How can Hollande look as corpulent as Schwarzenegger ?

Paris - 2015 - François Hollande receives Arnold Schwarzenegger for the climate conference. The actor is deeply involved in the fight against global warming.

This meeting means that many photos will be taken for the press. Problem: the two men are far from having the same stature or build, and the comparison is not in President Hollande's favour. Photographer Thomas Samson (AFP agency) pulled off a masterstroke by making it almost impossible to see, and without any computer fiddling.

How did he do that ?

How could photographer Thomas Samson give the impression that the two men are of comparable build ?

Firstly, he waits until Schwarzenegger is behind François Hollande and uses a long focal length to shorten the distance, so that the distance is no longer noticeable. What's more, he waits until the eyes of the two men do not betray their respective positions. The photographer then stoops or lowers himself to further reduce the size of Schwarzenegger in the background. The result is obvious: the two men appear to be of comparable height.

The photo on the right was taken on the same day, but without any particular optical effect, and is a better reflection of reality. The actor is, however, more three-quarter length than the President; this position (whether deliberate or not) still helps to balance the figures.