Photographer Moises Levy transforms otherwise ordinary beach scenes into fantastical landscapes inhabited by giants. Using forced perspective, he arranges his camera at a low vantage point—essentially placing us at the same level as the surface. The resulting images feature backlit figures that appear larger than life; we are, in turn, no taller than a few grains of sand. They tower over us as they play games, ride horses, and enjoy the beach day.
Levy’s choice of perspective abstracts his black-and-white compositions and infuses some unexpected whimsy and humor to the collection There are many optical illusions created, just by virtue of people moving around. As someone jumps, for instance, they appear to be leaping over another person who is much smaller in comparison. Likewise, there’s the illusion that a tiny woman is walking under the snout of a massive horse, and a boy on a slackline is headed straight into a dog’s mouth.
The focus on humans and their everyday activities are at the very heart of Levy’s photography. He likes to get close to people, for both conceptual and stylistic reasons. “I believe being close to my subjects helps me create powerful images,” he explains to My Modern Met. Although his work is about people, he prefers to anonymize his subjects with backlight; the stark contrast forms striking visuals that draw you in like the crashing tide.
Photographer Moises Levy uses forced perspective photography to transform otherwise ordinary beach scenes into lands where giants roam.
