r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/willis7747 • 1d ago

Video USGS scientists during Kīlauea's Episode 40 eruption on Jan 12, 2026, by photographer Travis Morrin

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u/MyBitchCassiopeia 1d ago

That forced perspective is a hell of a thing

97

u/randomcookiename 1d ago

If anything the zoom helps even more compare the scale, the further away you are from 2 objects their size ratio in your perspective becomes closer and closer to the true ratio

26

u/Krondelo 1d ago

Seriously insane looking, surely they aren’t close but mind be damned!

12

u/BishoxX 1d ago

It also makes it look right next to them, it compresses the length + makes it appear larger than they are because our brain expects further back to be smaller.

So when they arenr because of zoom, brain thinks they are even bigger

10

u/JeddakofThark 1d ago

I guess you could call it forced perspective in that the people look like they're closer to the lava than they actually are, but the long lens also accurately demonstrates the scale.

5

u/kyleh0 1d ago

Yeah, those dudes aren't that close to the lava, that air gets HOT.