A camera takes a literal snapshot through a relatively small window, and you just get the snapshot, not all of the assembly and processing around it that creates the experience of space.
The standard photo aspect ratios aren't wide enough to trick the brain into interpreting a view as a space. To get an impressive panorama you have to fake what the brain does by stitching together different shots into a wider view. If the panorama is wide enough you can trigger the space perception response.
You can also print large, which can have a similar effect. And use a very wide lens.
But a small photo won't usually do it. Which is why wide-field landscapes often feel disappointing compared to the real thing.
SIZE CONSTANCY - A TENDENCY TO CHANGE VIEWING DISTANCES. AN IMAGE DOUBLES IN SIZE WHENEVER ITS DISTANCE IS HALVED. The brain compensates for this. A test - look at your hands, placed at arms length, draw one hand closer to you by bending your elbow - the hands continue to look the same size, even though the furthest away hand is half the linear size. Now let the nearer hand overlap the other and you will see the difference in size - the hand nearest to you covers the other hand........ even though you know they haven't change size, just their position. (This was first identified by DESCARTES)
SIZE CONSTANCY - A TENDENCY TO CHANGE VIEWING DISTANCES.
AN IMAGE DOUBLES IN SIZE WHENEVER ITS DISTANCE IS HALVED. The brain compensates for this.
A test - look at your hands, placed at arms length, draw one hand closer to you by bending your elbow - the hands continue to look the same size, even though the furthest away hand is half the linear size. Now let the nearer hand overlap the other and you will see the difference in size - the hand nearest to you covers the other hand........ even though you know they haven't change size, just their position. (This was first identified by DESCARTES)
http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~kbroom/Lectures/3gs.htm
Which has a lot of interesting stuff about visual perception. Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.
