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.)

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 (opens in new tab).

14 year-old Schmidt has already published a book of his photographs, titled Small Cars, Big Inspiration (opens in new tab), 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). 

@anthonyschmidtphotos (opens in new tab)
♬ Gasolina – Daddy Yankee (opens in new tab)

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.

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