Photo examples of forced perspective photography, including a giant hand holding a tree trunk, a boy licking a giant ice cream cone, and a huge hand pinching a lawn flamingo.
August 17, 2020

Forced Perspective Photography

Danielle Benson-Fennell

Create a visual joke by having your camera see things bigger and smaller than they normally are.

Career Focus: General Class Subject: Art STEAM Cost: Free Grade: 10th 11th 12th 7th 8th 9th Instructor: Danielle Benson-Fennell Location: Indoors Online Outdoors Tools & Materials: Cell phone
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Learning Objectives: 

  • Observation
  • Cell Phone Camera Skills
  • Patience
  • Understanding how we see foreground/background and eye-level

Materials:

  • Partner to be a willing model
  • Your natural surroundings (or go for a short walk)

Tools:

  • Cellphone or camera
  • Computer, laptop, or iPad

Steps:

  1. Observe both of your hands stretched out in front of your eyes with one eye closed.   Bring one hand closer to you...what do you notice?
    • The hand closer to you looks bigger!  But it really isn’t, it’s just closer to us and the other hand looks smaller.  
  2. Use this concept to make some fun comparisons of people and objects close and far, interacting with each other.
  3. Use your phone as your viewfinder, or the focal plane on your digital camera.