Tracy of Reflections of An Untidy Mind, is leading us this week into the Surreal world. Because that is what our world seems to have turned into, even more so the last few years…
About a century ago, at another time of great societal upheaval, surrealism as an artistic and intellectual movement emerged. Tracy reminds us that modern surrealistic art strives to unite fantasy and reality, and emphasises the juxtaposition of the rational and the irrational. She mentions old techniques like motion blur, unusual camera angles and rotation; double-exposure; playing with light and colour. With Photoshop photo montages and collages have become easier to do. No photoshop? – just cut some pictures and put them together as you like! Please visit Tracy’s site for excellent inspiration!
Personally, I find reality to be surreal even without photoshop…
In my garden I have a couple of dead trees that I want to keep for their special beauty and for all the insects living there. Autumn mornings the dew reveals just how many spiders there are…this is enhanced by the monochrome process.
A bathroom in Stettin – playing with mirrors and reflections.
My camera has got a button for double exposure – maybe yours too? And I love playing around with it at times. When I have taken a photo I can take another one afterwards and dimly see the first photo while positioning the lens for a fun result.
Surreal? Simply an umbrella with inside pattern!
At Wanås this art installation does not need any extra tweaks…this is the way it looks. Simply surreal!
And why not go close-up? This is a begonia stem and a christmas tree candle.
Or just…late evening blur.
In the header is a blurred cow parsley in front of the trees. Aliens landing or leaving?
Special thanks to Andre of My Blog-Solaner and to all of those who responded to his Summer Vibes challenge last week. What a summery riot of colour, blue skies and seas we had! Next week, Sarah Wilkie, blogging at Travel with Me, will be our guest host. Sarah’s theme is Three Favorite Images.
”It is time now to create some marvellous surrealism mayhem with photos that we can all enjoy no matter what sort of day we might be having.” (Tracy says) We look forward to seeing your responses. Please remember to link them to Tracy’s original post, and to use the Lens-Artists tag to help us find you. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.
Leya 
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Wonderfully done Ann-Christine, the spider webs on the dead tree are especially magical! 💚
Thank you, and a bit creepy…
I really love the kind of surreal you show here – no Photoshop needed!
Glad you liked that too! Yhank you.
Hi Ann-Christine. I find the spilling over of light and plant life in the library/bicycle image intriguing. Surrealistic candy to the eye.
thank you, Olga, I like that one too. A library is a nice place to work with.
Lots of cool images here.
♥ Thanks!
Wow, Ann-Christine 😲 What a brilliant set of surreal images 👏 I love the mutiple reflections shot & I’m intrigued by the double exposure function; I remember being able to do that with my pre-digital camera 😃
thank you – and you did double exposures with your older camera! Nice. I have only been able to do that with my digital ones.
Spider webs and bath room mirrors my favourites.
Great job AC
Ah, my favourites too! Thank you!
You are welcome AC
Wonderful response to the challenge! I love all of them!
Thank you, Nes!
I love to take photos in public toilets too: when they are empty and have parallel mirrors 🙂
When you watch reality through a camera you find how bizarre it is
True…bizarre revealed.
Great great compositions. Very well done!
Glad you enjoyed them, John!
These are brilliant, I love the bathroom shot and the bicycle and the motion blur is lovely with those wonderful warm colours.
Thank you, Jude, I really liked this challenge. Fun and creative answers to it!
This is an excellent collection of surreal images. Nice going.
Thank you, Steve!
These are great. I especially like the black and white images
I am glad you enjoyed them, Karina. I think B&W should be tried more often. But, I am a colour person inside…
Oh I agree. I ‘forget’ often to try it
Remarkable surreal images, AC. The mirrors and reflections, wow! The last one is my favorite. 🙂
Thank you, Amy! The mirrors seem to be the favourite with many!
These are great pictures Ann-Christine! I especially like the begonia stem and candle (very creative!) and spider webs (so eerie looking!) A great job!😊
Thank you, Sylvia – this was a challenge I really liked!
I find it interesting that black-and-white can either add realism, or make an image surreal. It’s all in the composition of the photographer. I really love the reflections image.
That late evening blur also is a favorite with those warm tones essentially creating a monochrome image. Nice work!
Thank you, John. So happy you enjoyed them.
Having an open eye is crucial. I love your mirror in the mirror in the mirror as well as the bicycle double-exposure and the decorated church (?) 👍
Thank you, Andre. The eerie web is decorating an old barn, but looks like a church, I admit.
👍 thanks for the explanation 😊
Wonderful photos, the cobwebs were eerily haunting 😊
Happy to share those webs – they will return this autumn I am sure!
Ann-Christine, this is a wonderful gallery. I hope you are chuffed with what you managed to achieve? I love them all, the black and white photos, the bike in the library, etc. 🙂 The Wanås art installation gives the impression of spider webs too. I would really like to know how you did that fabulous bathroom shot. The begonia stem reminds me of a particular radio drama/rock opera. Think Orson Wells.
Thank you so much for inviting me to host this challenge. It was a real pick-me-up when I needed it.
Thank you for accepting and making a real hit out of it! The mirrors were just there, in that bathroom . Double.
My pleasure, Ann-Christine.
Perfection, Ann-Christine. Nothing else to say 🙂
♥
How very different your approach and Tina’s. So many ways to fulfill a challenge and you’ve succeeded wonderfully, Ann-Christine.
Thank you, Jo – yes, I love that there are many answers and solutions!
Amazing response to this challenge Ann-Christine! I loved that you took reality and made it surreal. But, then, as you said we can find surrealism around us without much effort. The bathroom mirror and the bike double exposures were my favorites.
Glad you enjoyed them, Anne! I tried to give the natural a chance!
Great selection… helped understand the theme
♥
The bathroom in Stettin was my fav of this but god variety
The double exposure feature really lead a nice surreal vibe
I just love the black-and-white of your dead trees . . . what a colourful story each corner tells . . .
Thank you, Eha – I love them too. A bit grim, maybe, but still fascinationg!
Now I have to see if my camera has a double exposure setting. These are fabulous!
What a great collection, Ann Christine.
Great photos! I wish my camera had a double exposure option. I think your photos are very cool!
Fabulous interpretation of the theme Ann-Christine, these are so good 🙂
wow Ann-Christine, you are amazing. I should have know you would more than rise to the occasion! You have an amazing eye for an image – as shown especially in the bicycle shot, the mirrors and the spider webs. All extremely different from each other and all wonderful for the challenge. Superb as always.
What a great selection! I particularly like the bicycle shot(s).