One of my favourite tricks in street photography is the idea of scale comparison. For instance, a photo showing what looks like a tiny man jumping into a large rice bowl is just one of the many shots I captured using a perspective trick.

There will always be subjects around you that allow you to play with perspective tricks. You just have to be a keen observer and take yourself to the right places.

Broaden your perspective 

To make it easier to play with scale and perspective, you will have to go somewhere with a wide-open space, such as a square plaza or the beach. It would also be better if the background is not too busy. Clear skies, walls or stairs are ideal for these photos.

In the photo above, I played around with the stair steps where people like to sit around and relax when I was visiting Essaouira, Morocco. I noticed that if I positioned my camera closer to the person sitting in the foreground, he would look larger than the person walking behind him in the background. And since the ground colours look the same, the scenes are blended perfectly, giving me a picture of a giant and a tiny man in the same frame.

Perspective Play with the Alpha 7C

The Alpha 7C is extremely handy when it comes to perspective tricks. Its tiltable LCD screen is flexible enough for me to shoot at an angle that is closer to the ground or raised high above my head. As such, I can move my camera in as many positions as possible to get the best result for my perspective tricks.

Pro tip: when playing with scale and perspective, you will have to choose an appropriate F-stop to blend your subjects together and create your optical illusion. A narrow F-stop would be ideal. Once that is done, I highly recommend that you experiment by shooting as many compositions as you can from various angles. The difference in the proportion and size of your subjects will affect your end result greatly. If you take more photos, there’s a better chance of you getting a better shot when reviewing your captures afterwards so don’t just take a single snap! 

To add on, although horizontal compositions are useful in most situations, vertical photos may give you a better result sometimes. Try shooting from both compositions so that you can compare and decide on which one is better suited for that scene later on.

Now it’s your turn

With the basics of perspective play covered, it’s time to put your newfound knowledge to the test. Try looking for a subject that interests you. It could be anything, even small ordinary items such as shoes or bottles. Position it in the foreground and leave some space for another subject such as a person, animal, or vehicle to fill the background of the frame. Have fun stretching your imagination and creating endless possibilities!