The Bidens look like giants next to the Carters in this photo. So what caused this optical illusion?
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Are the Bidens a lot larger than the Carters?
Social media sure thinks so after a photo of President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden with former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter circulated online.
The Bidens made a stop in Plains, Georgia, last Thursday to visit the 39th president and his wife after a drive-in rally in Atlanta to mark Joe Biden's first 100 days in office.
The Carter Center, a nonprofit started by the Carters with Emory University, tweeted the photo of the visit on Monday, and some Twitter users began to question if the photo was distorted due to everything appearing small except for the Bidens. Others chopped it up to the use of a wide-angle lens.
The use of the wide-angle lens could have helped create an illusion, according to camera company Canon.
"On images shot with a wide-angle lens, perspective appears to be exaggerated: Nearby objects may look much bigger (and hence nearer) than they really are, and faraway objects look even smaller and further away," the Canon website said.
We’re pleased to share this wonderful photo from the @POTUS and @FLOTUS visit to see the Carters in Plains, Ga.!
Thank you President and Mrs. Biden! pic.twitter.com/QcA33iUev4— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) May 4, 2021
Here are some reactions on Twitter to the image:
Have the Carters been miniature people this whole time and we never knew?? pic.twitter.com/lH9ShFljkM
— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) May 4, 2021
absolutely transfixed and perplexed by this photo. how are the carters so tiny. why does the room look like a doll house. how is this real. blog tk https://t.co/XxhZGEhzLC
— Abigail Weinberg (@abigailweinberg) May 4, 2021
Yes the Carters have grown shorter as they’ve gotten older but I’m convinced this is also a lens issue. https://t.co/LiFBA4T18u
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 4, 2021
This photo is legitimate surrealism. It looks like the Carters are extremely small, but it almost seems the more pressing issue is that the Biden's are literally giants. Everything is small other than the Joe and Jill. Table. Lamp. Chairs. All regular size. Bidens: HUGE AF. pic.twitter.com/ozFivmRIAE
— smugdingus (@smugdingus) May 4, 2021
There. I fixed it. pic.twitter.com/dmjLiX3oXk
— 🌊 Deonardo La Vinci 🌊 (@DeonardoLeVinci) May 4, 2021
Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Carters are tiny compared to the giant Bidens in this new photo