GEO-tography: Forced Perspective

In our continual quest to make the photographs we take look more like the places we've actually been, I thought we might take a peek at something called "Forced Perspective."

We all (at least those of us who haven't been living under a basket) have seen the technique at work; but, may not recognize the accurate name. Forced perspective is the technique Peter Jackson (I guess we have to call him "Sir Peter Jackson" now) uses to make his Hobbit's look realistically small next to Gandalf.

Basically, it's using your camera's settings to obtain the great depth of field and focus necessary; then, aligning two subjects precisely - one closer to the camera than the other. (huh?) Look, take one subject and put it closer to the camera. Then, align a second object further away from the camera so that it looks like what you want in the view finder. Then do what you need to bring them BOTH crisply into focus at once.

Objects can appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than they actually are, and you don't need to use Photoshop or Gimp to do it. It just takes a little creativity with the placement of the subjects in the shot and the camera angle.

Still don't get it - well a picture is worth a thousand words. Twenty-eight of them to be exact.

Movie Madness By dolmansaxlil

Nice Pony! By creatocrat

Nothing Like a Roaring Fire By dibytes

Model Town By Matt West

Friend For Support By SuReSh, the Traveler

Suzi holding the Leaning Tower of Pisa By trixnbooze

Brincando com a perpectiva (Playing with perspective) By Alexandre Duarte

Hey, Let Go By Fokket

1960 By tchola

Roadtrip North of Salta: kaartje voor mn neefje By mansszat

Spielen By erkannnix

Hunter and his Woody by ~elementalist

Camel Kisser By sebr

Please don't fall, cloud by =P0RG

Clearing the Waters By With Hope

Being Crushed By dan.oxlade

Fixing the Washington Monument By mjsmith01

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Forced Perspective By

Learn A Little More

We are in for a real treat today, that is if you've got just a couple more minutes to spare to see something more. Several weeks ago, I told you about a television special done quite awhile back called "Two of a Kind" staring the duo who struck up a real friendship after appearing in "Oh God" together: George Burns and John Denver.

In fact, their "chemistry" was so good that audiences demanded one or two of their specials every year until death took them. George lived to be 100, John… well, quite a bit less; but, here it is 2011 and they are still entertaining.

I wish that someone had recorded the show in better quality, and I really wish the person who had posted it on the web had been as much a fan of George as he was of John's, but we can be glad we have it at all. I posted part one before, part two was a monologue by George and not posted by the John Denver fan, and – here is:

George Burns and John Denver - Two of a Kind, part three.

[[ Sorry, that's what I get for linking to YouTube. Apparently they capitulated to someone claiming rights to a fairly los-quality, off public airways recording and removed it. Here is the full recording - we'll see now long that lasts. ]]