So here is the cake I made this weekend:

 Sorry that's a huge crappy photo. And it's a bad angle, making it look like the second tier was dropping into the bottom tier, but it wasn't. ANYWAYS, my question is this: See how the bottom tier looks squatty? Like it's shorter than the next two? Here's another photo of another cake: 

 Sorry about the crappy iPhone photos again. BUt see how the tiers look squatty on the bottom? What is the secret to making a cake like this: 

 Each tier, besides being exceptionally beautiful :-), is completely even and nothing looks "squatty". Does the bottom tier actually have more layers? 

I would appreciate any advice! Thanks so much!

make your cakes gradually shorter going up from bottom to top -- you can cut out a foam circle to enhance the height of the bottom tier and just ice it like it was part of the bottom tier or just bake those bottom tier layers taller

for example if you has a 12x9x6 each one 4" tall --

the 12" is one third as tall as it is wide but the 6" is two thirds as tall as it is wide -- so it creates that optical illusion-- of the 12" being the runt of the family --

so you build up the height and since you need the biggest tier the tallest and it's more ingredients, using foam can help create a better illusion

Thank you, that is a great idea. Every time I completed a cake, I would measure each tier and they were allll the same, so I just couldn't understand this optical illusion. Thank you for the idea!!

AMy first thought is that it's actually the angle of the photography. When you shoot from above the cake, you make the lower parts look shorter. But that third photo is taken by someone squatting down to the level of the base tier and shooting the cake head on, making each tier look more in proportion. I could be completely wrong however, and they may be different height tiers!

I don't worry about that until I'm getting to the bigger tiers, like 13" and over. Otherwise, they all look pretty good at the five inches I make them. 4 inches has always looked too squatty to me, no matter what size the tier is. Ill boost my bigger tiers up with half inch foam core to even out the look on big tiered projects.

Thank you again for the replies! I'm going to try shooting my photos from a better angle to start. After that I'll be adding the 1/2" foam core to the bottom tier when I do three tiers or higher. :-)