything within the frame is part and parcel of the optical illusion. When you add anything, it tends to interfere with the illusion to bring out the original perspective. And in the long run, it weakens the impact of the forced perspective you intend to achieve in the end.
6. Hire a model or work with a partner
Using someone's hand is one of the common tricks in forced perspective photography. It becomes simple when you take a photo but use the hand of a partner r a model as one of the models in reality. This will save you time and help you evade frustrations you would have gone through doing it alone.
You can also partner with another photographer to take turns as one shoot after the other is the subject. This way guarantees a creative idea as a team because the other person is shooting while one moves the subject.
7. Plan everything ahead of time
First, take time in reality and think of the best composition before the actual session of taking a forced perspective photo well. Missing out on any element of composition can result in your optical illusion being less conviving. It will also save you time and effort knowing the location well to plan on the distance of different elements in your shooting sessions.
However, it is not compulsory to get everything figured out, but it is essential to get a solid general idea. The shooting will be successful if you think ahead first.
8. Select your equipment
It is also good to try and think of the equipment you might need in forced perspective photography. There is no need to get advanced photography gears or DSLR to develop a forced perspective photo but arrange to have equipment that will affect the composition of the subject while shooting.
This will save you money and time while utilizing the available resources. Still, you can upgrade the camera on your phone and still get the work done as long as you practice enough to gain the relevant skills.
9. Make changes as you go
While taking a forced perspective photo, it is also essential to adapt to changes based on each moment's situation. Sometimes, you might prepare well enough but utilizing the ideas in natural photography becomes a challenge. Thus, you must be willing to adjust to such changes and make use of the available resources. For instance, if a digital camera is giving you a headache, then make use of the smartphone to translate your idea into reality.
10. Utilize your creativity to run wild
The photographer's creativity is the trick to bringing out the forced perspective photo. There are numerous ways to look at things other than the usual, like pretending to hold a building. To build a unique optical illusion, one needs to look at things differently. Change the belief or things, then think of something special to bring up a different vintage.
Forced Perspective Photography Ideas
While people use the old tricks in taking forced perspective photos, there are still new and trending ideas that you can quickly try to use. in this section,w have collected some of the best clean poses that will let you feel original and then astonish your viewers. Here we go:-
1. Bokeh Effect
The word bokeh is found in the dictionary of photography. The light spots originate from the fast lens placed from a wide aperture. You can then use such bubbles to make your forced perep[ective photo and make the magic appear in reality. This requires you to get someone to help you blow the bokeh bubble and let them appear like it is emitting the bokeh effect through a pitcher.
Doing this is simple high he strings lights from any point like a tree, then position the prop away from the light. Set the aperture range from f/1.4 to f/2.8 and ensure you focus on the support. Immediately the light appears like a bokeh effect. Prepare your composition, then shoot.
2. King Kong size
This is another reliable pose where large target objects look tiny while the king kong, who is the person, in this case, is more extensive than in real life. For instance, someone is eating a building. There are many options, and it is simple to achieve them.
You need to set the object you want to manipulate in the background and position one subject playing king kong in the foreground. You can let the person stand behind the camera but have their food within the frame.
3. Flat image
In this case, the subject is displayed as two-dimensional. For instance, a bike lane photo. The subject lies on the ground and appears as if they are riding the bike lane stencil. The main target here is to shoot from the subject directly. However, using an angle reveals the actual depth. Make sure you hide one leg.
4. Balancing act
Balance act is one of the challenges to get right. This is why the balancing act is one of the perfect themes of the forced perspective photo. The goal is to make it look like someone is balancing on something that doesn't move. And ensure the object is something that no human can balance on it.
And in most cases, photographers use a bottle so that when you jump, you appear like you are balancing on the bottle. Here, timing is essential, and you need to adjust the angle to ensure the foot is directly on top of the bottle in the foreground.
5. Family portrait
This is boring, but you can space up a portrait by including the family in your empty picture frame. One thing you need to do here is manipulated distance and then enlist some pro holders or one. It is simple as you need one of the family members to hold the frame, suspend it in the air using the string, and let the members stand some yards away to fit in the frame. Ensure your camera is on the same level as the picture frame.
6. Gravity bend
Such a forced perspective phot trick tends to turn the logic on its head. Place the subject upside down. This means you must shoot this from a safe place within the building as well as the walls. Let the secret lie on the ground and ensure that the legs are flushing against the wall. Then turn the camera to make the wall appear like the ground.
7. Cloud art
This is a situation where you tend to perceive the viewers with an aerosol can spraying clouds in the sky. Then si the easiest trick on forced perspective photography. You can grab a can with the spraying nozzle then keen on the ground, then point the camera up at the sky. the only thing you need to have in the view is the clouds in the sky. then place where the trailing cloud ends and hold your spray bottle and point to nozzle right to the cloud.
8. Merged subject
In a forced perspective, you can merge two subjects. However, you must be perfect at the positioning. Integrate the two subjects in the frame. Here, you need a wide-angle lens and a small aperture to get the subjects placed in the focus.
9. Giant effect
This is a deceptively realistic pose in forced perspective photography where you create awe and shock. It makes your feet look more prominent than in real life while keeping your body average in the background. Getting this is simple. Get a pair of shoes on the ground, stand behind them and make sure the camera is level with the shoes and legs. The feet appear hidden behind the shoes in the frame hence getting a seamless transition between the shoes and legs.
Conclusion
Forced perspective is an excellent method of perfecting your photography creativity. It showcases unique skills to your viewers. Therefore, the best-forced perspective images are created by utilizing the plan and openness to adjust to the changes. There are many advantages of using forced perspective skills in your profession.
