When it comes to bringing an imaginative idea to life, it often takes a lot to put together everything needed for the right kind of execution of that idea. Aside from the financial side of it, bringing together all the concepts for implementing the perfect photo requires some really good production. Here are ten surreal photographers who nail the process of getting their vision to life.
All images are used with permission and are copyrighted by the respective surreal photographers. The lead image is by Jovana Rikalo.
Submerge
No prizes for guessing what kind of surreal photography this talented team does. It takes a lot to successfully shoot underwater, and the type of production quality they come up with is highly commendable. Lights and water aren’t easy to handle together, but the Submerge team takes great precautions to ensure the safety of everyone on set.
Jovana Rikalo
Many factors come into play when Jovana creates her intricately designed surreal photos. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. Especially when shooting outdoors. So she always has a Plan B to fall back on.
Carter Baran
Rays of light play a strong role in most of Carter’s surreal photograps, but there was this one time he set two of his talents on fire, literally. His work is heavily influenced by TV shows and sci-fi movies.
Charlotte Bories
What started as a passing idea to get married underwater became a career specialization for photographer Charlotte Bories. Usually, for a classic underwater photoshoot, she spends at least 2-3 hours on the production of each surreal photograph. Depending on the complexity, the post-production can take up to 5 days at times!
Rosie Hardy
Many personal experiences translated into Rosie’s 365 Days of Grief project. It gave her a way to stay creative during the Covid-19 lockdown periods. Read our interview with her to see how she develops these creative ideas for her surreal photography.
Ferro Flowers
Circling back to the topic of flowers, we’re sure you’ve probably never seen flowers showcased in this unique way. Thomas Koch, Frederic Schlosser, and Bruno Damião make up a creative team that used ferrofluid to coat various types of flowers. The shoot wasn’t without incidents, though, as the team tells us in our interview with them.
Ezo Renier
A project that took around 10 years to create, Ezo told us that Reminiscencia began as something he did for fun. He doesn’t write down any of his ideas though, as he prefers letting his imagination run free on the sets. His project called Phobias is also very worth a look.
Unlike many other conceptual photographers, I do not use sketches. I prefer to visualize a sensation in my head rather than a concept since the boundaries of imagination in the head are not squeezed by the framework of the laws physical world.
Ezo Renier
Lukasz Spychala
“You never know which of our dreams will come true,” says Lukasz about the possibilities in everyone’s life. His photo project, Another World, was created to show what could happen if our most bizarre dreams came true.
Christy Lee Rogers
Reminiscent of Baroque paintings, Hawaii-based Christy Lee Rogers’ underwater photography is astounding. Managing multiple talents underwater dressed in flowing fabrics is no easy task. Her work has been exhibited across many countries now. She has some of the most unique images of any of the surreal photographers on this list.
Piotr Müller
If you want to know what the American Dream feels like to Polish natives, look at this series by Piotr. The annual LARP event is a profoundly theatrical experience where people get into multidimensional characters. Having seen one side of the USA in movies and TV while growing up, the LARP participants only saw the other side of reality when they reached adulthood. This event is an immersive experience for them to live that life for one day in the year.