Which lens and settings work best for a forced-perspective shot with a toy in the foreground and a person/building behind?
Asked 8/11/2015
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I want to create a forced-perspective photo where a stuffed lion in the foreground looks life-size next to a person, with the Colosseum visible in the background. I understand that careful subject placement is the main factor, but is there any lens choice that makes this easier? I may not have room to stand very far back, and I’d like to avoid obvious distortion or other clues that reveal the scale trick.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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There are many lenses you can use for this task as long as you are diligent about the placement of people and items. You could use a good prime like a 35mm or 50mm but I would stay away from any wide angles that may cause edge distortion or make the image look like its bending. A good portrait lens will also do the job if you have the distance for the increased focal length. You are going to need to step the lens down pretty far to get a good depth of field so lots of light will always help in these situations.
For what its worth you can do some of it in post processing or using a green screen like parts of the hobbit which was shot on two different sets simultaneously.
Another cool (but very expensive lens) that can create neat miniature effects and or alter perspective is a tilt-shift lens. These complex items allow you to alter focal planes and make some really neat things happen. In your specific case they may not help as they often have very narrow focal planes they are pretty neat none the less.
Originally by user41399. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user41399
10y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Forced perspective is mostly about placement, not one “magic” lens. You can do it with many focal lengths if you carefully position the toy, person, and background.
A moderate focal length is often easiest: around 35mm or 50mm can work well, while a portrait lens also works if you have enough room. Avoid very wide angles if possible, since edge distortion can make the trick less convincing. That said, a wide zoom can help if you need to include a large landmark like the Colosseum and don’t have much space to move.
Use a relatively small aperture—around f/8 to f/11 was suggested—to keep the toy, person, and background acceptably sharp. Good light will help, since stopping down reduces exposure.
If keeping both near and far subjects sharp is difficult, a split-field close-up filter is another option, though it’s more specialized. Some perspective effects can also be refined in post-processing.
So: prioritize careful alignment, use enough depth of field, and choose the widest focal length that includes the scene without introducing distracting distortion.
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