Amazing iPhone photos make miniature cars look life-size -

Finding the right subject is a struggle for many photographers. This is why some get creative with what is available to them. Fifteen-year-old photographer Anthony Ryan Schmidt uses his ever-growing collection of vintage miniature cars and his iPhone to take photos that use forced perspective and trick the eye into thinking these tiny cars are the real deal.

Schmidt’s interest in cars can be traced back to when he was just a small child. “Most people on the autism spectrum have a special interest, and for Schmidt it’s always been cars,” Ramona Schmidt, his mother, tells My Modern Met. “He just loves everything about them and immerses himself in everything about them.” This passion quickly grew and by the age of 6, Anthony was photographing the models in his collection. Since then, his skills have only improved, resulting in photos of vintage cars in parking lots, gas stations and more.

In pictures behind the scenes, we see how Schmidt composes his illusionistic images. The various cars are set up in miniature environments that are set against a “real” life-size background. After the photo is taken, these different elements merge seamlessly into a cohesive image that makes us see the model cars as real.

Schmidt began sharing his work online and gained a supportive following. His fans helped him fund his first coffee table book, Small cars, big inspiration. He has since collected several photographs that are featured in his second book, Changing perspectives. You can buy prints, calendars and books of his work through his online store and keep up to date with his latest projects by following the artist on Instagram.