iPhone photography has come a long way since the first model launched in 2007. But we didn't think those two (or three) lenses were quite capable of magic until we set eyes on these incredible photos, which are driving TikTok wild.
Anthony Schmidt has amassed a sizeable following on the platform, and even Apple CEO Tim Cook is a fan. The secret of his awesome car photos is that they aren't real cars at all – rather, they're toys. (Check out the best iPhone 13 Pro deals if you want the best iPhone camera available right now.)
The final photo.... (Image credit: Anthony Schmidt)
...and how it was made (Image credit: Anthony Schmidt)
Using forced perspective (which employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is) and positioning them in real-life surroundings, Schmidt makes toy cars look like the real things. You can view more photos at his website.
From the age of six, Anthony has expressed his love for photography. He now shares his larger-than-life iPhone images of model cars with fans around the world and his creativity really shines through! #ShotOniPhone #AutismAcceptanceMonth 📸 IG: anthony_ryan_schmidt pic.twitter.com/kJTcGhvB6AApril 2, 2022
14 year-old Schmidt has already published a book of his photographs, titled Small Cars, Big Inspiration, described as "the remarkable story of a young man on the autism spectrum finding a passion in collecting and photographing model cars". And on World Autism Day this month, Tim Cook shared some of Schmidt's stunning iPhone photos (above).
It's no surprise that Schmidt's photos are proving such a hit on TikTok – while the finished photos themselves are stunning, it's the insight into the production process that makes the whole project so delightful.
We've seen some awesome iPhone photography tricks lately, including the sunkissed editing hack that's all over TikTok – but Schmidt's forced photography photos might just be the most impressive yet. Check out today's best iPhone 13 deals below, and if you're in the mood for more mind-bogglers, take a look at our roundup of the best optical illusions around, and the best animal optical illusions.
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Daniel John is Senior News Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of art, design, branding and lifestyle tech (which often translates to tech made by Apple). He joined in 2020 after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more.
