Who said the camera never lies?
A photo released by the Carter Center on Monday had many doing a double take.
Former President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter appeared minuscule sitting next to President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden during a recent visit by the Bidens to Plains.
In the photo, Jill Biden is kneeling next to a seated Jimmy Carter, while Joe Biden is doing the same next to Rosalynn Carter. The Bidens appear to loom large over the Carters.
“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!” the Carter Foundation tweeted Monday.
It was a scene that might have been straight out of “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.”
Jonathan Alter, who wrote a biography about Jimmy Carter, told The Washington Post the Carters “aren’t tiny people, but they are in the medium-to-smaller size among presidents and first ladies.”
Jimmy Carter checks in at about 5 feet, 10 inches, and Rosalynn Carter is 5-5. The president is a tad under 6 feet, and “the first lady is about half a foot shorter,” according to the Post.
Here is the explanation from several photo experts:
Most likely a wide-angle lens was used in the photo and distorted their sizes. It made those closest to the camera look huge (the Bidens) and those farther away look smaller (the Carters).
Mike Scollins, a writer for “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” tweeted a picture of Rick Moranis and Marcia Strassman from “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and wrote, “Joe and Jill Biden this afternoon.”
Former “TODAY” co-anchor Katie Couric shared the photo on Instagram, writing, “The Carters look so tiny. That’s all.”
The private meeting brought together the oldest sitting president and the longest-lived former president in history.
Biden’s stop in Plains was part of a swing through Georgia to mark his first 100 days in office. Biden said of Carter: “We sat and talked about the old days.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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