What Causes the ‘Pineapple Effect’ in Photos?

Photos can look like pineapples when the camera is too close to the subject. Imagine you’re taking a picture of your favorite toy, but you put your face right up to it, it might look squished and wobbly! This happens because the lens in the camera bends light in a special way when it’s really close to what you're photographing. That's why sometimes photos look like they have funny shapes, like a pineapple.