Seeing is believing, right? Well... not exactly, what you see may not be what you think you see. "Your senses gather information and send it to your brain. But your brain does not simply receive this information - it creates your perception of the world", the American Museum of Natural History defines optical illusions on their page. This goes to show that your brain can fill in gaps or create images that aren't really there. And the reason for that is evolution: "survival depends on fast reactions. Your brain has evolved to work quickly to piece together whatever bits and fragments it can get - and to do its best to figure out the rest."

Our brain is like a brilliant, blind supercomputer - it's highly intelligent but cannot see. It's just a clever blob! When we see things, our eyes send information to our brains for interpretation. The brain takes shortcuts and edits images before we consciously become aware of them. Optical illusions use these shortcuts to deceive or trick our brains.

There are many different kinds of illusions, like figure-ground illusion or depth perception illusion. Figure-ground illusion is when an image with an unclear distinction between the figure and the background can cause our minds to switch back and forth while trying to comprehend it.

One of the most well-known examples is the Rubin vase illusion, where you may see either two black faces or a white vase. Another instance is the Canadian flag illusion, where you may perceive a red maple leaf or two faces arguing head to head in white. These illusions play with our perception, creating captivating visual effects that challenge our understanding of reality.

Another kind of illusion is the depth perception one. Our brains are used to perceiving a three-dimensional world, where objects higher in our visual field appear larger and farther away. The Ponzo illusion takes advantage of this by placing two parallel lines over converging lines on a two-dimensional surface. This creates a sense of depth, making it seem like the higher yellow line is larger. However, both yellow lines are the same size. It's a fascinating trick that shows how our brain interprets visual information and can be deceived by certain visual cues.

If you want to create optical illusions and make objects in photos appear larger, smaller, farther, or closer than they actually are, you should explore the technique called 'Forced Perspective.' It's commonly used in photography, filmmaking, and architecture. It tricks our eyes into seeing something that seems impossible, but with creativity, we can make it look real.

You have to make a plan for how you will take a photo, prepare an interesting pose, and most importantly - practice the composition you want to achieve. Place objects in the right locations, move the camera slowly to connect them, avoid using a tripod to have more flexibility and position the subject you want to appear larger closer to the camera, and the one you want to appear smaller farther away. Lastly, use a high zoom, opt for a higher aperture (essential for depth of field), and experiment with focus and various angles to capture the best Forced Perspective shots.

So, whether you're an illusion enthusiast, an artist seeking inspiration, or simply someone eager to explore the realm of visual trickery, we hope some of these posts got you intrigued and inspired. Witness the world through a whole new lens by continuing to scroll through the rest of the 'Confusing Perspectives' posts. Continue the adventure of perception by checking out our previous post about the online community here.