I’m always really fascinated by what influences artists/photographers, and I love reading about the stories behind the images as they offer an insight into the creative process for that particular artist.

Over the next couple of posts I thought I’d discuss my main motivations for taking photos. First up is what I label as surrealism.
Surrealism is defined as the principles, ideals, or practice of producing fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects in art, literature, film, or theater by means of unnatural or irrational juxtapositions and combinations (Merriam-Webster).

One of the most famous surrealist artists (and indeed my favourite artist) is Salvador Dali. For me his appeal lies in the ability to create a fantastical weird world and to do so in many formats: painting, jewellery, architecture, film.
Dali does this brilliantly in a little film called Destino which he made with Walt Disney.

I love the idea of creating an alternate world through imagery, and with photography I wonder if the effectiveness is enhanced due to the ‘realness’ of the images.

While I have many ideas for ‘surrealist’ images whirling around in my head, I don’t often produce something that really speaks to me of another world, of a visual escape.
This is an image that I captured from the lagoon of Lady Elliot Island, it was not entirely intentional but I quite like it and think it’s a darker take on a coral island reef photo.

Some artists I quite like who have a surrealist edge are
Hudaa
Marcel van Luit
Joel Rea

Also check out CreativeGrammer for a collection of different artists.

Who or what are your influences?