Baby Mugging: Using Forced Perspective to Photograph Your Baby ‘Inside’ a Cup

Photo memes don’t have much of a shelf life these days. Case in point: the cat beard meme that we shared with you just a couple of weeks ago has already been replaced by the next photo fad to sweep the Instagram nation. This one’s called Baby Mugging, and it involves using forced perspective photography to make it look like your baby or toddler is hanging out inside your coffee mug.

Some of the Baby Mugging photos, like the one above by Instagram user kaliedoscope_eyes, take more planning and thought. Others are more spontaneous early morning creations. Here are a few more of the Baby Mugging Photos that have popped up online thus far:

Usually we have no idea where these trends first started, but this one is being credited to mother of two and voice behind the blog Mommy Shorts, Ilana Wiles. Her April 2013 photos of her two daughters jumping into and sitting in her Mommy Shorts mug started what’s become quite a trend over the last couple of months, if Google Trends is to be trusted:

If you happen to have a baby or small child around (preferably your own) and you’d like to get involved in the Baby Mugging fad, all you’ll need is a camera and a cup or container of some sort. Once you’ve lined everything up and taken your picture (the deeper the depth of field the better), just hashtag your creation #babymugging to share it with the rest of the baby-in-a-cup community.

(via Visual News)