Surreal Photography: How to Take It?

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By RichardLederman

Surreal photography pushes the limits of what can be achieved with a photograph. Photo surrealism, an intellectual and artistic movement, was born in France in the 1920s. It is well-known for its surreal imagery and writings.

  • Surreal photography had two purposes: to blur the lines between reality and dreams and to let the passion flow.
  • Many experienced photographers, such as Man Ray, Lee Miller and Raoul Ubac, were attracted to surrealist photography for its dedication to artistic freedom.
  • Surreal photos are photographs that look impossible to find in the real world. Photographs taken by surrealists have special effects.
  • Surreal images are often composed of overlapping photos, abstract forms, or flashes of light that fool the viewer’s senses.

While the viewer’s brain believes the objects they are seeing are impossible to be true, their eyes see a photo that is very realistic. It is a difficult task to create surreal pictures.

To make such an impact, you need to have creativity. The magic of surreal images isn’t just about the software or camera. There are many other techniques photographers can use to create them.

Surreal Photography Starter Guide

You will need an idea in order to create surreal photos. It is a good idea to sketch out any ideas that come to you.

  • This should be true for all your activities, not just when you take surrealist photos.
  • First, you will need to take out some pencils to sketch the surrealist ideas that begin to emerge.

Next, you need to plan the photos that will be needed to create your surrealist ideas. Make sure to consider the lighting. If you want to create surrealist photos that are stunning, plan it well.

Your surrealist photos should be excellent, even if you are using Adobe Photoshop to manipulate, cut and paste, twist, and other techniques on the photo.

Capturing great images with your camera will make your Photoshop work easier. This will help you save time, as you won’t have to spend too much time fine-tuning your surreal image.

Examine Photoshop

  • To create a surrealist-looking image, you will need to be proficient in Photoshop or another picture editing app.
  • Surrealist photographs are so convincing that they make the viewer wonder if the moment actually happened.
  • Practice is key to all types of photography. Learning as you go is a great way to master surreal photography techniques.
  • Craftsy has many excellent tutorials on Photoshop for beginners. Our new post on the basics of Photoshop is also available.