WPPI


What’s Behind a Forced Perspective Photo?

November 23, 2021

By Felicia Saunders

© Felicia Saunders Photography

Every year, I like to enter creative pieces into WPPI’s The Annual 16×20 Print, Album and Filmmaking competitions to get input on my work from esteemed judges. I find this really helps me improve my skills and hone my craft. In 2020, I created a forced perspective photo of a soon to be mother that looked like a still life of her portrait hanging on a wall.

felicia saunders forced perspective portraits for wppi 2020 the annual print competition

I accomplished this by placing my subject behind a faux wall and creating two different lighting patterns. I loved it because it forced the viewer to think outside the box and, at the time, it pushed my technical and creative abilities. As a result of that image, I have been driven to continue to play with forced perspectives.

This year, I pushed my skills further with a forced perspective photo I called “Painted, Not a Painting.”

[Read: How to Turn Innovative Personal Projects into Award-Winning Imagery]

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE IMAGE

Everyone over 40 years old who has seen it has asked me if this forced perspective photo was inspired by the music video for “Take On Me” by a-ha. I had to look up the video because I had no idea what they were talking about. I have to admit that it is similar, but I didn’t draw any inspiration from it. My inspiration actually came from seeing a “2D” café in Seoul. I thought, How cool would it be to create an image that forces the viewer to believe a person is transitioning from a colorful 3-dimensional world into a 2-dimensional sketched world?

HOW I CREATED THE FORCED PERSPECTIVE PHOTO

This is a single-capture image with minimal post-processing to correct lens distortion and minor tweaks to exposure.

Most people believe that I created this forced perspective photo by painting on the white background and having the subject step behind it. This theory is incorrect.

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Everything in this image is real and physically there. Both sides have identical chairs, tables, picture frames and flowers. The subject’s arm and leg is painted, and everything is meticulously posed to create the illusion.

at home lighting setup for creative portrait photographed for wppi 2021 the annual
painting props for creative photo submitted to wppi 2021 the annual print competition
ikea chair and table props for forced perspective photo by felicia saunders

The tables and frames came from Ikea, the chairs were from a thrift store, the flowers and vases came from a craft store, and I printed the pictures in the frames on my Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-4100 on Canon’s Artistic Matte Canvas.

THE CHALLENGES TO THE FORCED PERSPECTIVE PHOTO

This image was literally photographed in my living room. In early 2020, I was unable to continue leasing a studio space due to local closures from the spread of COVID-19, and I was forced to move my studio into my home.

Having a studio in my home is fine for newborn and maternity portraits, but it really puts a damper on things when I want to create a large set for a forced perspective photo. I had to completely clear out my studio space of all furniture and storage to create a space large enough to create the set. Then to get far enough back to have everything in frame, I placed my camera on a tripod against the wall and used the Canon Connect App on my phone to control my camera and meticulously pose my subject.

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Somehow, I had to figure out how to have a colorful “real” side that would not be flat-lit and have shadows. Then a “sketch” side would have to be devoid of shadows and somehow prevent the vibrant colors from casting from the colorful side onto the whites. To do this, I focused my high key lighting on the sketch side and placed small LED lights underneath the “sketched” furniture to eliminate the shadows underneath the forced perspective photo.

IN MY GEAR BAG

Camera: Canon EOS-R
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8
Focal length: 24mm
Exposure: f/5 at 1/125 sec.
ISO: 320
Lighting: Paul C. Buff DigiBee DB800 (X2), Paul C. Buff AlienBees B800 (X1), Paul C. Buff 86” PLM Umbrella, Paul C. Buff 64” PLM Umbrella, Paul C. Buff CyberSync remote system, Fotodiox Pro Softbox 12×56, Ulanzi L1 Pro Mini LED (X2), Neewer C-Stands (X3)
Background: Savage 12×12 Background Stand, Savage Seamless Paper (Tulip 107” and Super White 107”)
Tripod: Manfrotto
Printer: Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-4100
Paper (for the shoot): Canon’s Artistic Matte Canvas

For the competition print…

Printer: Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-4100
Paper: Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 GSM
Mat: Golden State Art Mat Board

[Read: Printers, Papers and Custom Art Options for Photographers]

DISASTER ON THE DAY OF THE FORCED PERSPECTIVE PHOTO SHOOT

I had procrastinated getting this forced perspective photo together and only had a few days to get it photographed and printed before the WPPI print competition deadline. And during the day of the shoot, disaster struck.

My model was extremely shy and did not let us know that she was beginning to feel unwell. While she was getting her hair and makeup done, she fainted and came in and out of consciousness several times. This, of course, resulted in an emergency call, ambulance ride, and a visit to the Emergency Room. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with Vasovagal Syncope, which is generally a harmless condition that can cause your heart rate and blood pressure to drop in an overreaction to certain triggers.

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Luckily, I had one more day for the forced perspective photo shoot before the deadline, and my model was eager to get back in the studio to complete the piece. I had planned on making a whole series of the model entering into the “sketched dimension” and then entering back into the “real” side. However, due to the medical emergency and my procrastination, I only had time to get one pose.

I took this incident as a reminder for me to take frequent breaks, even during prep work. I wish I could say I learned my lesson about procrastination, but I know myself better.

RECEPTION OF THE FORCED PERSPECTIVE PHOTO

forced perspective photo by felicia saunders won silver distinction award at wppi 2021 print competition

As I watched my image pop up for live judging at WPPI this year, I experienced a mix of emotions. Every judge on the panel, as well as the inactive judges in the room, left their seats to get a closer look at it.

For almost 10 minutes, my forced perspective photo print was examined and discussed. There were times that I wanted to shout, “It’s all real!” I heard one of the judges whisper, “That’s crazy!” Others said, “I don’t know how the maker did this.”

The forced perspective photo ultimately received a Silver Distinction Award and, based on its score, it placed within the top four in its category.

After the judging and awards, I sought out various judges to ask for their individual feedback on how to improve the image. Each judge immediately recognized the image and was eager to know how I created it. I showed them some behind-the-scene videos and images. I got several high-fives, a “That’s nuts!”, “My mind is blown” and even a “Holy f#@k!”

Felicia Saunders is a maternity, newborn, boudoir and family portrait photographer based in Henderson, Nevada. Having earned several Silver Awards from WPPI, she is an Associate of Photography in the competition’s Honors of Excellence.