Looking for a specific kind of enhanced distortion

[citizenzen]

I am art directing a photo shoot and have searched the internet in vain for an example of what I'm trying to do. I'd like to use these examples in a brainstorm session to help sell my idea. Our department has a very talented photographer who can certainly pull it off. However, our photographer is on vacation, and the shoot is Monday, so I haven't had a chance to ask them about it.

I've seen this used in commercials before. You have a relatively small object in the foreground that—due to perspective—looks huge compared to a person in the background. My idea is to draw, print and cut out a small illustration and prop it up so it looks big compared to the person.

Do you know what I mean? Can you help a brother out?

 

[Ryan1524]

Wide angle lens up close or macro lens maybe?

 

[citizenzen]

It's the opposite of having a person "hold" the Eiffel Tower in their hand.

It's taking a small object, and putting it in the foreground so it looks huge.

 

[monokakata]

Unless I'm misunderstanding you, to do what you want to, you'll need the widest-angle lens you can get.

Get as close as you can to the small object. Pay careful attention to vertical alignment (so what's in the background doesn't "fall over").

Here's an example -- fooling around the first day I got my 14-24 lens. It's at 14mm on DX body (D300). I wasn't interested in keeping the camera vertical -- but you can see how large the first stone is, compared to the others and to what's in the background. I also wasn't worrying about depth of field, but you'll probably have to.

 

[jackerin]

It's the opposite of having a person "hold" the Eiffel Tower in their hand.

It's taking a small object, and putting it in the foreground so it looks huge.

If you think about it it's the same thing. The Eiffel tower is huge in comparison to a person, so that is taking a (comparatively) small thing and putting it in the foreground.

But yeah, wide-angle, small aperture.